Dr McKay McKinnon, who is known worldwide for successfully treating similar tumor cases, visited and examined Hai at the hospital on Nguyen Luong Bang Street in District 7 shortly after he and his wife landed at Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat Airport on January 3.

The American doctor said, that Hai is now in better health and no longer suffers lung problems, so his condition could satisfy all requirements for the coming surgery.

According to Hai, Dr Mc Kinnon said he will be sent to the operating room on the morning of January 5, and his surgery will last from 10 to 12 hours.

However, the doctor acknowledged that the success rate of this operation is about 50 percent.

“It’s common for people to fear death, and I’m no exception. But when I heard that Dr McKinnon had decided to come back to Vietnam one more time to give me a new life, I became more hopeful,” Hai said.

Hai was transferred to FV on December 27 from HCMC’s Tumor Hospital, which failed to meet the conditions for his surgery.

Originally the surgery was planned to take place on November 18, with a Vietnamese – American surgeon team led by Dr McKinnon performing the operation. However, it was canceled due to Hai’s worsening health condition, a report from the HCMC Tumor Hospital said.

Hai said he has had regular health checks and is now in very good health.

“After the operation, if you hear ringing from my phone, it means that I’m still alive,” he joked.

For his part, the American surgeon said in an earlier interview with Tuoi Tre that Hai’s operability is high, but added that there is little time for him because his condition will worsen fast as the tumor keeps growing, and will seriously damage his heart and circulation, among other body functions.

Having successfully treated many giant tumors in his 30-year career, particularly one of a similar size to Hai’s on an American woman in Michigan in 1999, Dr McKinnon said he is positive about the chances for successful surgery, putting them at 50 percent or more.

“The patient was a little bit older and in worse shape than Mr. Hai. She had a massive operation done, even when we knew her heart was not functioning and her lungs were either compromised or failing.”

“She survived that surgery after 50 units of blood transfusion. She was in the hospital for about 6 weeks, and required physical therapy for about a year.

“And the woman is now leading a normal life, I am happy to say.”