Heart-stopping surgery saves woman with scalp cancer that has invaded the skull.

On February 4th, Viet Duc Friendship Hospital reported on a rare case. The patient, Ms. LTT (46 years old, of the Tay ethnic group from Tuyen Quang ), was diagnosed with scalp cancer and had undergone four previous surgeries at another hospital.

However, due to the recurrence of cancer, Ms. T, being from an ethnic minority group living in a mountainous region, was unable to go to the hospital early. Only when the tumor spread did Ms. T seek treatment at Viet Duc Friendship Hospital. The tumor appeared in multiple locations, covering up to two-thirds of the scalp, was hot, and had bleeding spots, along with areas of old skin from previous surgeries. CT scans revealed that the tumor had invaded the skull bone, requiring close collaboration between plastic and microsurgery specialists, neurosurgery, and other related fields.

According to the treating physicians, the surgical goal was not only to remove the tumor and excise the invaded cranial bone but also to reconstruct the scalp and cranial vault to ensure the protective function of the skull as well as the patient's aesthetics. The team of experts meticulously planned and prepared all the necessary conditions for a surgery that lasted many hours.

A patient with scalp cancer that invaded the skull before and after surgery (photo courtesy of the hospital).

Dr. Bui Mai Anh, Department of Maxillofacial Surgery - Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, Viet Duc Friendship Hospital, shared: The patient had to undergo surgery to remove the entire scalp tumor, including the invaded portion of the skull bone. The surgery was performed in collaboration with a neurosurgeon to remove the affected skull bone. The goal was to reconstruct the patient's scalp and head shape in the best possible way, allowing the patient to achieve both skull bone reconstruction and scalp skin reconstruction in a single surgery.

After removing the skull bone, the surgeon will use titanium material to reshape the skull, and simultaneously cover the titanium mesh with skin taken from the patient's thigh using microsurgical techniques. Because the area to be removed was very large (approximately 25 x 30 cm, almost the entire scalp), the doctors had to take skin from the thigh and divide the skin flap into flexible skin islands large enough to completely cover the shape of the skull to restore function and aesthetics for the patient.

This is one of the advanced techniques in the field of microsurgery because it requires ensuring that vascular dissection does not damage the very small branches penetrating the skin.

The doctor examines the patient after surgery (photo courtesy of the hospital).

Dr. Bui Huy Manh, from the Neurosurgery Department 1, who participated in the surgery, said: "The patient had a scalp cancer tumor that had invaded the skull bone, so the indication for removing the invaded portion of the skull bone and reconstructing the skull at the same time was necessary to protect the central nervous system. Collaboration between specialties in complex cases like this will bring optimal results for the patient."

More than a month after the surgery, the patient's scalp condition has stabilized well. Currently, the patient has recovered both functionally and aesthetically.

Returning to her daily life, Ms. T emotionally shared: "I never thought I could overcome this disease. Thanks to the dedication and excellent skills of the doctors at Viet Duc Friendship Hospital, I have been given a chance to live again."

Source: https://www.baogiaothong.vn/thot-tim-ca-mo-cuu-nguoi-phu-nu-ung-thu-da-dau-xam-lan-xuong-so-192250204105217305.htm