Surgical Gastroenterology Department
Overview
“Eat well, sleep well is a priority…”. Since ancient times, our ancestors have known that food is indispensable to maintain the physical and mental life of humans. A healthy digestive system that efficiently absorbs nutrients brings a pleasant, comfortable, and joyful feeling. Nowadays, scientists also emphasize the role of the gut as the “second brain” of the body, tightly linked to the brain and referred to as the “gut–brain axis”. Diseases of the digestive tract not only damage its own function but also adversely affect the nervous system.
In addition to drug treatment, many digestive tract diseases require surgical intervention. The Surgical Gastroenterology Department on the 11th floor, Zone A of the University Medical and Pharmacy Hospital, has 82 beds. As one of the leading specialties, the Surgical Gastroenterology Department always aims to be a solid health support point, assisting patients in treatment with extensive knowledge, experience, and compassionate empathy. Each year the department receives and treats more than 5,000 cases of digestive tract diseases, especially malignant ones. This demonstrates the department's capability, quality of care, and the trust patients have placed in it.
Strength
Putting patients at the center, the Department of Gastroenterology always aims for minimally invasive, highly effective treatments, reducing hospital stay time, and helping patients return to normal life soon. The department's cutting‑edge techniques are laparoscopic surgeries treating diseases of the stomach, esophagus, and colon such as:
Laparoscopic esophagectomy with three‑region lymph node dissection, reconstruction using stomach or colon.
Laparoscopic partial (lower) or total gastrectomy with D2 lymph node dissection.
Laparoscopic proximal gastrectomy with anti‑reflux double‑flap valve reconstruction.
Laparoscopic bariatric surgery.
Laparoscopic resection of right, left, transverse colon, rectal segment, with D3 lymph node dissection.
Laparoscopic total proctectomy with D3 lymph node dissection.
Laparoscopic resection of sigmoid colon and perineal floor (laparoscopic Miles surgery).
Laparoscopic lateral pelvic lymph node dissection for rectal cancer.
Laparoscopic restoration of bowel continuity after Hartmann's procedure.
Laparoscopic treatment/prevention of parastomal hernia using the Sugarbaker technique.
ICG is applied to assess metastatic lymph nodes and intraoperative perfusion of anastomoses during esophagectomy, gastrectomy, and colectomy. On average, the Department of Gastroenterology performs over 5,000 surgeries annually, with laparoscopic procedures accounting for 61%. Numerous diagnostic‑treatment protocols have been developed, regularly updated, and applied in clinical practice, including esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, rectal cancer, gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), and obstruction due to advanced‑stage cancer…
Since May 2017, with the approval of the Hospital Board, the Department of Gastroenterology has organized multidisciplinary tumor board conferences for all tumor cases to diagnose and develop individualized, multimodal treatment plans. This activity has yielded positive outcomes in diagnosis and treatment and has been implemented throughout the hospital.
As a department of a leading multi‑specialty hospital in the country, the Department of Gastroenterology benefits from close collaboration with other departments and specialties to establish and develop focused groups such as:
The Colorectal Surgery Group (Colorectal) includes members from various departments: Endoscopy (diagnosis, early cancer treatment using EMR/ESD techniques), Imaging (pre‑operative staging), Pathology (histopathological diagnosis, intra‑operative frozen sections), and Oncology (neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy).
The Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Group includes members from: Gastroenterology (diagnosis, treatment with immunomodulatory and biologic drugs), Surgical Gastroenterology (surgery when indicated), Endoscopy (diagnosis, dilation or stent placement), Imaging, and Pathology (histological and activity assessment).
The Obesity Group includes members from: Surgical Gastroenterology, Endocrinology, Nutrition – Metabolism, Rehabilitation (physiotherapy), and Clinical Psychology. The Gastrointestinal Bleeding Group includes members from: Surgical Gastroenterology, Gastroenterology, Imaging, Endoscopy, and Vascular Intervention Unit.
The Stoma Care Group (physicians and nurses of the Department of Gastroenterology are responsible): counseling, guidance, and training directly or remotely (phone, application software) for patients and families; training healthcare staff of partner hospitals and several countries in the region.
Training & Research
The Department of Gastroenterology at the University Medical and Pharmacy Hospital of Ho Chi Minh City continuously strengthens professional training, improves the quality of its workforce, and expands technical collaboration with domestic and international schools and hospitals.
Regarding training and technical transfer, the department regularly conducts self‑training to enhance the quality of its workforce through various means: organizing experience‑sharing sessions, professional meetings, and sending physicians and nurses to short‑ or long‑term training courses in Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan…
The department receives and trains undergraduate, postgraduate, and domestic and international colleagues: clinical practice training for newly graduated physicians (to obtain a practice license) – 5 to 10 trainees per year. Undergraduate and postgraduate trainees (medical students, BS CKI, BS CKII, master's, PhD), nursing trainees, and medical secretaries: 600–700 trainees annually.
