On a humid morning in Hanoi, Ms. Xuan Hoang watched her eight-year-old son trace circles on his hospital bedsheet with his finger—the only part of his body he could move freely.
"Every day, he would ask me, 'Will I ever walk again?'" she recalled. Her son had been diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare and aggressive bone cancer that had invaded his entire femur. Conventional treatment meant amputation.
Carrying her son's question, Xuan brought him to Vinmec Times City International Hospital, where a decision defying medical expectations reshaped the boy's future. While most specialists believed walking again was "impossible," Prof. Tran Trung Dung and his surgical team chose a different path.
Instead of amputation, the surgeons proposed a full femoral replacement using a patient-specific, expandable 3D-printed titanium implant—designed to grow with the child. It was the first application of this technology in Vietnam, jointly developed by Vinmec surgeons and engineers from VinUniversity. Weeks after the procedure, the boy stood and took his first steps.
At the same hospital, a 12-year-old girl became the youngest patient in Vietnam—and one of only a few worldwide—to undergo a successful total hip replacement. Severe post-trauma deformities had left her limping, with advanced spinal curvature and a significant leg-length discrepancy. Without timely intervention, her spine risked permanent damage.
The surgical challenge was immense: immature bones, small anatomical structures, and the need to prevent future hip loosening or leg-length disparity as the child grew. Vinmec's clinical team reconstructed her entire hip using a titanium prosthesis, guided by 3D modeling, digital surgical planning, and a customized PSI (Patient Specific Instrument) navigation system.
Within 24 hours, she sat up and practiced walking with support. After two months, she walked independently—her posture straight, her spine aligned, and her confidence restored.
For Vinmec, these cases are more than isolated medical miracles—they mark milestones in Vietnam's march toward advanced medicine.
Shaping the Country's Academic and Innovative Future in Medicine
As Vietnam accelerates its healthcare transformation, Vinmec is emerging as a national exemplar—where science, technology, and clinical ethics converge to build a modern, internationally recognized medical standard.
Founded in 2012 by Vingroup, Vinmec has grown into Vietnam's leading private healthcare network, aiming to become the country's first academic healthcare system. With nine hospitals and seven clinics nationwide, its mission is to expand access to high-quality, internationally aligned medical care.
"Our goal by 2028 is to lead private healthcare in Vietnam, with each Vinmec hospital becoming one of the best treatment centers in the region—so Vietnamese patients no longer need to travel abroad," said Prof. Tran Trung Dung, Vinmec's CEO.
Vinmec is the only healthcare system in Vietnam with two hospitals certified by the US-based Joint Commission International (JCI) under the Academic Medical Center standards. It also hosts Vietnam's first World Allergy Organization (WAO) Center of Excellence.
From CAR-T therapy and stem-cell applications to 3D-printed titanium implants, Vinmec is pushing the boundary of what treatment can look like in Vietnam.
Innovation Is Not a Side Project — It Is the Clinical Mindset
At Vinmec, innovation is not a side project, but an integral part of clinical practice. Prof. Dung emphasized that every innovation at Vinmec starts with one core purpose: to make patients' lives better.
That philosophy was put to the test in 2025, when an eight-year-old boy diagnosed with osteosarcoma underwent the world's youngest total femur replacement using 3D-printed titanium technology. Prof. Dung stated in a release: "The surgery represented a breakthrough in complex techniques and the evidence for sound collaboration in the multidisciplinary medical team. Both the life and limb of the child were kept intact."
Just weeks later, another medical "first" was achieved in Ho Chi Minh City. At Vinmec Central Park International Hospital, doctors performed Vietnam's first pediatric brain surgery using AutoGuide™ robotic guidance to treat a nine-year-old boy with drug-resistant epilepsy.
Beyond these cases, Vinmec has achieved multiple clinical breakthroughs, from Southeast Asia's first 3D-printed titanium chest wall reconstruction to successful CAR-T therapy for a four-year-old with blood cancer.
Behind the scenes, Vinmec's Research Institute of Stem Cell and Gene Technology (VRISG) is advancing next-generation therapies. Its AABB-accredited biobank and genomic research reflect one goal: transforming science into safer, better care.
Together, these programs form the backbone of Vinmec's innovation ecosystem, creating a closed loop from laboratory discovery to clinical application.
Engineering, Technology, and Vision: Designing the Future of Healthcare
Global medical innovation is accelerating rapidly. The WHO notes that emerging technologies will help health systems predict patient needs, optimize resources, and enhance workforce efficiency. Across Asia—where healthcare technology investment is rising sharply (Bain & Company)—this transformation is unfolding at unprecedented speed.
In Vietnam, Vinmec is becoming a focal point of this shift.
"Innovation and scientific research are central to achieving superior treatment outcomes," said Prof. Dung.
By integrating research institutes, laboratories, digital planning, and clinical teams into a unified ecosystem, Vinmec is importing—and developing—medical breakthroughs typically found in top global centers.
This model has already earned international recognition. In 2025, Vinmec received "Hospital Group of the Year" and "Technology Innovation of the Year" at the Healthcare Asia Awards.
Yet, the real value of innovation lies not in accolades—but in the human stories it transforms.
"Because of Vinmec's doctors, my child now has a chance to live a healthy, happy life," shared the mother of a five-year-old with congenital heart disease who underwent minimally invasive cardiac surgery at Vinmec Times City. "Their skill, compassion, and dedication restored our hope."
At the heart of every innovation at Vinmec is a purpose as old as medicine itself: to heal—fully, safely, and humanely. At its core, Vinmec's innovation is not just about advancing medicine, but about helping people live better lives, in every sense of the word.
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