Moris Topaz (second from right)volunteered to provide medical services to people injured in the Wenchuan earthquake in 2008. |
An Israeli surgeon's dexterity treating the largest and most serious wounds has brought him to Sichuan province again and again, he tells Liu Zhihua. Moris Topaz finally had a good sleep on the flight from New York to China recently. The 63-year-old usually sleeps only three hours a day but that's enough, he says, to give him plenty of energy for his work. Topaz heads the plastic surgery unit of the prestigious Hillel Yaffe Medical Center in Hadera, Israel. He also serves as the secretary-general of the International Committee for Quality Assurance and Medical Technologies and Devices in Plastic Surgery. On this, his most recent trip to China, he was part of a delegation led by Ronni Gamzu, director-general of Israel's Ministry of Health, which aimed to strengthen the cooperation of health communities in the two countries. While "cooperation" may sound vague to outsiders, Sichuan resident Gong Fangxue has a very clear idea what that word means to ordinary people. If not for TopCloser, a groundbreaking method for closing large wounds that Topaz applied in her operation, Gong probably would have died from a huge malignant tumor. "It was a unique case over a very big tumor. Usually with these kinds of tumors, we have to do complicated surgeries with skin grafts or flaps," Topaz says. "This time, we actually stretched the skin in a way we hadn't done before." Gong, 40, found a suddenly fast-growing bump on her right shoulder in 2009. The resident of Deyang was diagnosed with a malignant spindle cell tumor. Although it didn't spread to other parts of the body, the cancerous bump grew very fast. Over the next two years, Gong underwent several removal surgeries, but the condition always recurred shortly after the treatments, and the tumor grew bigger and bigger. Late last year, Gong came to the People's Hospital of Deyang City, after many other hospitals, including big ones in Beijing, refused to treat her. By that time, the tumor had become half as big as Gong's head, making her head lean toward the left. It had become difficult for her to move her neck. Worse, the tumor stretched the skin so far that at any time, the blood vessels could be broken, potentially leading to massive, even lethal bleeding. Removing the tumor was urgent but tissues around the tumor were adhering with the tumor itself so it would be hard to avoid major bleeding, and nerve damage could cause death or paralyze her. An operation wound so large would take a long time to heal with traditional wound-closure methods, such as skin flaps, but Gong needed quick healing so she could have radiotherapy as soon as possible and prevent a relapse. "It was very risky to treat her, but we had to," says the hospital's president, Fan Tianyong. "It is a hospital's duty to save lives even if the hope is very dim." Luckily, the hospital had established a relationship with Topaz, who has superb experience and skills to treat such complicated conditions, Fan adds. "The minute I saw pictures of the patient, I felt I must go to the hospital for her," Topaz says. On Dec 13, 2013, Topaz operated on Gong with physicians from the hospital. In a four-hour operation, they removed the tumor tissues carefully, and used the TopClosure system to connect the two edges of