The Vietnam Records Organisation (VietKings) has awarded a national record to the case, recognising the largest total amount of excess skin removed from one patient through cosmetic and body-contouring surgery after weight loss. The certification ceremony in HCM City was witnessed by a representative of the Ministry of Health.
The patient, Vo Tan Nhan, born in 1996 and living in HCM City, reduced his weight from 264kg to about 95kg over more than 14 months.
However, he was left with severe excess skin across his body, which significantly affected his mobility and quality of life. Across three operations in 2025 and 2026, surgeons removed a total of 17.1kg of excess skin.
Vo Tan Nhan before undergoing his first excess skin removal operation (Photo: Hospital).
Dr Vo Tien Huy said he and three other surgeons, together with the anaesthesia and resuscitation team, had developed a carefully planned, multi-stage surgical programme for the patient.
The first operation took place on August 12, 2025. Nhan underwent liposuction on his upper arms, neck-lift surgery and the removal of 3kg of loose skin.
Two months later, on October 8, 2025, he underwent surgery to remove enlarged male breasts, nipple reconstruction using a composite graft and back liposuction. Surgeons removed a single piece of skin measuring 180cm long and weighing 6kg.
On September 25 this year, Nhan successfully underwent a major full abdominoplasty, involving the detachment and repositioning of his navel. Surgeons removed a single piece of excess skin measuring 125cm long and weighing 8.1kg.
After the third operation, more than 17 kilogrammes of excess skin had been removed from Vo Tan Nhan in total (Photo: Hoang Le).
In addition to safely removing 17.1kg of excess skin in three major operations, the medical team reshaped his body to create more balanced proportions.
Huy described the case as complex and rare. Nhan had previously approached several facilities, but all had declined to operate because of the large amount of excess skin and the high risks involved.
“When a patient loses a very large amount of weight, the structure of the skin and tissues, as well as the anatomy, changes completely.
“Our medical team had to conduct meticulous research and consult the specialist council in detail to develop a treatment plan combining multiple techniques. These included 3D simulation technology used in maxillofacial surgery to improve the precision of planning, with the aim of ensuring patient safety and the best possible aesthetic outcome,” Huy said.
The patient was placed on a tightly structured, multi-stage excess skin removal plan to ensure safety (Photo: Hospital).
Reflecting on the challenging treatment journey, Nhan said he had once believed that successfully losing weight meant he had won the battle. But the extensive loose skin left on several parts of his body made him realise that his happiness was incomplete.
At times, he felt self-conscious and hopeless after repeatedly searching for a facility willing to treat the excess skin without success.
“I needed surgery on all the areas where excess skin remained after losing weight: first my arms, then my chest, and finally my abdomen. More than a year ago, I never dared to believe that one day my body would look as compact and complete as it does now.
“I thank the hospital and the doctors for not giving up on me and for giving me a second chance at life, so I can move forward with confidence. I also want to remind everyone to pay attention to weight management early, because there are now many ways to lose weight.
“Don’t let yourself end up like me. Excess weight can have a major impact on your health and your life,” he said.
Nhan is expected to undergo another operation to remove excess skin from his thighs and other remaining areas in about a year, once his physical condition has recovered sufficiently.