"My wife has had it for 4 years, and my daughter for over 2 years, so I honestly thought it was hereditary. But it turned out to be just a coincidence," shared Mr. Sình A Tâu (62 years old, Điện Biên), father of patient Sình Thị Tàu and husband of patient Giàng Thị Lâu. Bringing both his wife and daughter into the operating room at the same time, waiting outside the closed doors for many hours, Mr. Tâu was extremely worried as neurological surgery is one of the most difficult and complex types of surgery in medicine.
Both experiencing prolonged hemifacial spasms, Ms. Sình Thị Tàu and her mother, Mrs. Giàng Thị Lâu, were diagnosed with compression of the seventh cranial nerve and were scheduled for surgery after their examination at Vinmec. Both patients had facial spasms for over 6 months, with a Jankovic scale score of 2 or higher.
The Jankovic scale measures the frequency and severity of eye spasms on a scale of 5 and is recognized as a clinical tool for assessing facial muscle spasms. After consultation, patients Giàng Thị Lâu and Sình Thị Tàu were both scheduled for facial nerve decompression surgery, combined with intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring.
According to Dr. Trần Hoàng Ngọc Anh, Medical Director at Vinmec Central Park and the lead surgeon, "The surgical site for Ms. Giàng Thị Lâu was in a deep fossa, near the origin of the cranial nerves and brainstem, with many important intracranial nerves. Any injury or mistake during surgery could leave sequelae for the patient. Meanwhile, Ms. Sình Thị Tàu's compression site was similar but involved a very large blood vessel (the vertebral artery, one of the four major arteries supplying blood to the entire brain). Therefore, the dissection required more maneuvers and the placement of two Teflon pads for effective decompression."
The surgical team used the latest Carl Zeiss Pentero 900 surgical microscope, combined with the Cadwell Cascade IOMax 80-channel intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM) system to monitor each surgical maneuver and warn of potential impacts on nerves during surgery.
The team used specialized medical instruments to remove the compression, decompress, and create conditions for the seventh cranial nerve to recover. Both Ms. Giàng Thị Lâu and Ms. Sình Thị Tàu have recovered, ending their facial spasms as expected by the doctors. Notably, Ms. Giàng Thị Lâu had a longer duration and more severe spasms than her daughter. However, after effective surgery and inpatient treatment, her facial spasms have disappeared.
The surgery was performed at Vinmec Times City International General Hospital, Hanoi, and led by Dr. Trần Hoàng Ngọc Anh, Medical Director at Vinmec Central Park International General Hospital. Dr. Ngọc Anh shared: "In addition to technical factors and facilities, the coordination of multidisciplinary teams, including surgery, internal medicine, pharmacy, imaging, anesthesia, and intensive care at Vinmec, contributed to the successful surgery, providing the best treatment outcomes for patients. This helps patients recover quickly, reduce hospital stay, and optimize treatment costs."
"In addition to ensuring safety, Vinmec always considers aesthetic factors for patients, especially women. Patients Tàu and Lâu were given preoperative hair care, wound cleaning, and postoperative hair care by nurses. Although it was brain surgery, the patient's hair was preserved, ensuring aesthetics so they could quickly return to normal life."
Complex neurological surgeries are currently being effectively coordinated by multidisciplinary teams for examination, consultation, and surgery by leading medical experts at Vinmec Central Park and Vinmec Times City. Additionally, Vinmec Health System hospitals have modern, high-tech facilities that provide comprehensive support during treatment to achieve the best recovery outcomes for patients.