existing skin with a special plastic thread, eliminating the need for skin-implant reconstruction. The second day after the operation, Gong felt her pain easing. Within two weeks, the wound healed, and she was able to have radiotherapy. Now regular checkups indicate she is recovering from the cancer. It was the first time in the world that such a large wound was healed without skin flaps and implants, according to Li Yongzhong, director of the hospital's burns and plastic surgery department. But that's just a sample of what Topaz has done to enhance medical cooperation between China and Israel. In 2008, when news came that an 8.0-magnitude earthquake hit Sichuan, Topaz volunteered to the province's foreign experts' affairs bureau to help save critically injured victims. He soon arrived in Deyang, one of the most severely hit areas, donating medical devices and medicines that cost 100,000 yuan ($16,000) and treating patients. He also trained local medical professionals with advanced wound-treating methods, which helped patients with large wounds heal faster, with less infection, suffering and aftereffects. Since then, Topaz has visited Sichuan regularly, to train local medical personnel with new plastic-surgery technologies and techniques. In 2011, Li's hospital established close ties with Topaz's. In 2012, with help from Topaz, Li and a colleague were invited to Hillel Yaffe Medical Center to study with medical experts there. Benefiting from Topaz's help, the hospital has exponentially extended its burns and plastic surgery department's ability and capacity: The department now has 17 doctors and nurses, up from the original two doctors. "Professor Topaz has visited Deyang dozens of times to teach and help our doctors here in the past few years," Li says. "He is very nice and a good friend to Chinese people." Q&A 1. What's your personal China story? It's very special experience, because I came to China nine years ago. I had heard about China in stories but not in reality. It is very impressive to see the way China is developing in a very fast way. 2. What drew you to China? In my profession, I come where I can do surgeries, I do good (to people). It helps me know the people. I have many friends in many places in China. You meet one surgeon in one surgery, and then you know him for life. 3. What's your life's dream? I don't sleep much, so I don't have much time to dream! I try to do things. I'm trying to do as much as possible. 4. What's your take on the Chinese Dream? How is it related to your dream? I think the Chinese Dream should be having China improve with better medicine, better education and better life. China is one of the most peaceful countries in the world. You should keep it good, that is important. 5. How will you think the Chinese Dream plays out in China? What does if means for international community and Chinese people? China is very strong and is taking more and more part in the international arena. You had the most fantastic Olympic Games and are advancing in many fields. |
