Nguyen Duc, the younger brother of conjoined twin Viet – Duc, after separation surgery 36 years ago is still living with one kidney, one leg and wearing a catheter that must be changed every two weeks.
Duc is 43 years old this year. When he was born, he was attached to Mr. Viet in the abdomen, pelvis, genitals, and anus. The two brothers share two legs and one leg is amputated. The two underwent a legendary major separation surgery on October 4, 1988. At that time, the doctors carefully considered the surgery plan and the common anatomical structure between Vietnam and Germany, and in the end reserved more relatively complete body parts for the younger brother. Thanks to that, when separated, Duc got one leg and one kidney, while Viet lived in a vegetative state for 19 years.
Nguyen Duc grew up, got married and had two twin children, a boy and a girl, now 15 years old. Currently, Duc is Vietnam’s Ambassador of Peace to Japan and a member of the executive committee of the Vietnam – Japan Friendship Association in Ho Chi Minh City. He is the founder and director of the non-profit organization NPO Duc Nihon – For a beautiful world. But his health is not good, he is often in and out of the hospital.
On April 11, MSc. Le Trong Thien Long, Binh Dan Hospital, said that Duc only had one kidney and the ureteral tract (the system of tubes carrying urine from the kidney pelvis to the bladder) was narrowed. Duc must wear a soft silicone catheter opening from the kidney to the skin to help the kidneys work less, reducing the risk of fluid retention causing infection and kidney failure…
Due to a congenital anatomical abnormality, Duc’s left kidney is not high on his back but near his abdomen. The catheter came out and was placed near his abdomen so Duc could still lie on his back and had little impact on his daily activities. This catheter must be changed every two weeks to ensure safety.
“Duc has good knowledge and adaptability after ureteroplasty surgery, and he complies with regular tube changes, so he rarely encounters complications due to obstruction causing fever,” Dr. Long commented.
Nguyen Duc during a speaking trip to Japan, November 2023. Image: Character provided
7 years ago, Nguyen Duc was admitted to the emergency room due to urinary tract infection and hydronephrosis. At that time, he faced the risk of having to wear a urinary catheter for life and the risk of complications on kidney function. He underwent 5 surgeries at Binh Dan Hospital, including 4 laparoscopic surgeries and 1 open surgery, to repair urethral abnormalities and ureteroplasty to help urinate normally.
Reply VnExpress, Nguyen Duc said that after the surgeries, he still went to work to take care of the family finances, shared housework with his wife, and took care of the children, but was often more tired. He cannot exercise vigorously or play sports like before, so his resistance is reduced and he is susceptible to minor illnesses. Previously, even though he only had one leg, he still played many sports with the mindset of “having to be strong to live the rest of my life for Mr. Viet” – the person who sacrificed many parts of his body, ceding his organs to Duc. shared fate.
“Sometimes when driving, the catheter hits the kidney causing pain, but being able to maintain it like now is already good, we just have to try and be optimistic,” Mr. Duc said. Every month, he spends about several million dong for this treatment.
Recently, the movie Dearest Viet directed by Kohei Kawabata was screened within the framework of the Ho Chi Minh City International Film Festival, making many audiences cry. The documentary captures Nguyen Duc’s everyday moments with his wife and two children. In recent days, Duc has been in Japan to premiere the movie.
Nguyen Duc interacted at the screening of Dearest Viet within the framework of the Ho Chi Minh City International Film Festival, on the evening of April 8. Image: HIFF
Vietnamese – German conjoined twins were born in Sa Thay, Kon Tum, February 25, 1981. Initially, both were treated at Viet Duc Hospital (Hanoi), and in early December 1982, they were transferred to Tu Du Hospital (HCMC). After more than three months of being taken to Tokyo for treatment by the Japanese Red Cross, on October 29, 1986, the two returned to Vietnam.
The legendary major surgery that separated the two brothers took place on October 4, 1988, becoming a milestone in the history of Vietnamese medicine and recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Le Phuong