Harbor Health helps a Russian patient overcome 26-year-long hemangioma problem

Back in 2000, Ms. A (pseudonym) from Russia first noticed an abnormality in the skin of her forearm. Initially, it was merely a localized skin morphology change without causing significant discomfort. However, over time, the abnormality not only gradually enlarged but also became accompanied by noticeable discomfort. For 26 years, Ms. A repeatedly sought treatment at several hospitals in Russia, receiving palliative care. However, due to atypical symptoms and limited local medical resources, the treatments were largely ineffective, and her condition recurred frequently.

Case Overview

Back in 2000, Ms. A (pseudonym) from Russia first noticed an abnormality in the skin of her forearm. Initially, it was merely a localized skin morphology change without causing significant discomfort. However, over time, the abnormality not only gradually enlarged but also became accompanied by noticeable discomfort. For 26 years, Ms. A repeatedly sought treatment at several hospitals in Russia, receiving palliative care. However, due to atypical symptoms and limited local medical resources, the treatments were largely ineffective, and her condition recurred frequently.

Cause & Challenge

It is understood that hemangiomas are common vascular tumors in clinical practice, but their exact cause is still unclear. Furthermore, the symptoms vary greatly depending on the subtype, and atypical symptoms are easily confused with other skin diseases, posing a significant challenge to diagnosis. This is the core reason why Ms. A was unable to obtain a diagnosis locally for a long time. By chance, Ms. A learned that Harbor Health could provide professional medical assistance services for international patients. Therefore, she proactively contacted Harbor Health, hoping to travel to Beijing, a city with leading medical standards, to seek a complete treatment plan. Upon receiving Ms. A's request for assistance, Harbor Health quickly assembled a dedicated service team. They thoroughly reviewed her medical history, symptoms, and past treatment records, accurately identifying her core concerns: atypical symptoms, unknown causes, and recurrent episodes. A personalized cross-border medical assistance plan was developed immediately. Harbor Health understands that the diagnosis and treatment of complex diseases requires multidisciplinary collaboration, especially for conditions like hemangiomas that require consideration of skin manifestations, vascular lesions, and reconstructive surgery. A single department cannot provide a comprehensive and accurate diagnosis. Therefore, Harbor Health precisely connected Ms. A with leading experts from the Department of Dermatology and Department of Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, as well as the Department of Vascular Surgery at Peking University People's Hospital, to conduct a comprehensive and systematic evaluation and diagnosis.

Why China

Harbor Health connected the patient with appropriate Chinese medical resources, coordinated expert review, hospital access, interpretation, and treatment planning based on the case needs.

Treatment & Benefits

Multidisciplinary diagnosis and surgical treatment after 26 years.

Full Story

It is understood that hemangiomas are common vascular tumors in clinical practice, but their exact cause is still unclear. Furthermore, the symptoms vary greatly depending on the subtype, and atypical symptoms are easily confused with other skin diseases, posing a significant challenge to diagnosis. This is the core reason why Ms. A was unable to obtain a diagnosis locally for a long time. By chance, Ms. A learned that Harbor Health could provide professional medical assistance services for international patients. Therefore, she proactively contacted Harbor Health, hoping to travel to Beijing, a city with leading medical standards, to seek a complete treatment plan.

Upon receiving Ms. A's request for assistance, Harbor Health quickly assembled a dedicated service team. They thoroughly reviewed her medical history, symptoms, and past treatment records, accurately identifying her core concerns: atypical symptoms, unknown causes, and recurrent episodes. A personalized cross-border medical assistance plan was developed immediately. Harbor Health understands that the diagnosis and treatment of complex diseases requires multidisciplinary collaboration, especially for conditions like hemangiomas that require consideration of skin manifestations, vascular lesions, and reconstructive surgery. A single department cannot provide a comprehensive and accurate diagnosis. Therefore, Harbor Health precisely connected Ms. A with leading experts from the Department of Dermatology and Department of Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, as well as the Department of Vascular Surgery at Peking University People's Hospital, to conduct a comprehensive and systematic evaluation and diagnosis.

During the consultation, the multidisciplinary expert team conducted an in-depth discussion of Ms. A's symptoms, medical history, and relevant examination results. Combining blood tests, imaging examinations, and other methods, they comprehensively analyzed her condition and ultimately diagnosed her with a hemangioma—a stubborn ailment that had plagued her for 26 years finally had a clear "identity," resolving her long-standing confusion. In response to Ms. A's condition, the expert team quickly developed a personalized surgical treatment plan, ensuring that while removing the lesion, the normal function and appearance of the forearm skin were preserved to the greatest extent possible, reducing the risk of postoperative complications.

Throughout the entire treatment process, Harbor Health played a crucial "bridging" role, demonstrating its professional assistance advantages: from the initial medical record organization and medical resource connection, to the mid-term coordination of medical appointments and translation communication, and then to the later preoperative preparation and postoperative care guidance, Harbor Health 's service team provided full support and attentive service, efficiently coordinated hospital resources, and quickly completed various procedures such as preoperative examinations and surgical appointments, ensuring that Ms. A received surgical treatment as quickly as possible, minimizing her waiting time, and helping her overcome many inconveniences such as language, geographical location, and procedures in the process of seeking medical treatment across borders, allowing her to feel warmth and reassurance in an unfamiliar environment.

The surgery went smoothly, and the results met expectations. Post-surgery, Harbor Health continued to provide follow-up services, assisting Ms. A with post-operative care and follow-up appointments. Currently, Ms. A is recovering well; the abnormal skin on her forearm has disappeared, and the accompanying discomfort has completely subsided.

Ms. A's successful treatment not only demonstrates the significant advantages of the multidisciplinary collaborative treatment model of China's top hospitals, but also highlights Harbor Health 's professional strength in the field of cross-border medical assistance. As a professional medical assistance organization, Harbor Health always puts patients first, leveraging its abundant medical resources, professional service team, and efficient coordination capabilities to build a bridge to high-quality medical resources for cross-border patients.