中國(guó)日?qǐng)?bào)5月6日電(記者劉志華)一名以色列外科醫(yī)生告訴中國(guó)日?qǐng)?bào)記者劉志華,因?yàn)樗谥委煷竺娣e嚴(yán)重創(chuàng)傷方面醫(yī)術(shù)嫻熟,因此他多次來(lái)到四川省。 最近,莫瑞斯·托帕茲(Moris Topaz)終于在紐約飛往中國(guó)的航班上好好地睡了一覺(jué)。63歲的他經(jīng)常一天只睡3個(gè)小時(shí),但他說(shuō),這足以給他的工作提供了充足的能量。 托帕茲是以色列哈代拉希勒雅法醫(yī)學(xué)中心(Hillel Yaffe Medical Center in Hadera)的整形外科主任,他還是國(guó)際醫(yī)學(xué)整形美容質(zhì)量保證和設(shè)備安全委員會(huì)總秘書長(zhǎng)。 在最近一次的中國(guó)行中,他是以色列訪華代表團(tuán)的一員。此代表團(tuán)由以色列衛(wèi)生部總司長(zhǎng)羅尼·甘祖(Ronni Gamzu)率領(lǐng),旨在加強(qiáng)中以雙方在衛(wèi)生社區(qū)方面的合作。 雖然“合作”這個(gè)詞聽起來(lái)很含糊,但是來(lái)自四川的龔方雪(Gong Fangxue)清楚地知道這個(gè)詞對(duì)老百姓意味什么。 要不是有“傷口拉鏈(TopCloser)”——托帕茲在縫合大面積創(chuàng)傷中使用的開創(chuàng)性方法,龔方雪可能已經(jīng)死于碩大的惡性腫瘤。 “她的病例很罕見,腫瘤非常大。通常在治療此類腫瘤時(shí),我們必須用植皮或轉(zhuǎn)移皮瓣的方法進(jìn)行復(fù)雜的手術(shù),”托帕茲說(shuō)道。 “這一次,我們使用從未進(jìn)行過(guò)的方法將皮膚拉伸?!?/p> 龔方雪今年40歲,來(lái)自四川省德陽(yáng)市。2009年,她發(fā)現(xiàn)右肩有一個(gè)腫塊突然快速腫大,之后,她被診斷患有惡性梭形細(xì)胞腫瘤。 雖然腫瘤沒(méi)有擴(kuò)散到身體其他部位,但生長(zhǎng)速度非??臁?/p> 之后的兩年內(nèi),龔方雪進(jìn)行了數(shù)次切除手術(shù),但是病情總是在治療后不久就復(fù)發(fā),而且腫瘤長(zhǎng)得越來(lái)越大。 龔方雪去過(guò)好多家醫(yī)院,包括北京的幾家大醫(yī)院,但它們都拒絕接收她。直到去年年底,德陽(yáng)市人民醫(yī)院接收了她。那時(shí),腫瘤已經(jīng)有她的半個(gè)頭那么大了,這使得她的頭向左傾,要扭動(dòng)脖子也非常困難。更糟的是,腫瘤把皮膚撐得只有很薄的一層,血管隨時(shí)都會(huì)破裂,這可能引發(fā)大出血,甚至失血致死。 切除腫瘤是當(dāng)務(wù)之急,但是腫瘤周圍附著著一些組織,所以手術(shù)時(shí)要想避免大出血十分困難,而且神經(jīng)損傷可能導(dǎo)致她死亡或癱瘓。 手術(shù)傷口很大,如果使用傳統(tǒng)傷口縫合的方法,如皮瓣轉(zhuǎn)移,傷口將需要很長(zhǎng)時(shí)間才會(huì)愈合。而龔方雪必須快速愈合傷口,才能盡快進(jìn)行放射治療,防止復(fù)發(fā)。 “為她做手術(shù)風(fēng)險(xiǎn)很大,但我們沒(méi)有選擇,”德陽(yáng)市人民醫(yī)院院長(zhǎng)范天勇說(shuō)道。 “救人是醫(yī)院的職責(zé),即使希望非常渺茫?!?/p> 范天勇還說(shuō),幸運(yùn)的是,我們醫(yī)院曾與托帕茲建立了關(guān)系。他在治療此類復(fù)雜病情方面有超凡的經(jīng)驗(yàn)和技術(shù)。 “看到病人照片的那一刻,我覺(jué)得我必須為了她去一趟四川德陽(yáng)的人民醫(yī)院,”托帕茲說(shuō)道。 2013年12月13日,托帕茲和德陽(yáng)市人民醫(yī)院的醫(yī)生一起為龔方雪做手術(shù)。 為時(shí)四小時(shí)的手術(shù)里,他們小心翼翼地切除了腫瘤組織,然后用特殊的美容針線通過(guò)“傷口拉鏈”方法將現(xiàn)存皮膚的兩端縫合起來(lái),消除了皮膚移植手術(shù)后的重建過(guò)程。 手術(shù)后第二天,龔方雪感到她的疼痛減輕了。兩周后,傷口愈合了,這意味著她可以進(jìn)行放射治療了?,F(xiàn)在定期的檢查顯示她正在從癌癥中恢復(fù)過(guò)來(lái)。 李永忠是德陽(yáng)市人民醫(yī)院燒傷整形外科主任,他說(shuō),如此大的傷口沒(méi)有進(jìn)行皮瓣轉(zhuǎn)移和植皮手術(shù)就愈合了,這在全世界是第一例。 但這只是托帕茲為加強(qiáng)中以醫(yī)療合作所做事情中的一個(gè)例子。 2008年,當(dāng)托帕茲得知四川發(fā)生8.0級(jí)地震后,他自愿到四川省的外國(guó)專家局幫助傷勢(shì)嚴(yán)重的受災(zāi)者。 不久,他就到達(dá)德陽(yáng)市——受災(zāi)最嚴(yán)重的地區(qū)之一,捐贈(zèng)了價(jià)值10萬(wàn)元(約合1.6萬(wàn)美元)的醫(yī)療設(shè)備和藥品,并幫忙救治病人。 他還對(duì)當(dāng)?shù)蒯t(yī)務(wù)專業(yè)人士進(jìn)行培訓(xùn),教授先進(jìn)的治療創(chuàng)傷的方法,這使有大面積創(chuàng)傷的病人痊愈得更快,同時(shí)減輕他們的病痛,減少感染和后遺癥的發(fā)生。 從此,托帕茲定期到四川對(duì)當(dāng)?shù)蒯t(yī)務(wù)專業(yè)人士進(jìn)行培訓(xùn),教授新型整形外科技術(shù)。 2011年,李永忠所在的醫(yī)院和托帕茲任職的醫(yī)院建立了緊密的聯(lián)系。2012年,受托帕茲的邀請(qǐng),李永忠和一位同事抵達(dá)以色列希勒雅法醫(yī)學(xué)中心,與當(dāng)?shù)氐尼t(yī)學(xué)專家一起學(xué)習(xí)研究。 在托帕茲的幫助下,德陽(yáng)市人民醫(yī)院燒傷整形外科的實(shí)力呈指數(shù)型增加:從最初的2名醫(yī)生不斷往上攀升,該科系現(xiàn)在有17名醫(yī)生和護(hù)士。 “過(guò)去幾年里,托帕茲教授來(lái)過(guò)德陽(yáng)好幾十次,教導(dǎo)、幫助我們的醫(yī)生,”李永忠說(shuō)道。 “他人很好,是中國(guó)人民的好朋友?!?/p> 問(wèn)答 1.你與中國(guó)的故事是什么? 這是個(gè)非常特別的經(jīng)歷,九年前我第一次來(lái)中國(guó)。在那之前,我只從別人的敘述中了解中國(guó),并沒(méi)有親身經(jīng)歷親眼看到過(guò)。中國(guó)發(fā)展得如此之快令人印象深刻。 2.是什么吸引你來(lái)到中國(guó)? 因?yàn)槲衣殬I(yè)的緣故,我可以在哪里做手術(shù),我就去哪里,我(為人們)做好事。這幫助我認(rèn)識(shí)很多人。我在中國(guó)很多地方都有朋友。在一場(chǎng)手術(shù)中遇見一名醫(yī)生,此后一生都會(huì)認(rèn)得他。 3.你的人生夢(mèng)想是什么? 我的睡眠時(shí)間不多,所以我沒(méi)有很多時(shí)間做夢(mèng)!我試著去做事,盡可能多做事。 4.你對(duì)“中國(guó)夢(mèng)”有什么看法?它如何與你的夢(mèng)想聯(lián)系起來(lái)? 我認(rèn)為中國(guó)夢(mèng)應(yīng)該是中國(guó)朝著更好的醫(yī)療、更好的教育以及更好的生活發(fā)展。中國(guó)是世界上最和平的國(guó)家之一。你們應(yīng)該繼續(xù)保持,這很重要。 5.中國(guó)實(shí)現(xiàn)中國(guó)夢(mèng)后,你會(huì)有什么想法?這對(duì)國(guó)際社會(huì)和中國(guó)人民來(lái)說(shuō)意味著什么? 中國(guó)非常強(qiáng)大,在國(guó)際舞臺(tái)上占據(jù)越來(lái)越重要的地位。你們舉辦了最出色的奧運(yùn)會(huì),在很多領(lǐng)域中國(guó)人的地位都在提高。 (譯者 darcy012123 編輯 Julie) 掃一掃,關(guān)注微博微信
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