HCM CITY — Application of advanced mini techniques can reduce post-operative care and pain compared to traditional methods, doctors said at Bình Dân Hospital’s biennial conference held in HCM City last Saturday.

Laparoscopic surgery is used in appendectomy, inguinal hernia repair, and for other medical problems in Việt Nam.

Dr Nguyễn Phúc Cẩm Hòang of Bình Dân Hospital said that the Urology B Ward last year used the latest advanced endoscopic procedure, called mini percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL), to remove kidney stones from six patients.

According to the European Association of Urology’s treatment guidelines updated in 2014, PCNL is recommended as the therapy of choice for large renal calculi for certain conditions.

The PCNL therapy, however, causes significant complications such as blood loss, postoperative pain and potential renal damage because of the large instrument.

With the mini-PCNL, blood loss is reduced, and post-operative hospitals are shorter.

From April 2014 to June 2015, the hospital also provides a new approach for treatment of inguinal hernia with the totally extraperitoneal (TEP) laparoscopic procedure on 80 patients.

TEP inguinal hernia repair is an effective and safe procedure that helps reduce postoperative pain, according to research conducted by Dr Nguyễn Phú Hữu and colleagues of the Việt Nam National University-HCM City’s Faculty of Medicine in co-operation with doctors at the Bình Dân Hospital.

Inguinal hernia is common worldwide, and about five per cent of the global population has abdominal wall hernias. Of these, 75 per cent are inguinal hernias.

Laparoscopic surgery for inguinal hernia treatment, including TEP inguinal hernia repair, has been used in Việt Nam since 2000.

Research reports on other advanced treatment in fields such as digestion, post-surgery and anaesthesia-recuperation were also presented at the two-day conference. — VNS