A 74-year-old man named Mr. Thai underwent three-stage laparoscopic surgery on his chest, abdomen, and neck to remove malignant tumors and reconstruct his esophagus with a gastric tube. He was diagnosed with stage three esophageal cancer after experiencing symptoms of choking and hiccups for over three months with an unknown cause.
The surgery was performed at Tam Anh General Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City by Dr. Do Minh Hung, Director of the Center for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and Surgery. The operation was complex due to the location of the tumor near important organs such as the heart, lungs, and major blood vessels.
The surgical team decided to perform the operation in three stages, starting with the chest phase to remove the esophagus and lymph nodes. This was followed by surgery on the abdomen to shape the esophagus with a stomach tube and open the jejunum for feeding. The final stage was neck surgery to connect the stomach tube to the newly formed esophagus.
After the 8-hour surgery, the patient recovered well and was expected to be discharged from the hospital after 8 days. Pathological results revealed squamous carcinoma invading the muscle layer, and the patient will continue treatment with oncologists.
Esophageal cancer is often detected late, leading to lower treatment success rates. Dr. Hung emphasized the importance of living a healthy lifestyle, avoiding risk factors, and getting regular health check-ups for early cancer detection. Detecting cancer early improves treatment effectiveness and increases the chances of successful treatment.