A 74-year-old woman from Ha Tinh Province has finally had a massive facial tumor removed — a growth so large and unusual that doctors called the case one of the rarest they had ever encountered.
For five long years, Bui Thi Hoi lived with the enormous mass, unable to afford surgery. The tumor measured 12 × 14 cm, covered half her face, damaged her skull, destroyed her right eye, and made even breathing difficult.
“Simple things like eating, drinking, or getting through the day became incredibly hard,” Hoi shared. “I didn’t have the money for surgery, so I endured it for about five years… until help finally came. The doctors were so kind.”
Specialists from four major hospitals in Hanoi united to perform a complex, five-hour surgery. Experts from the National Hospital of Odonto-Stomatology, Vietnam-Germany Friendship Hospital, the National Institute of Burns, and Military Hospital 103 worked together to remove the tumor.
Dr. Vu Quang Vinh explained that Hoi suffered from a fibrous tumor, an extremely rare condition responsible for only 0.05–0.5% of facial tumors worldwide. Because the case was so unusual and Hoi had several other health issues, the decision to operate was incredibly difficult.
“We were anxious,” Vinh admitted. “Cases like this are almost unheard of. But we believed that as long as there was even a small chance of saving her, we had to try.”
The tumor was successfully removed within the first three hours of surgery, and blood loss remained minimal. After a week in intensive care, Hoi stabilized, and doctors now consider the operation a major success — a testament to Vietnam’s growing medical expertise and strong inter-hospital cooperation.
Without the operation, the tumor would have continued to threaten her life.
Hoi now says she feels “relieved and renewed,” no longer burdened by the disfigurement. Her sister, Bui Thi Chau, expressed deep gratitude: “It was a long and exhausting journey, moving from hospital to hospital. But the outcome… it’s perfect. It feels like her life is beginning again.”
After two months in the hospital, Hoi’s condition is now stable, and she will soon be well enough to return home.
