The boy who sang folk songs in the operating theatre and his decade-long journey to regain hand function

Amid the tense atmosphere of the operating theatre, a folk song suddenly rang out, leaving the entire medical team silent for a moment. As the song ended, warm applause filled the room, offering encouragement to the 12-year-old boy as he prepared for the most important surgeries of his life.

The young singer was Le Duy Quang, a boy widely recognised on social media for his sweet and soulful folk singing voice. Few people knew that behind his bright smile and clear voice lay a journey of more than a decade battling illness. Over the years, he had undergone 13 major and minor surgeries in pursuit of something many take for granted: the ability to grasp and hold objects with his own hands.

A childhood spent in hospitals

Duy Quang sings for the doctors and medical staff at FV Hospital. Photo: FV.

From birth, Duy Quang was diagnosed with severe congenital heart disease and radial longitudinal deficiency affecting both arms. Born without thumbs and with deformed forearms, Duy Quang had severely limited hand function, making even the simplest daily activities difficult.

At the age of 12, Quang weighs less than 20 kilograms but has already undergone seven heart surgeries, along with multiple complex orthopaedic procedures. According to his father, Mr Le Van Quy, the family has been pushed to the brink financially after years of seeking treatment for their son. What is remarkable is that despite his physical challenges, Duy Quang has always maintained an extraordinary sense of optimism. He developed a love for folk music from an early age, teaching himself to sing through videos on his phone and sharing his performances on social media.

A turning point came when Duy Quang was accepted into the Children of Vietnam Charitable Fund for treatment support. There, he had the opportunity to be examined and operated by Dr Stéphane Guero, a French hand surgeon who has worked with FV Hospital for many years to provide humanitarian surgeries for children with congenital deformities.

Following a thorough assessment, Dr Stéphane Guero determined that this was a complex case requiring a long-term treatment plan involving close collaboration among specialists, doctors and rehabilitation therapists at FV Hospital. The goal was to improve his anatomical structure and restore hand function as much as possible, enabling him to live more independently.

During his first surgery in 2025, the medical team applied an external fixation frame to gradually reposition the wrist closer to its normal alignment while lengthening the forearm. Once the bone structure had improved, his wrist was further stabilised using a specialised plate-and-screw system.

Behind every surgery lay months of perseverance and rehabilitation. Each millimetre of bone lengthened brought Quang one step closer to his dream of having fully functional hands. “His arms are longer now, and he can reach objects placed high up that he could not reach before. He is also able to take better care of himself. That is what makes our family happiest,” said Mr Quy.

Dr Stéphane Guero conducts a pre-operative assessment for Duy Quang.

The most important surgery in his journey to restore hand function

At the end of May 2026, Duy Quang underwent a pollicisation procedure on his right hand, performed by Dr Stéphane Guero and the FV Hospital surgical team. Pollicisation, which transforms the index finger into a thumb, is considered the gold standard treatment for congenital thumb absence.

According to Dr Stéphane Guero, the primary goal of the surgery was to restore thumb opposition, the ability of the thumb to touch the other fingers, a function essential for grasping and vital for independence in daily activities.

Within a limited window of 90-120 minutes, the surgical team had to work simultaneously on multiple delicate anatomical structures, including tendons, muscles, blood vessels, nerves and the skeletal system. The index finger was reshaped, repositioned and reconstructed into a new thumb that met both functional and aesthetic requirements. This highly specialised procedure required exceptional expertise and seamless coordination among anaesthetists, surgeons, nurses and rehabilitation therapists.

Dr Stéphane Guero (left) and the FV Hospital surgical team perform a pollicisation procedure for young patient Le Duy Quang.

On 25 May, just before anaesthesia was administered, nurses encouraged Duy Quang to sing a song to help ease his nerves. The young boy began singing a folk song in the operating theatre, transforming a room usually filled only with the sounds of medical equipment into a moment of calm and emotion.

Duy Quang sings a folk song in the operating theatre.

According to Dr Stéphane Guero, this was one of the most challenging cases he had ever treated, with a complexity level of around 8 out of 10. Nevertheless, the initial results have been highly encouraging.

“The pollicisation procedure marks an important milestone for Duy Quang because, for the first time, he has the opportunity to have a functional thumb. This will improve his ability to grasp objects and enhance his independence in daily life. Although rehabilitation and adaptation still lie ahead, we are very optimistic about his recovery,” said Dr Stéphane Guero.

He also emphasised that the ideal time for thumb reconstruction in children with congenital deformities is between one and three years of age, when the nervous system is rapidly developing fine motor functions.

“If a child lives without a thumb for an extended period, the brain gradually adapts to that condition. When intervention takes place later, although it may be possible to reconstruct the thumb anatomically, the functional outcome is sometimes not as optimal as with early treatment,” Dr Stéphane Guero explained.

Duy Quang still has one more surgery ahead for his other hand. He will also require many months of rehabilitation so that his brain and body can adapt to the new thumb. But for the first time in many years, the dream of this young folk music lover feels closer than ever.

Dr Stéphane Guero is scheduled to return to Vietnam for consultations and surgeries at FV Hospital from 25 September to 1 October 2026. To book an appointment with Dr Stéphane Guero, please contact the Department of Orthopaedics and Hand Surgery, FV Hospital, 6 Nguyen Luong Bang Street, Tan My Ward (formerly District 7), Ho Chi Minh City. Tel: (028) 35 11 33 33, extension: 1226.