Vietnamese doctors remove spinal tumour from American patient

Doctors at Đà Nẵng General Hospital in Vietnam successfully removed an intradural extramedullary tumour from the lumbar vertebrae of a 37-year-old American patient.

Neurosurgeon Lê Quang Huy performed the complicated procedure to remove a 3cm tumour located near sensitive nerve roots. The surgical team used a neurosurgical microscope to ensure the functional nerves remained healthy despite the patient's obesity. The patient regained the ability to walk without neurological deficits just two days after the operation.

Nguyễn Thành Trung, the hospital's deputy director, noted that the patient chose the facility because of its reputation for quality medical services. The hospital provided the surgery for between US$800 and US$1,200, a price much lower than the US$35,000 to US$60,000 cost for the same procedure in the United States. The hospital has also performed 44 organ and tissue transplants since 2006.