Triple Surgery in Three Stages: How Mr. Thai Fought Back Against Stage Three Esophageal Cancer

A man named Mr. Thai underwent three-stage laparoscopic surgery at Tam Anh General Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City to remove malignant tumors and reconstruct his esophagus with a gastric tube. At 74 years old, 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 complex due to the location of the tumor near important organs such as the heart, lungs, and major blood vessels. Dr. Do Minh Hung, Director of the Center for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and Surgery, led the surgical team that decided to perform the operation in three stages.

The first phase involved removing the esophagus and lymph nodes from the chest area. The second phase involved shaping the esophagus with a stomach tube and opening the jejunum for feeding in the abdomen area. The final phase involved connecting the stomach tube to the newly formed esophagus in the neck area.

After an 8-hour surgery, Mr. Thai recovered well and was expected to be discharged from the hospital after 8 days. Pathological results revealed squamous carcinoma invading the muscle layer, which means that he will continue treatment with oncologists.

Esophageal cancer is often detected late, leading to lower treatment success rates. Dr. Hung emphasized that living a healthy lifestyle, avoiding risk factors such as smoking and excessive alcohol consumption, and getting regular health check-ups can increase early cancer detection rates. Early detection improves treatment effectiveness and increases chances of successful treatment outcomes.

In summary, Mr. Thai underwent a complex three-stage laparoscopic surgery at Tam Anh General Hospital to remove malignant tumors from his chest, abdomen, and neck areas and reconstruct his esophagus with a gastric tube. Esophageal cancer is often detected late but can be detected early through regular health check-ups and healthy lifestyles that avoid risk factors such as smoking and excessive alcohol consumption.