On 16th July 2024, more than 80 FV staff members participated for the first time in the regular professional activities organised by Thomson Medical Group. The training featured the topic “Lower abdominal pain that is non-gynaecological in origin” presented by Dr Stephen Chang, Medical Director and General Surgeon of GLAD Clinic. This is one of the continuous medical education and knowledge exchange activities between FV Hospital and Thomson Medical Group. This marks a significant milestone to realising the strategy of bringing Singaporean medicine to Vietnam.
The programme attracted participation from gastroenterologists, general surgeons, obstetricians and gynaecologists, urologists, radiologists, general practitioners, nurses, and medical staff. The training session’s content was designed to be detailed, scientific, and practical, providing doctors with a multidisciplinary and comprehensive perspective for diagnosing diseases, helping to avoid misdiagnoses or omissions that could directly affect patients’ health. Consequently, this facilitates the development of appropriate treatment and management plans.
In the presentation, Dr Stephen Chang introduced and categorised lower abdominal pain to determine the cause based on clinical examination, laboratory tests, and diagnostic imaging (ultrasound, CT scan, MRI) to support diagnosis. The common causes identified include acute appendicitis, ureteral stones and other urinary conditions, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and diverticulitis.
The treatment approach included both medical and surgical interventions depending on the specific cause. Additionally, pain management and other supportive measures such as physical therapy are utilised to achieve optimal treatment outcomes for patients. Dr Stephen Chang also presented specific clinical cases, sharing his experience and lessons learned from practical treatment at his practice.
This continuous medical training programme has provided valuable knowledge and experience for FV Hospital’s medical team for diagnosing, treating, and managing cases of lower abdominal pain not caused by gynaecological issues. It also served as an opportunity for doctors and medical staff to learn, exchange and share experiences, contributing to the improvement of care and treatment quality at FV.
The training session on the topic “Lower abdominal pain that is non-gynaecological in origin” attracted the participation of 80 FV Hospital staff members.
According to Vu Truong Son, MD, MSc, (FV Hospital, Deputy Medical Director) “I feel that everyone who attended was very enthusiastic, including myself. As doctors, besides diagnosing and treating patients, we always emphasise self-learning and continuously updating our professional knowledge to improve ourselves and better serve our patients. Moreover, participating in Thomson’s training courses also helps FV doctors and medical staff feel connected to a larger, stronger organisation. It aligns with the group’s orientation and allows us to exchange, access, and acquire knowledge and skills from top Singaporean medical experts.”
This training session marks a turning point for a series of other in-depth training sessions as part of Thomson’s strategy to bring Singaporean medicine to Vietnam through FV Hospital. In the future, Thomson will continue to organise advanced training courses with the participation of leading experts from Singapore, to further enhance the quality of medical services and provide practical benefits for patients. Upcoming training topics will focus on both medical and surgical cancer treatment, maternal and child care, infertility treatment, and many other important fields.
We believe that with the close cooperation between FV Hospital and Thomson Medical Group, patients in Vietnam will have access to advanced medical advancements, resulting in better quality of life and increased confidence in domestic healthcare services.
Speaker profile:
Dr Stephen Chang graduated with MBBS at the National University of Singapore (NUS) in 1994 and obtained his Master of Medicine (Surgery) in 2000 from NUS. Having become a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, UK in 2003, he furthered his training in laparoscopic hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery, and liver transplantation in Paris, France.
Dr Stephen Chang is the founding president of the Hepato-pancreatobiliary Association of Singapore and an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine in National University of Singapore.
Dr Chang is a key developer of the laparoscopic approach to hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery. He pioneered the single incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) and was the first few to publish his experience of single incision laparoscopic gallbladder surgery, liver resection and pancreas resection.
Academically, Dr Chang’s research interests not only include clinical research but also basic science and medical technology development. He has held numerous research grant awards totalling more than S$7 million to develop new surgical techniques and treatment modalities through medical technological initiatives. He has extensively published in both clinical and medical technology research with more than 100 peer reviewed publications as first or last author related to his research interest and has since filed five patents in these areas.
