The Story Behind the Needle That Helped Vietnamese Surgeons Crack a Pediatric Puzzle

Leading the Field with Homegrown Solutions

In 2016, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Ngoc Son faced a major obstacle when introducing single-port laparoscopic surgery for pediatric inguinal hernias: Vietnam lacked specialized suture needles.

Rather than waiting or abandoning the plan, he redesigned a standard spinal tap needle. He adapted an instrument built for one purpose into an effective tool for pediatric laparoscopy. This initiative saved instrument costs and substantially eased the financial strain on young patients’ families.

Entering exclusively through the navel, this single-incision approach limits tissue trauma, cuts incision counts, and speeds healing. The scar stays hidden inside the natural umbilical fold, leaving an incision that heals virtually out of sight. To achieve this result, the surgeon voluntarily met demanding operational and equipment standards.

“To spare a small child an extra surgical scar, a surgeon must spend hours researching and practicing harder techniques,” Dr. Son shared. “I believe we should embrace that extra difficulty ourselves. These children already carry the burden of illness. Our duty is to make surgery as gentle on them as possible.”

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Ngoc Son dedicated years of clinical research to shoulder the hard work for his young patients. 

A strong determination to reduce recurrence risks and spare young children repeat operations motivated Dr. Son and his team to refine single-port hernia repairs continuously.

Following the initial needle redesign, the team revamped the entire operating sequence. They adjusted surgical instruments, suture selections, and procedural steps to improve patient outcomes while lowering recurrence rates.

International peer recognition soon followed. Dr. Son served as primary author when the team published these innovations in Pediatric Surgery International, the official journal of the World Federation of Associations of Pediatric Surgeons, in 2024. Across a median follow-up of 40 months, patients treated with the complete set of refined procedures recorded a 0% recurrence rate, down from 2.3% in earlier cohorts.

These metrics proved the clinical value of updating instruments and surgical workflows simultaneously to prevent repeat procedures.

“Behind every recurrence percentage stands a child who might need another operation,” Dr. Son stated. “Therefore, I never settle for partial success. As long as we can refine a method to ease patient suffering, our work must continue.”

Paving the Way for Future Generations of Surgeons

Leading a national-level state research project on single-incision laparoscopic procedures in children, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Ngoc Son regularly turned bedside queries into empirical science. Global publications and academic exchanges helped Vietnamese surgical insights earn international peer verification, opening doors for further clinical breakthroughs.

For Dr. Son, medical achievements extend beyond single discoveries or personal masteries. Systematized surgical handbooks and scientific papers became the pedagogical springboard to pursue an even wider mission: training younger surgeons. When numerous surgeons command advanced techniques, clinical innovations naturally reach far more patients.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Ngoc Son with his surgical team during a pediatric operation

In March 2026, Dr. Son joined the Vinmec Healthcare System. He currently serves as Vice Chairman of the Surgical Specialty Council and Director of the Pediatric Center at Vinmec Smart City International Hospital.

At Vinmec, he identified the institutional infrastructure required to implement his educational vision across an interconnected hospital network. Unified investments and cross-facility synergy enable wide-scale surgical training and tech transfers, turning individual expert skills into shared institutional strength.

“A surgical technique mastered by only a handful of practitioners offers limited public benefit,” he observed. “I want the difficult techniques of today to become routine competencies for many doctors tomorrow. Only then can we build a solid foundation to reach higher peaks.”

To realize that objective, Dr. Son focuses on standardizing pediatric surgery workflows while pairing didactic instruction directly with hands-on operating room training. Emerging surgeons must grasp disease fundamentals, evaluate clinical choices soundly, and maintain lifelong self-learning habits.

Combining team development with standardized operating practices also establishes the framework to expand pediatric surgical care from general procedures to subspecialties. This approach turns specialist experience into widespread care for pediatric patients, supporting Vinmec’s strategic goal to grow into a regional and global pediatric surgical center of excellence.

“Training another competent surgeon opens fresh treatment doors for children we might never meet in person,” Dr. Son reflected. “I hope the next generation travels further than we did. Yet regardless of which advanced procedures they master, they must always remember that the child before them has an entire life left to grow.”

From an altered spinal needle to refined surgical sequences and dedicated training initiatives, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Ngoc Son continues his enduring contributions to pediatric surgery in Vietnam.

At Vinmec, he fosters a dedicated, skilled team sharing a pioneer’s mindset—ready to shoulder extra complexities so children enjoy gentler paths to healing.