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| Higher-level units present flowers to offer congratulations |
Attending the ceremony were Prof. Dr. Nguyen Vu Quoc Huy, Rector of Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hue University; representatives of leaders from agencies, departments, and domestic and international experts.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Khoa Hung - Vice Rector of the University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hue University, and Director of the University Hospital of Medicine and Pharmacy, shared that 15 years ago, the Department of Orthopedic and Thoracic Surgery was officially established with only 40 hospital beds, 6 doctors, 7 nurses, and 4 orderlies. Today, the department has become a leading specialized unit in the Central – Central Highlands regions, with a team that includes 1 associate professor, 7 PhDs, 2 master's degree holders, 1 general physician, 18 nurses, and 6 orderlies.
Currently, the department has 95 hospital beds, treating an average of 12,000 patients annually and performing around 4,000 surgeries per year, with the bed occupancy rate consistently exceeding 100%.
Most advanced techniques in the field of orthopedic surgery have been successfully implemented by the department, including arthroscopy, joint replacement, reconstructive microsurgery, tumor surgery, minimally invasive internal fixation techniques using intramedullary nails with locking or Metaizeau elastic nails for long bone fractures in both adults and children, treatment of infections with antibiotic-impregnated cement using the Masquelet technique, application of column-based bone concepts for treating tibial plateau fractures, distal humerus fractures, distal radius fractures, and correction of congenital movement disorders in children. Notably, many of these techniques were first applied in Hue, yielding high efficiency and enhancing the department’s professional reputation across the regional healthcare landscape.
In addition to clinical work, the department is also responsible for teaching and clinical training for students in general medicine (years 4–6), preventive medicine, nursing, dentistry, and medical technology - with over 1,500 students doing internships annually. It also provides postgraduate training for surgical and obstetric-gynecology residents, level I and II specialists in general surgery and orthopedic surgery, averaging 300 students per year, along with 2-3 PhD candidates specializing in orthopedic trauma research.
Staff of the department have published over 100 scientific works domestically and internationally, from doctors to nurses, including over 30 papers in international journals indexed in SCI - an impressive number for a clinical specialty unit. The department's doctors also form the core of one of Hue University's strongest research teams. Many innovations have been practically applied to improve treatment procedures, such as the use of peroneal artery perforator flaps in ankle defect reconstruction, minimally invasive approaches through the sinus tarsi for calcaneal fractures, or the use of UrgoClean Ag bandages for infected wounds, and Kapandji techniques for distal radius fracture fixation.
Since 2011, the department has collaborated with many NGOs and charitable organizations such as CI (Compassion International, now Zhisan Foundation), Resurge, Global Care, ACWP, and Kaiser Permanente to provide free surgeries for over 1,300 children with physical disabilities from central provinces. Thanks to these efforts, hundreds of children have regained function, allowing them to return to school and reintegrate into society.