French doctor Stéphane Guero, known as the “hand magician,” will provide surgeries at FV Hospital from November 21-30, 2023, to treat patients with hand deformities. He is highly skilled in various techniques such as finger reconstruction to restore grasp function, bone grafting for congenital finger amputations, brachial plexus surgery finger separation, and hand rehabilitation. Among the patients awaiting surgery, 11 are paediatric patients sponsored by the Children of Vietnam Charitable Fund for treatment at FV.
Dr Stéphane Guero, the “hand magician”
Changing children’s lives and giving them new hope for the future
Hand surgery is a sophisticated technique to restore functionality to hands that have deformities that were present at birth or caused by accidents. Only surgeon with expertise in microsurgery and experience in calculating the best possible outcomes, post-surgery, are able to perform this type of operation.
Very few surgeons in the world can treat complex cases by moving fingers, reconstructing grasp function, bone grafting, and separating fingers for hands with syndactyly. As a founding member of the Hand Surgery Institute of France, Dr Stéphane Guero is considered a leading expert in hand surgery. For many years, he has collaborated with FV Hospital to travel to Vietnam to offer medical examinations and treatment, providing patients with rare hand deformities the opportunity to improve their quality of life.
Among the 11 children sponsored by the Children of Vietnam Charitable Fund to receive care, six cases are complicated and require multiple treatments. For example, Nguyen Thanh Trung (16 years old, from Hanoi), was diagnosed with Apert syndrome, which causes disorders in development that lead to hand deformity. In the next surgery, he will have the fingers of his left hand separated. Trung never knew his father and his mother died when he was young, so Trung lives with his grandmother. Due to his hand deformity, he is fully reliant on his grandmother to perform his daily tasks.
Trung’s hand before and after his third surgery (Source: FV)
In 2019, sponsored of the Children of Vietnam Charitable Fund, Trung underwent a surgery performed by Dr Stéphane Guero to widen the membrane between his thumb and finger. In 2022, he had another operation to expand the membrane between his thumb and pinkie on the right hand. Following these operations, the grip function of Trung’s hand has significantly improved, enabling him to take care of himself. This is a huge improvement for Trung and his family. During the upcoming surgery, Dr Guero will separate the fingers on his left hand.
Nguyen Pham Tuong Vy (6 years old, from Quang Nam) was also born with a hand deformity. Holding her newborn, her mother burst into tears thinking about her daughter’s future.
The condition of Vy’s hand is much improved and she can now use her fingers (Source: Vy’s family)
With the sponsorship of the Fund, Tuong Vy underwent finger separation and left-hand reconstruction surgery twice, in 2019 and 2022, enabling her to hold objects with her reconstructed fingers. Her family eagerly awaits the third surgery, where her fingers will be separated and her hand reconstructed.
Tran Nguyen Minh Dat (6 years old, from Quang Nam) faced challenges due to his malformed right hand at birth. There are no bones in his thumb and the hand cannot bend. His family couldn’t afford the necessary surgery to correct it, and were overjoyed when his care was sponsored by the Children of Vietnam Charitable Fund.
Minh Dat’s right hand (left photo) before and after the surgery (right hand). He can straighten his hand now.
Performing five surgeries since 2019, Dr Stéphane Guero successfully straightened Dat’s hand, reconstructed the tendon of the little finger muscle, and formed the thumb from the index finger. Dat’s hand can now stretch normally, and his thumb can grasp objects. The surgery in November 2023 surgery will remove fixation pins from his right hand.
Opportunities for Patients with Hand Deformities to be Treated in Vietnam
As a leading expert in hand deformity surgery, rescuing the hands of young patients is both a passion and a responsibility for Dr Stéphane Guero. Over the years, he has treated many rare and exceptional cases worldwide, including hundreds of children with hand deformities in Vietnam through collaboration with FV Hospital, earning him the nickname “the hand magician.”
Dr Guero explained that he chose FV as his location to offer treatment because the Hospital meets international standards for patient safety, including infection control, operating room management procedures, and post-operative care processes, and it’s staffed by a well-trained operating room team. These factors are crucial for the success of surgeries.
FV’s collaboration with leading global experts to treat challenging cases has provided patients with the opportunity for in-country treatment, saving costs. Additionally, it’s an opportunity for domestic doctors to work alongside and learn from leading experts.
Patients who wish to undergo examination and treatment with Dr Stéphane Guero during his next working visit November 21-30, 2023, can make an appointment at FV Hospital’s Bone & Joint Centre: (028) 5411 3333.
