For 2 years, Ms. Ha had to endure persistent pain and complete paralysis due to a serious infection in the lower half of her femur and knee joint. However, thanks to advanced technology and the dedication of the medical team at Vinmec Times City, she overcame her illness and was able to walk on her own two feet.
“2 years bedridden, I once thought about death.”
In February 2022, Ms. Ha (Nam Dinh) broke her femur in an accident. She had to go to a hospital in Hanoi to get treatment. At first, everything seemed to be going well. They sent her home and told her that the bone would heal on its own. But the reality was not as she expected. After returning home, the excruciating pain that penetrated her bones constantly tormented her, even when she was not moving. The pain, constant insomnia, and helplessness of not being able to walk made her increasingly exhausted.
Ms. Ha refused to give up and went back to the first medical center to try to find an answer. But after two follow-up visits, the doctor was sure that her bone had healed well and that there were no major issues. Even though that was what the doctor said, the pain kept coming back. She was in pain and couldn't do anything for two years because she couldn't walk, and Ms. Ha became depressed. She broke down in tears and said, "I thought about death."
Two milestone surgeries
Her son took Ms. Ha to Vinmec Times City Hospital. Prof. Dr. Tran Trung Dung, a world-renowned expert in orthopedic trauma, personally examined and welcomed the patient.
The results of the tests showed that her situation was much worse than initially predicted. She had a long-lasting deep infection, knee osteoarthritis, joint stiffness, necrosis in the femur, and complex bone deformities. Notably, the infection had been getting worse in her bones for two years, making them hurt all the time, whether she rested or moved.
Prof. Dung’s team recommended Ms. Ha to have two surgeries because of this situation: The first surgery was to get rid of the infection completely. To do this, doctors had to cut out almost the whole lower half of the 25 cm long femur because the infection causes necrosis and bone loss. They also implanted a block of antibiotic cement to keep the muscles and tendons contracture. In the second surgery, the bone defect was filled with an artificial bone made of titanium alloy. This surgery also removes difficult adhesions and replaces the patient's knee.
3D Technology: The Key to Future Medical Miracles
Previously, patients with severe bone defects like Ms. Ha often had to face more than 3 major surgeries. Bone grafting from donated bone sources and bone grafting from the patient's own body are the two most common ways. Bone grafting from donated bone sources can be incompatible or rejected over time. And taking bone from another part of the body, like the fibula or pelvis, can be painful and have long-term consequences on motor function at the site where it is taken. These methods also require the patient to be immobilized for a long time after surgery while waiting for the bone to heal, with a high risk of failure.
At Vinmec, 3D planning surgery technology has become the solution for the most difficult surgeries. This technology not only exactly replicates the structure of the body, but it also helps the doctors predict risks and make the surgery go as smoothly as possible.
Ms. Ha is a typical case, having undergone numerous unsuccessful surgeries that completely erased her original anatomical landmarks. Thanks to the application of 3D technology, the doctors at Vinmec were able to get rid of the infection completely after just two surgeries. They also fixed all the problems with the shape and function of the damaged knee joint, which allowed her to fully recover her ability to walk.
Surprisingly effective
Just two days after surgery, Ms. Ha was able to start walking again. By the 10th day, she could not only bend her knee up to 100 degrees, but could also walk almost normally without assistance. This result exceeded all expectations, surpassing the performance of many patients having traditional knee replacements using past classical techniques. Doctors expected Ms. Ha to rapidly return to normal life and be able to ride a bike and climb stairs in just two weeks.
With a choked voice, Ms. Ha expressed: "I believed I would never walk again, or, even more dire, require leg amputation." However, Vinmec gave me with a miracle.
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