A doctor at the HCM City University Medical Centre’s day surgery unit speaks with a patient. (Photo courtesy of the hospital)HCMCity (VNS/VNA) - Less invasive surgery procedures are beingperformed during one-day stays at many public hospitals in HCM City,resulting in lower costs, reduced incidences of infections contractedduring hospital stays, and reduction in patient overcrowding.
Cho Ray Hospital, University Medical Centre, Children Hospital No.1, ChildrenHospital No.2, the Municipal Children Hospital, Trung Vuong Hospital, Thu DucDistrict Hospital are among the hospitals offering day surgery that allowspatients to return home several hours after surgery.
For years, T.V.M., a 54-year-old man from HCM City, suffered externalhaemorrhoids until he recently visited Thu Duc District Hospital forexamination and treatment. He was advised to undergo day surgery to treat thedisease.
Tests were completed in the morning and he underwent 30-minute surgery inthe afternoon. He was discharged from the hospital one hour later.
“It is more convenient and less stressful than an in-hospital stay. Thecost of surgery is only one third of inpatient surgery,” he said.
According to Dr. Mai Hoa, head of the hospital’s department of general surgery,doctors examine and give advice on whether patients are candidates for daysurgery to ensure the best possible patient outcomes.
A patient’s medical history is important in determining if the procedure canbe performed on a day surgery basis.
Elderly patients and patients with chronic diseases such as heart disease,diabetes and pulmonary fibrosis are not candidates for day surgery.
"Day surgery is best performed by surgeons and anesthesiologists withextensive experience," Hoa said.
Lam Viet Trung, head of Cho Ray Hospital’s digestive surgery department, saidthe department had issued a list of day surgery procedures, with patientsafety as the first priority.
Day surgery helps cut the costs of treatment and the time needed forin-hospital stays and reduces patient overload at the hospital, accordingto Trung.
Nearly two-thirds of all procedures are conducted on a day surgery basisin the US. However, the figure remains low in Vietnam.
In developed countries, most patients want to undergo day surgery tosave costs, which are very high. In Vietnam, hospitalcosts remain low and patients are worried about possiblecomplications after surgery, making day surgery an uncommon choice.
The HCM City University Medical Centre offers more than 470 proceduresperformed on a day surgery basis in a wide range of specialties such asdigestive, urology, gynaecology, dental, ear, nose and throat, andplastics and reconstructive surgery.
Around 15-20 cases of day surgery are performed at the hospital each day.
Phan Ton Ngoc Vu, head of the hospital’s day surgery unit, said the hospitalhad seen an annual rise of 20 per cent in the number of patientsundergoing day surgery.
“Patients are allowed to leave the hospital within six hours after day surgeryand the incidences of complications are very small,” Vu said./.
