A 14-hour commute …and straight into clinic
An overseas adventure is just what the doctor ordered when facial trauma surgeon Mike Perry went to visit his counterparts in Vietnam.
Mike arrived in the capital Hanoi after a 14-hour flight and headed straight to the city’s largest public hospital after dropping his bags off.
“Word got out and the clinic was packed. We didn’t finish seeing patients until late that evening and my feet didn’t touch the ground after that.”
The 58-year-old had little time for sight-seeing during his two-week trip and spent the majority of his time in theatre where he specializes in facial reconstruction as a maxillofacial surgeon.
Mike said: “I am considering retirement now and thought it was now or never to make the trip. Vietnamese surgeons have been coming to Northwick Park for several years to learn more about how we organize and manage caseloads and kept asking us to visit.”
“Their surgeons are as skilled as us but their caseload is extraordinary.
“Viet Duc Hospital has 50 operating theatres with its plastics and maxillofacial teams carrying out complex procedures every day including 10-15 major facial trauma admissions.
“In comparison, we see one or two of these cases a week at Northwick Park and are one of the busiest maxillofacial units in the UK when it comes to trauma cases!”
He also worked at the Hong Ngoc and Military hospitals during his stay which also handled trauma cases and other pathologies.
Mike added: “The moped is the main mode of transport in Vietnam and they have a lot of road traffic accidents so it keeps the surgical teams busy. They don’t have the luxury of time or privacy and patients are lined up on trollies waiting to go into surgery. It may not be pretty, but it is very efficient.”
He was slightly disappointed that he didn’t get to experience a common problem his Vietnamese colleagues face: a shortage of screws and plates to hold bones togethers.
"I would have enjoyed the challenge of trying to problem-solve these complex cases with limited resources. It is a different world compared to the NHS.
“Surgery can become routine over time so I like a challenge where you have to come up with a creative solution.”
Will he be returning to Vietnam in the future?
“I hope so. It’s important we train and pass on our knowledge to the next generation. If we don’t, there is no one to follow us. It’s also a fantastic learning experience for our trainees from Northwick Park if they get the opportunity to go there.
“We always assume that the West is training the East but we have a lot to learn from our colleagues in terms of being more efficient and effective with the resources available.”