Hanoi doctor unexpectedly invited to female patient's wedding 6 years ago

Doctor Tran Trung Kien, Hanoi Medical University Hospital, shared that he had just attended a very special wedding: The bride Le Thi Anh Thu (25 years old, residing in Thanh Cong, Ba Dinh, Hanoi) was a patient he operated on 6 years ago.

The doctor said that when he received the invitation, he was surprised and very happy because his patient recovered completely, without any sequelae, and had a happy life.

“The bride was a patient I operated on in 2018 ,” said Dr. Kien, adding that the patient had a broken spine and was at risk of paralysis.

At that time, Anh Thu was 19 years old, a second-year university student. She was lying on her bed playing with her phone when suddenly the wardrobe collapsed, crushing her. She was trapped between the bed and the wardrobe, unable to call for help.

That night, Anh Thu's mother felt uneasy and couldn't sleep, so she went to her daughter's room and saw her being crushed by a heavy cabinet. She quickly shouted, calling her husband and son to come and help lift the cabinet.

Thu crawled out of bed, lay flat on the floor, and struggled to breathe. “ Even though the cupboard was pressing on me, I didn’t feel any pain ,” Thu said.

Doctor Kien (far right) on his patient's wedding day. (Photo provided by the doctor)

Despite this, her parents immediately called an ambulance to take their daughter to the Saint Paul General Hospital for emergency treatment. Because she felt no pain, she continued to chat happily throughout the journey, to the point that the doctor had to remind the patient to speak less, as her cervical spine had been broken, to lie still to avoid paralysis.

Anh Thu said that at that time, she simply thought that she only needed a cast and the bone would heal, there was nothing to worry about. Unexpectedly, the doctor told her family that she had a damaged vertebra and needed surgery because there was a risk of paralysis.

Thu was taken to Viet Duc Friendship Hospital for surgery immediately. Doctor Tran Trung Kien was the one who directly operated on her.

Doctor Kien said that the patient had a fractured C5 cervical vertebrae. When she was admitted to the hospital, she was paralyzed. Without surgery, she would lose the ability to walk normally. After an all-night surgery, he successfully preserved the maximum amount of the vertebrae, releasing the spinal cord from compressing the nerves, saving the patient from the risk of paralysis.

After the surgery, the patient recovered well. Although she still had to be given pain medication, Anh Thu was able to sit up and walk by herself. During her stay in the hospital, the student always received advice and support from Dr. Kien via phone.

Anh Thu herself was surprised to meet Dr. Kien on her wedding day. Her parents had secretly invited the doctor who had treated their daughter to attend her big day.

“I thought I would be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of my life, but luckily the doctor saved me. I am very grateful to Dr. Kien,” Thu confided.

Nguyen Ngoan

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