Dr. Anh Nguyen
Dr. Anh Nguyen's in Vietnam.
DEAR SIR,
JULY 22ND IS THE 1-YEAR CELEBRATION OF MY FIRST SHOULDER SCOPE IN VIETNAM. I HAVE DONE 50 CASES, AND ARCHIVED SOME GOOD RESULTS. I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU THE HAPPINESS OF MY SUCCESS, AND EXTEND MY GRATEFULNESS TO YOU FOR YOUR SPIRITUAL AND OPPORTUNITY SUPPORT GIVEN TO ME FOR LONG TIME.
YOURS SINCERELY,
ANH NGUYEN, MD
VIETNAM
Recently, Dr. Anh Nguyen visited Dr. Stetson from Vietnam in order to observe his techniques and receive some training. Dr. Stetson donated arthroscopy equipment to Dr. Anh to take back to Vietnam. Below is an excerpt of a letter to Dr. Stetson from Dr. Nguyen as well as some pictures of Dr. Nguyen’s operating setup in Vietnam.
Dr. Nguyen's shoulder arthroscopy in Vietnam.
“We had the opportunity to visit your hospital and spend a short time observing your scope surgery cases in the OR, and you brought me interesting tips for Bankart and rotator cuff suture techniques, and especially donated a Dyonics shaver console and blades very valuable to my practice back home. Thanks to your help, I have been busy to set up shoulder arthroscopy in my hospital and I am the first surgeon to do shoulder scope in Vietnam, and have done 9 cases of ASAD, Bankart repair, SLAP and mini-open rotator cuff repair from July, 22nd.”
Dr. Nguyen's shoulder arthroscopy setup in Vietnam.
Dr. Sean Rassman – Vietnam
Dr. Sean Rassman, Anh Nguyen and surgical team.
Operation Arthroscopy’s inaugural conference in Vietnam took place in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) on Oct 12-16th. The conference was very well received. We performed numerous lectures at 2 hospital systems and performed a total of 11 surgical cases. We brought donations, including an arthroscope, arthroscopic implants, a shaver system and a complete camera system.
The conference consisted of lectures, an arthroscopic skill lab and surgical cases.
The co-organizer of the conference was Dr. Anh Nguyen, a 38 yo orthopedic surgeon from Saigon, who was able to spend time with Dr. Stetson in the past. Dr. Nguyen is very enthusiastic about shoulder arthroscopy and has formed the Saigon arthroscopy club to help his fellow orthopedic surgeons attempt to increase their level of proficiency and knowledge.
Saigon Arthroscopy training center.
Vietnam faces many of the same challenges that we have seen in Cuba, especially: 1. The cost of orthopedic implants 2. lack of educational opportunities, 3. lack of a hierarchical mentoring system. Many local surgeons are performing knee arthroscopy and several are performing ACL reconstructions, but very few have experience in arthroscopic shoulder reconstruction. In this country of 85 million people, there are less than 10 who perform any type of arthroscopic shoulder surgery. Those that are performing shoulder arthroscopy, have had to travel abroad to gain the necessary experience. The ability for most Vietnamese surgeons to travel abroad is limited due to prohibitive financial costs.
Shoulder arthroscopy in Ho Chi Minh City.
Our hosts were very gracious and enthusiastic. The local surgeons are very anxious for us to return in the future. We are planning in returning in 2010 with a larger group and already had many surgeons expressing interest.
Sean O. Rassman, MD