VietNamNet Bridge – Doctors at Paediatrics Hospital 1 and the Hospital for Traumatology and Orthopaedics in HCM City worked as a surgical team to remove a large noncancerous tumour from the ribcage of a 12-year-old boy from Phu Yen Province, saving him from permanent paralysis.

A doctor at HCM City’s Paediatrics Hospital 1 explains how a tumour spread to the spine of a 12-year-old boy. — VNA/VNS Photo Phương Vy

Dr Dao Trung Hieu, deputy head of Paediatrics Hospital 1, said the 18cm x 13.5cm x 9cm tumour in the spinal cord had spread to the vertebrae, which was unusual as it occurs in only 1 to 3 per cent of such cases.

After more than two weeks in the hospital, the boy could no longer move his legs as the tumour had spread to his spine.  

Dr Dinh Viet Hung of the hospital’s general surgery department said that if the two operations to remove the tumour had not been done in time, the boy would have suffered permanent paralysis.

The first operation, which lasted five hours, was conducted on December 12 to remove the tumour outside the spine. On December 21, the second operation removed the remaining tumour outside the right ribcage.

The patient is recovering, but continues to have periodic examinations. The patient’s tumour was not cancerous, so the chance of a relapse is very low, according to Dr Hieu. 

Source: VNS