SUVA -- A Chinese medical team has made a significant breakthrough in Tonga by completing the country's first laparoscopic gynecological surgery at Vaiola Hospital in Nukualofa, effectively removing an ovarian tumor from a patient.

The 31-year-old patient, Salote, was diagnosed with a pelvic cystic mass during a free clinic conducted by the fifth batch of the Chinese medical team in Tonga, and required surgical intervention.

However, as a woman who has not yet given birth, and with limited access to advanced medical care locally, Salote was initially resistant to undergoing an open surgery.

After fully assessing the patient's condition, Chinese doctor Zhang Haifeng decided to perform a laparoscopic exploration on her, during which Zhang found that the mass was an ovarian tumor.

"Traditionally, similar surgeries would require travel to Australia or New Zealand, as local medical capabilities only support open surgeries. Although there is donated laparoscopic equipment in the surgical rooms here, local doctors are not trained in its use. Given the patient's situation, laparoscopic surgery was the most appropriate treatment option," Zhang explained.

Utilizing laparoscopic techniques, the Chinese doctor successfully removed the tumor in a procedure that lasted one hour.

Team leader Lu Qingyang told Xinhua that the follow-up of the patient showed that the treatment was effective.

The groundbreaking operation has garnered attention from Tonga's Minister of Health Ana Akauola, who praised the achievement and expressed hope that the Chinese medical team would share this technology with local doctors to reduce the pain of surgery for more female patients in the island country.

The fifth batch of medical personnel, comprising six members, was dispatched to Tonga in July 2024 by China's Shandong Provincial Health Commission.

Since their arrival, the medical team has treated over 3,000 patients in Tonga and provided high-quality medical services to local people through a number of free clinics.