Dr. Tôn Thất Tùng: Healing Vietnam’s Health Landscape
Image Courtesy: Google Doodle
Dr. Tôn Thất Tùng (10 May 1933 – 5 September 2007) was a Vietnamese physician and humanitarian.
Life and Career
Dr. Tùng was born on 10 May 1933—a time when the French colonial government forbade Vietnamese people from pursuing advanced medical education. As an adult, Dr. Tùng protested this harsh policy and ignited an equal education movement. His efforts eventually forced the colonial government to allow Vietnamese students to take residency admissions exams in 1938.
In his four years of postgraduate school, Dr Tùng dissected more than 200 livers and became the first to conduct such meticulous research on the organ. His deep knowledge of liver anatomy helped him realize the traditional approach to liver surgery—a method that took three to six hours to complete—was unnecessarily risky and cumbersome. Dr Tùng founded a new surgery method that minimized bleeding by tightening the hepatic veins before the operation, shortening the operation down to only four to eight minutes. His groundbreaking technique, commonly known as the “Tôn Thất Tùng Method,” is renowned by surgeons globally for its ability to reduce blood loss and save countless lives.
Important Days and Dates in April 2023
Dr. Tôn Thất Tùng died on 5 September 2007, in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, at the age of 74.
Award and Legacy
Dr. Tôn Thất Tùng was an innovative Vietnamese surgeon who revolutionized the approach to liver resection surgery for doctors around the world . He founded a new surgery method that minimized bleeding by tightening the hepatic veins before the operation, shortening the operation down to only four to eight minutes. His groundbreaking technique, commonly known as the “Tôn Thất Tùng Method,” is renowned by surgeons globally for its ability to reduce blood loss and save countless lives .
Dr. Tôn Thất Tùng is remembered as a highly skilled physician and a tireless advocate for social justice and healthcare in Vietnam. His work continues to inspire and influence healthcare professionals in Vietnam and around the world.
On 10 May 2022, Google celebrated Dr. Tôn Thất Tùng’s 110th birthday with a doodle.
FAQ on Dr. Tôn Thất Tùng
Dr. Tôn Thất Tùng was a physician and surgeon who was known for his skill in surgery and his dedication to improving healthcare in Vietnam.
During the Vietnam War, Dr. Tôn Thất Tùng worked with the International Committee of the Red Cross to provide medical assistance to civilians affected by the conflict.
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