Doctor: ‘Xuan Son can return to top competition in 8 months’

Professor Tran Trung Dung, Director of Orthopedics and Musculoskeletal Trauma, Vinmec Healthcare System, said as above on the afternoon of January 7, adding that the male player’s current condition is stable. He will stay in the hospital for at least 4 more weeks for intensive monitoring, then can return to the training club or training facilities.

“Son’s bone was damaged and his ligaments and knee joint were not affected. If he receives good treatment and recovery exercises, he can return to football with 100% leg strength as before,” Dr. Dung said. speak.

Doctor Dung said Son’s bone fusion surgery last night was successful, but the treatment process is only 1/10 of the way. In the next steps, Son needs to have a specialized rehabilitation program for athletes. For normal patients, the only need is to walk and exercise well. As for top-level athletes, a comprehensive problem is needed from surgical therapy, nutrition, and exercise to help patients heal bones, restore movement, maintain muscle strength, and control weight.

“This is not an easy problem,” Mr. Dung added. The reason is that, according to the doctor, Son’s current weight and stats are at the peak of a soccer athlete. Therefore, great attention must be paid to the process of training, rehabilitation, and nutrition to ensure weight maintenance and avoid weight gain due to sudden reduction in exercise intensity. In particular, a specialized exercise program and specialized nutrition are carefully calculated for Xuan Son to ensure quick bone healing while still maintaining muscle mass.

By this afternoon, Son can walk on crutches in his room and is expected to start an on-site training program in 2-3 days, with a duration of up to 6-8 hours/day. “I feel better now, I will return soon,” Son told Deputy Health Minister Tran Van Thuan on the afternoon of January 7, at the hospital.

Xuan Son, whose Brazilian name is Rafaelson, was born in 1997 and became a Vietnamese citizen in September 2024. He became the first naturalized player of non-Vietnamese origin to be called up to the national team since 2009. Xuan Son was injured in the ASEAN Cup final match at Rajamangala Stadium, Thailand on the evening of January 5, while passing the ball. then tried to lean forward to pass into Thailand’s penalty area. Initial examination and scan results in Thailand determined that Son had a fractured fibula and tibia in his right leg.

According to Dr. Dung, right after Xuan Son suffered an injury, the doctors consulted overnight, discussing with Thai colleagues about the plan to operate in Bangkok or return home, or move to Japan or Korea. Ultimately, the wish of Son and his family and the club where Son plays is to return to Vietnam for surgery to ensure the “golden time” within about 24 hours after the injury.

Upon arriving at Noi Bai airport (Hanoi), Son was taken straight to Vinmec Hospital by the medical team. The scan results determined that he had a complex closed fracture of the middle 1/3 of the body of the two lower leg bones, with two large separate pieces. The doctor decided to perform closed bone fusion surgery with intramedullary nails with pins under a light-enhancing screen. This is a minimally invasive surgical solution that minimizes soft tissue damage and ensures quick recovery.

Dr. Dung said this bone fusion treatment technique is basic and not difficult, but the patient is a professional athlete so the surgical team requires 100% precision and meticulous manipulation. In particular, it is necessary to minimize intervention to the fracture site, not impact or reduce damage to intraosseous structures such as periosteum, muscle…

“We drove the nail through the fracture and fixed it without invading the skin, muscle, or periosteum. We calculated every millimeter of the screw to fit the bone surface tightly without protruding, ensuring that when The bone heals, Son practices again and competes again without being affected,” Dr. Dung explained.