Vietnamese kidney cancer patient seeks treatment at Seoul St. Mary\'s Hospital through telemedicine, is successfully discharged after surgery

A Vietnamese patient with kidney cancer successfully sought treatment and regained his health through a telemedicine system. Seoul St. Mary's Hospital announced that Mr. Giang Van Le (63 years old) from Vietnam underwent surgery by Professor Sung-Hoo Hong of the Department of Urology and was discharged in a healthy condition. Mr. Giang Van Le was diagnosed with a non-cancerous tumor in his kidney two years ago in Vietnam but did not undergo any specific treatment. However, during a recent reevaluation, suspicion of kidney cancer arose. His family sought opinions from various countries regarding kidney cancer surgeries and eventually chose Seoul St. Mary's Hospital. Professor Hong and Mr. Giang Van Le connected through Seoul St. Mary's Hospital's telemedicine system called 'VOIDOC' in December last year. After reviewing the CT and MRI scan results through telemedicine, Professor Hong suggested the presence of kidney cancer accompanied by inferior vena cava thrombosis. Recognizing the urgent need for surgical intervention, Mr. Giang Van Le entered South Korea this year and was admitted to Seoul St. Mary's Hospital. Kidney cancer accompanied by inferior vena cava thrombosis accounts for about 4-10% of all kidney cancers. If the tumor and thrombus are not removed surgically, the one-year survival rate is less than 30%, posing a significant threat to life. Surgery is essential as it significantly increases the five-year survival rate to over 50% when combined with successful inferior vena cava thrombectomy and radical nephrectomy. It is also known for its high level of surgical difficulty. Under the guidance of Professor Hong, Mr. Giang Van Le underwent a successful robot-assisted radical nephrectomy and inferior vena cava thrombectomy. He started eating and walking the day after surgery and recovered smoothly, ultimately being discharged in a healthy condition just four days after the operation. Professor Hong said, "I remember struggling for several weeks, wondering how to safely perform surgery for kidney cancer accompanied by inferior vena cava thrombosis when we first performed this procedure using laparoscopy in 2016." He further explained, "Since then, we have continued to research safer and more effective methods. Recently, by using vascular balloons, we have been able to reduce the risks associated with surgery and achieve quick and effective surgical outcomes." He added, "It is extremely rewarding and gratifying not only to domestic patients but also to international patients, as we can give them hope." Seoul St. Mary's Hospital's International Healthcare Center has been actively conducting remote medical treatments for overseas patients since November of last year. Through the telemedicine program VOIDOC, the Seoul St. Mary's Hospital is expanding remote consultations to patients from various countries, including the United Kingdom, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Vietnam.