An American doctor with a golden heart

After succeeding in removing complex tumors from three Vietnamese patients including the man with a 200lb (90kg) tumor in early 2012, American doctor McKay McKinnon and his wife came back to Vietnam on July 20 to go on another marathon surgical mission. 

>> Dr. McKinnon removes 2nd facial tumor in Vietnam
>> The man with the ‘golden’ hands

He has been in collaboration with hospitals in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to perform 11 surgeries in total and to give advice to dozens of other tumor patients. He shared about this year’s trip: “I’m a doctor. My feelings are there but my instinct to analyze the problems and see whether I can help it or not. I feel sorry for the patients because they suffer so much. I’m a doctor so I’m here not to have feeling but to help them”.  

“Marathon surgeries”

After hearing the news that Dr. McKinnon was scheduled to go to Viet-Duc Hospital based in Hanoi on July 22, more than 30 tumor patients from neighboring localities waited in line from very early morning, hoping to get advice from the doctor.

Though these patients were not on his agenda, he heartily examined every person and showed doctors at Viet-Duc hospital how to take care of them when he was not there.

He only had a quick lunch and finished his first working day at 9pm. He said: “It’s a long day at work, that’s all, the same with doctors here, nothing unusual about that”.

In three consecutive days later, he collaborated with Vietnamese colleagues to perform five cases at Viet-Duc Hospital and removed a rare and dangerous tumor that covered almost the face of 14-year-old boy Le Trung Tuan from Thanh Hoa province at Vincmec.

Tina Nguyen from the Virtual medical miracle network (VM2N), who flew from HCMC to Hanoi to assist Dr. McKinnon, said that during his time in the capital, he used much of his free time to share with local young doctors some new surgical techniques by showing them photos of surgeries that he has performed.

After spending one day visiting Ha Long Bay along with his wife and daughter, he flew to Ho Chi Minh City to do five marathon surgeries including two complex tumors on head, face, and neck of two patients Le Hoang Em and Nguyen Hoang Thien An at FV Hospital.

Operation from head to leg

On the third trip to Vietnam in 3 years, Dr. McKinnon said: “I cannot do surgeries by myself, I need assistance. I think they are more than capable for helping me perform complex surgeries. My expectation is that they will continue the help to care for the patients when I’m gone. And they really do that and are capable of doing that”.

Dr. Phan Van Thai from FVH’s General Surgery Department, who assisted Dr. McKinnon in removing the giant tumor from Duy Hai in Jan, 2012, told Tuoi Tre that he now feels less afraid of difficult cases than before and has learned some new techniques from the talented American doctor.  

“I learn many things from experienced and talented doctors like Dr. McKinnon. He applied different techniques in three tumor cases that I have assisted him so far at FV so I learned a lot from him,” Dr. Thai said.

Meanwhile, Dr. Dao Thi My Van, head of Anesthesia and ICU, called Dr. McKinnon a genius surgeon: “Every doctor chooses one specialty but he is capable of operating from the head to the leg”.

The female doctor with 21 years of experience said the most important thing she learns from him is that he always stays calm while doing complex surgeries.

Tuoi Tre reporter followed him to an operating room and found out an interesting secret about him: he often listens to music while doing surgeries to better concentrate on the work. Astrid, his wife, revealed: “He likes music. His favorite artist is song-writer and guitarist James Taylor because both of them are from North Carolina”.

Challenges accepted!

Dr. McKinnon, whose recent position is Clinical Assistant Professor, Section of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery at University of Chicago, talked about his motivation in his career: “It is a challenge. Professionally, I try to solve difficult problems”.

“It’s important for me to help solve problems that have not been solved. We don’t exist if we don’t know how to solve problems that other people have not been able to solve.”

McKinnon has long been known as one of the best surgeons for complex tumor cases thought impossible to perform by colleagues around the world. His best known cases include Lori Hoogewind, an American woman with a 90.7-kilogram tumor or Lucica Bunghez, from Romania, who had an 80-kilogram one, and the most recent is Nguyen Duy Hai in Vietnam with a 90kg tumor on his leg.

Operating nurse Astrid McKinnon, who accompanied him in most surgeries that he performed, revealed that McKinnon is conservative and skeptical but both of them like travel, seeing different cultures and being part of that. They said they really love Vietnam’s pho and would like to know how to cook it back home. Dr. McKinnon said he hopes to come back to Vietnam next year if possible.

Phuong Bui from VoviCare, a charity organization in Australia, used a very narrow definition of the American doctor. “He not only has golden hands but also a golden heart because only those having golden hearts are able to do extraordinary things like he did”.

What do others say about him? Dr. McKinnon’s marathon surgical mission in Vietnam this year is possible thanks to the connections and financial donations of many individuals and organizations in and outside Vietnam including Detech Corp., VinaCapital Foundation and FVH in Vietnam, Virtual medical miracle network (VM2N) in Canada, Children First and VoviCare in Australia. Sam Ottawa from VM2N said: “There are no words to highlight the sense of blessing and gratitude I personally feel having Dr McKay McKinnon walking with our Vietnamese tumor patients desperate for a chance to look normal and live in dignity. He is a man that can give hopes and tries very hard to make a difference in our tumor patients’ life”. Robin King Austin, CEO of VCF, commented: “We are very grateful for the gift of two weeks of Dr and Mrs McKinnons time and his willingness to help Vietnamese surgeons care for these patients with horrific disfigurements. It is a pleasure to work with people who truly care about helping others. They have enjoyed their interaction with the VN doctors and patients and truly enjoy coming to Vietnam. Many surgeons have benefited this week from the opportunity VCF provided to watch him work, and also his advice and counsel on treatments for patients that didn't receive surgery this time. They will definitely be coming back.”