For the first time, Vietnam osteopaths with ultrasound

Previously, fracture patients were often taken X-rays, rectified and then cast. However, because it only touches the outside, sometimes it is bundled, but it is still misaligned, it is necessary to beat and bundle many times. Newly used ultrasound technique by Dr. Vu Cong Tam, Dong Nai Children's Hospital, will eliminate this difficulty.

"Just touching the outside of the fracture and immediately bundling the cast leads to the bone can be skewed, sometimes it is straight but still not straight, the bundle will break again and again. There are three times that the bundle is still unstable. I felt so frustrated that I was determined to think of another method, "Dr. Tam recalled why he gave birth to this new technique.

Image of broken bone looking on ultrasound machine.(Photo: Dr. Tam provided)

According to Dr. Tam, using ultrasound will allow you to see the image of the bone, if the bone is not straight, the ultrasound is not straight. At that time, the doctor can just observe on the screen and adjust it until the bone is matched, then the cast is made. Therefore, the manipulation will be more effective and scientific, the patient does not have to bundle many times, and especially does not need to use X-rays (the type of harmful rays can affect sexual function or the mother carries pregnancy).

Compared to very clear images when taking X-rays, images of ultrasound are a bit harder to see. However, "I myself do not specialize in ultrasound and still see broken bones, demonstrating that this technique does not require a high level of ultrasound, and my colleagues can do it," Tam said. White.

Applied at Dong Nai Children's Hospital from March 2004 to now on nearly 100 cases, new techniques give 94-95% efficiency, much higher than X-ray techniques, because of direct fix on the spot. Only the first 2 shifts have to be corrected due to lack of experience. According to the young doctor, ultrasonography with ultrasound has a wide potential for application, because ultrasound machines are now very popular, almost all commune-level hospitals have.

This is the first topic of this type in Vietnam. In the world, there is only one similar work of the Irish author, but Dr. Tam's work is completely independent. On the evening of January 19, the technique of osteopathic ultrasound by Dr. Tam was awarded the prize of encouragement of the National Technical Innovation Contest 2005.

Also on the basis of ultrasound, Dr. Tam is developing a very new technique to treat cases of unbreakable fractures because of a high fracture (like near the groin) or slash, forced to operate.

If in the past, in cases like this, the patient had to have an open surgery, such as a fracture near the groin, one had to operate the thigh (an incision about 14 cm long), remove the two bones, and close nails into the marrow. With this technique, the patient lost a lot of blood (over 300 ml), the risk of high infection, expensive cost, long hospital stay and painful postoperative.

"Our new technique overcomes all these disadvantages," said Dr. Tam.

His technique was named minimally invasive surgery, with an incision only 1 cm long in the pillow, enough room to insert the nail. After that, the doctor put the nail on the fracture, using ultrasound to straighten the bone and nailed it to the end. Patients only lost 20 ml of blood, the hospital stay was very short (maximum of 7 days), actually after 2 days the patient was able to leave the hospital. In addition to this technique, there is no need to use X-rays.

Dr. Tam said, although this technique is still in the testing phase at the hospital, it has only been performed on a dozen patients, but has been identified by experts as "this is the latest technology, the world." unprecedented, can take international reports ". He plans to bring this technology to the National Technical Innovation Contest next year.

With such breakthrough works, Dr. Tam did not think about copyright or economics. I just hope that many hospitals and patients know and be treated with this method.

Bich Hanh