Google honors Vietnamese surgeon Ton That Tung

Vietnamese surgeon Ton That Tung is illustrated in a Google Doodle on May 10, 2022.

The Doodle, illustrated by Berlin-based artist Chau Luong, honored the 110th birthday of Dr. Tung.

Tung was born in Hue in central Vietnam in 1912, a time when the French colonial government forbade Vietnamese from pursuing advanced medical education.

He protested the policy and started an equal education movement. His efforts eventually forced the colonial government to allow Vietnamese students to take residency admissions exams in 1938.

In his four years of postgraduate school, Tung dissected more than 200 livers and became the first to conduct such meticulous research on the organ. His deep knowledge of liver anatomy helped him realize the traditional approach to liver surgery, a method that took three to six hours to complete, was unnecessarily risky and cumbersome.

Later, he founded a new surgery method that minimized bleeding by tightening the hepatic veins before the operation, shortening the operation down to only four to eight minutes. His groundbreaking technique, commonly known as the “Ton That Tung Method,” is known by surgeons globally for its ability to reduce blood loss and save countless lives.

Doctor Ton That Tung in 1962. Photo by the Heritage Center for Scientists and Scholars of Vietnam

The Doodle is available in Vietnam and Germany.

“Ton That Tung lived during an extremely conflict-ridden time. Despite the national struggles, he decided to stay in Vietnam. He was one of the leading forces in establishing the country’s healthcare system. I hope that my Doodle transports his commitment and pursuit to make life better for many generations of Vietnamese people to this day,” said artist Chau Luong.