Training courses on basic and advanced laparoscopic surgical techniques are offered to colleagues domestically and in the region (Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, India, Philippines, Pakistan). Regularly organized Continuing Medical Education (CME) programs cover esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, thyroid cancer, and prevention of venous thromboembolism in cancer surgery, in collaboration with experts from South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan.
The department annually leads consensus conferences to optimize diagnostic and therapeutic protocols for gastric and colorectal cancers. It collaborates in training and technology transfer with numerous hospitals: Vinmec, Hoang Anh Gia Lai, Dong Nai, An Giang, Chau Doc, Long An, Daklak… In partnership with the Asia‑South Pacific Stoma Association (ASPOA), it offers training courses on artificial anal care for partner hospitals and several countries in the region such as Myanmar and Cambodia…
Regarding scientific research, scientific work at the Department of Gastroenterology is highly valued. The department has conducted numerous studies applying new techniques in the treatment of gastrointestinal cancers, as well as clinical trials and molecular biology research… It leads many institutional and departmental projects on gastric and colorectal cancer.
It leads multidisciplinary scientific research projects involving surgery, oncology, molecular biology, pathology, and imaging in gastric and colorectal cancers. Many of the department’s studies have been published in national and international specialty journals.
Regarding international cooperation, the Department has proactively engaged in international collaboration to share experience, training, education, scientific research, and to organize conferences and seminars. Cooperation with foreign hospitals: South Korea (Asan Medical Center, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Catholic University Saint Mary Hospital); Japan (The Cancer Institute Hospital of JFCR Tokyo, Fujita Health University Hospital). Cooperation with societies, participating in executive boards: International Gastric Cancer Association (IGCA), Asia-Pacific Gastric Cancer Association (APGCC), Asia-Pacific Endoscopic Surgery Association (APEL), Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery Association of Southeast Asia (USAN).
Dr. Võ Duy Long, a member of the Department of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery, is honored to hold the position of President of the Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery Association of Southeast Asia (USAN) for the term 2019–2023, and President of the Asia-Pacific Gastric Cancer Association (APGCC) for the term 2022–2024. Many physicians and nurses of the department are members of societies: Asian Endoscopy and Endoscopic Surgery (ELSA), Asian-Pacific Society of Minimally Invasive Surgery (ASPOA), …
Organizing and participating in international conferences and seminars: In 2019, the Department of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery collaborated with the Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery Association of Southeast Asia (USAN) to successfully organize the first Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery Conference of Southeast Asia, with the theme “Updates in Diagnosis and Treatment of Gastric and Esophageal Cancer” at the University Medical and Pharmacy Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City (June 28–29, 2019).
Reports at international conferences: 1 technical report at the United States Surgical and Endoscopic Surgery Conference (SAGES) 2018; honorary presenter at the Laos Surgical Conference 2019; 2 papers at the 5th Asian Endoscopic and Robotic Surgery Conference (ACRLS) in Singapore 2020; 1 paper at the Malaysia Annual Colorectal Surgery Conference 2020; 6 papers at the 8th Asia-Pacific Gastric Cancer Association Conference in February in Chennai, India 2020; 1 technical report at the Malaysia Colorectal Conference 2020; online training reports for many conferences and Asian courses on upper gastrointestinal surgery.
Equipments
As a major department within the hospital, the Department of Gastroenterology “benefits from” modern, spacious infrastructure that facilitates examination and treatment, providing patients with a sense of safety and satisfaction. The department is equipped with all essential medical equipment for patient care. Notably, the counseling and artificial anal care training room is fully equipped with presentation tools, models, and sample devices, effectively conveying knowledge and skills to patients, families, and colleagues.
The detachable bedside unit in the department is specially designed, convenient for elderly patients who need colon cleansing for endoscopy or surgery. In close collaboration with sister departments, the Department of Gastroenterology has comprehensive diagnostic and therapeutic tools such as ultrasound, CT, MRI, endoscopy, interventional endoscopic devices, and laparoscopic surgery systems…
Staff
The strength of the Department of Gastroenterology at the University Medical and Pharmacy Hospital of Ho Chi Minh City is a high-quality workforce with the gathering of many leading physicians and experts. All three roles—physician, teacher, researcher—are consistently performed well throughout patient health care. The team of doctors and nurses working in the Department of Gastroenterology possesses deep professional knowledge and extensive experience in treatment and patient care. Among them, 100% of doctors hold postgraduate degrees and 45% of nurses have bachelor's degrees.
