Doctors at Cho Ray Hospital perform surgery to remove a giant pituitary tumor using a modern neuroendoscopic surgery system. Photo: VNA
This is the first hospital in Vietnam to be equipped with this modern surgical system.
Recently, male patient N.T.P., 57 years old, from Khanh Hoa Province, was diagnosed with a giant pituitary tumor and severe vision loss. Although he had sought examination and treatment at many medical facilities over the past 10 years, the neurological cause had not been detected. The patient was transferred to Cho Ray Hospital with severe headaches, pituitary insufficiency, and extremely poor vision, being able to distinguish only the shadow of a hand.
MRI results showed that the patient had a 56 mm pituitary tumor, classified as a giant pituitary tumor, which accounts for only 10% of all pituitary tumors. The tumor had invaded the sphenoid sinus and cavernous sinus, compressing the optic chiasm and both internal carotid arteries. Dr. Tran Thien Khiem from the Department of Neurosurgery said this is a highly complex condition, carrying the risk of damage to many important vascular and neural structures. According to medical literature, the complete tumor removal rate reported at major centers worldwide ranges from only 3% to 40%.
Doctors at Cho Ray Hospital perform surgery to remove a giant pituitary tumor using a modern neuroendoscopic surgery system. Photo: VNA
Doctors at Cho Ray Hospital decided to perform endoscopic surgery through the nasal cavity and sphenoid sinus. However, this time the surgical team used the modern 4K–ICG–1 neuroendoscopic surgery system, which Cho Ray Hospital has put into application since mid-2025. This system has specialized functions for neurosurgery, including a compact endoscope design, shortened length, mainly rigid scopes, and diverse viewing angles.
“For a giant tumor case like this patient’s, the most important requirement is to remove as much of the tumor as possible while preserving the pituitary stalk, healthy pituitary tissue, and nearby vascular and neural structures, especially both internal carotid arteries. With the new system, when ICG fluorescent dye is injected, blood vessels and important structures are clearly displayed on the 4K screen, making each surgical step more convenient for the surgeon. As a result, the team was able to remove almost the entire tumor, improving surgical effectiveness and thereby enhancing the quality of treatment for the patient,” Dr. Tran Thien Khiem shared.
After five days, the patient was conscious, able to eat and carry out daily activities independently, had stable pituitary function, showed significant improvement in vision, and was discharged from the hospital, successfully recovering after more than 10 years of living with the disease.
Dr. Tran Huy Hoan Bao, Head of the Department of Neurosurgery at Cho Ray Hospital, said that giant pituitary tumors and complex skull base tumors have always been major challenges in neurosurgery.
Doctors at Cho Ray Hospital check the patient’s vision after surgery. Photo: VNA
These tumors often invade deeply and are closely related to many important vascular and neural structures. With previous equipment, maximizing tumor removal while preserving these structures required highly advanced techniques and carried considerable risks of complications. With the 4K–ICG neuroendoscopic surgery system, visualization in the surgical field has significantly improved. Surgeons can distinguish the boundaries between tumor tissue and healthy tissue, the pituitary stalk, and blood vessels more clearly and objectively.
To date, the Department of Neurosurgery at Cho Ray Hospital has applied the 4K–ICG neuroendoscopic surgery system to successfully treat more than 30 complex cases involving giant pituitary tumors, craniopharyngiomas, skull base meningiomas, clival chondrosarcomas, and others. This has helped increase the safety and effectiveness of surgery, thereby improving the quality of treatment for patients and significantly enhancing postoperative recovery outcomes.