Hand Surgery Magician Returns to Vietnam: New Hope for Children with Congenital Hand Conditions

This May, Dr Stéphane Guero, known as the “Hand Surgery Magician”, will return to FV Hospital. His visit offers a renewed opportunity for children with hand deformities to receive life-changing treatment.

Dr Stéphane Guero is a world-leading expert in hand surgery and microsurgery, and a founding member of the French Institute of Hand Surgery. He is renowned for treating complex deformities within tiny surgical areas. Every bone, tendon, blood vessel, and nerve requires near-absolute precision to restore movement and function.

During this visit, Dr Guero will personally consult on and perform surgery for both congenital and acquired hand deformities. He will focus particularly on highly complex cases that require advanced microsurgical techniques.

Dr Stéphane Guero, renowned as the “magician of hand surgery”, will return to FV Hospital.

Surgeries that transform function and lives

For children born with hand deformities, such as webbed fingers, missing digits, or scarring from burns, simple tasks like gripping or writing can be a significant challenge. Surgery in these cases does more than just improve how the hand looks; it aims to restore function and enhance the child’s long-term quality of life.

One typical case is a young patient, Ta Minh Kien (from Ho Chi Minh City), born with Apert syndrome which caused complex webbed fingers on both hands. Because his fingers were fused together, he could not perform basic daily tasks.

After an examination, Dr Stéphane Guero recommended surgery to separate the fingers and reconstruct the skin to restore gripping function. This procedure required high-level techniques to separate the fingers while preserving blood vessels and nerves, and minimising the risk of scarring.

After two operations, the function of Kien’s hands improved significantly, allowing him to grip objects and manage daily activities with near-normal ability.

FV doctors provide post-operative wound care for Kiên following finger separation surgery.

Another case is a young patient, Tran Diem My, who suffered severe scarring from burns that led to deformities in both her hands and lower limbs. Her fingers were curled and fused together, resulting in a near-total loss of movement.

As these were complex injuries, treatment was required in several stages. Dr Guero performed a series of surgeries to release the scar tissue, reconstruct the hand structure, and restore movement. At the same time, orthopaedic procedures were carried out on her lower limbs to improve her ability to walk.

Following several operations, the patient’s movement has improved remarkably, helping her to manage daily life and reintegrate into society.

Dr Stéphane Guero (centre), together with the medical team at FV Hospital, performs surgery on a paediatric patient. 

Hand Surgery: A field requiring absolute precision

Hand surgery is considered one of the most complex and sophisticated surgical specialities. Within a space of only a few centimetres, the doctor must simultaneously treat many vital structures, such as tiny bones, tendons, ligaments, blood vessels, and nerves.

Recovery is not just about how the hand looks, it must also ensure fine motor skills, sensation, and coordination for everyday activities.

Dr Stéphane Guero is known for advanced microsurgery techniques, such as toe-to-hand transfers to reconstruct gripping ability, separating webbed fingers using complex skin grafts, and hand reconstruction for rare deformities.

For many years, FV Hospital has regularly collaborated with Dr Guero to perform complex hand surgeries, providing life-changing treatment opportunities for many children.