On August 5, Viet Duc Friendship Hospital said that the hospital had just received a male patient over 60 years old, Dao ethnic group, in a state of malnutrition, with a large tumor, stiffness in the tongue area that had affected the entire tongue, floor and throat.
According to the patient's family, the man had symptoms of prolonged tongue ulcers but because he was subjective, he did not go to the doctor. Only when he could not eat for 4-5 months, causing physical exhaustion, was the patient transferred to the hospital.
The patient was consulted by Viet Duc Friendship Hospital and the Central ENT Hospital. The tumor was too large, making examination and anesthesia difficult. The film shows the tumor spreading throughout the mouth, forcing doctors to remove the entire tongue and floor and dredge the cervicalcalcal cord.
Dr. Bui Mai Anh, Department of maxillofacial - plastic and cosmetic surgery, Viet Duc Friendship Hospital, said that this is one of the difficult and complicated cases.
After removing the tumor, a large space is created, losing important structures such as the tongue, floor, and throat wall, seriously affecting eating and speaking function.
The goal of surgery is not only to remove the tumor but also to restore maximum function of eating, speaking, and swallowing to improve the patient's quality of life.
"We used a free skin patch from the thighs, grafted blood vessels and nerves under the microsurgical glasses to reshape the tongue, floor and throat. If the recovery process is smooth, the tongue can move, helping patients eat, swallow and pronounce some simple words," said Dr. Bui Mai Anh.
The surgery took more than 10 hours.
Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Hong Ha, Head of the Department of maxillofacial - plastic and cosmetic surgery, Viet Duc Friendship Hospital, emphasized that oral cancer ranks third among all types of head and neck cancer. Initial symptoms are often unclear and easily overlooked.
"If you have a long, painful mouth ulcer, difficulty chewing, difficulty swallowing, or voice change, you need to see a doctor early. Many people are subjective, and when they cannot eat or drink, they go to the doctor because it is too late, treatment becomes much more difficult and expensive," Dr. Ha advised.
