8-month-old boy miraculously revived thanks to ECMO artificial heart

(Dan Tri) - With nearly 20 years of experience in pediatric resuscitation, for Dr. Chu Thanh Son - Head of Pediatrics - Neonatology Department, Vinmec Smart City Hospital (Hanoi), each breath saved is to preserve hope for the whole family.

The story of the 8-month-old boy who miraculously recovered thanks to an ECMO artificial heart is one such example.

Decisions made in seconds.

An 8-month-old boy was admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Vinmec Smart City Hospital in a cyanotic state, with severe respiratory and circulatory failure. Despite being intubated and given vasopressors, his blood pressure continued to drop rapidly.

Bedside ultrasound revealed that the infant had severe pulmonary hypertension. Of concern was the absence of any complex congenital heart defects that could explain this condition.

As each passing minute brought the child's heartbeat closer to the brink of death, Dr. Chu Thanh Son decided to choose ECMO - extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. This is the last resort, when the child's heart and lungs are no longer able to function on their own.

The subsequent surgery was more successful than expected. Two weeks later, the child was weaned off ECMO and was able to breathe on their own.

Dr. Chu Thanh Son - The man behind the surgery to revive an 8-month-old boy (Photo: Vinmec).

Her previous condition was diagnosed as pulmonary venous stenosis - a rare congenital defect, and it was Dr. Son's decision to activate ECMO in those brief minutes that saved her life .

"If we had been any slower, just a few minutes, the baby's heart and lungs could have stopped functioning. In the emergency room, sometimes we have to make decisions within a few dozen seconds," Dr. Son shared.

The daily work of Dr. Chu Thanh Son and his colleagues in the Pediatrics and Neonatology Department is a continuous series of observations, assessments, and actions. Each shift is likened to a journey of "reading" the language of a child's body.

"Children are not miniature adults. We have to observe every minute detail – their eyes, how they breathe, their cries, their reactions to touch – and then combine this with the parents' medical history to paint a complete picture of their condition. It's a process that requires sensitivity, perseverance, and love," Dr. Son shared.

Doctor Chu Thanh Son examines a child patient (Photo: Vinmec).

According to Dr. Son, pediatric emergency care is a race against time. Children can become critically ill in just a few minutes because their physiological reserves are lower than adults, and their respiratory and circulatory responses occur very quickly. Therefore, in each emergency case, doctors must both diagnose and act simultaneously. Even a small mistake or delay can cost a life. Conversely, with early and correct intervention, children can recover miraculously quickly.

"That's the greatest reward for a pediatric resuscitation specialist," said Dr. Son.

Pioneering the introduction of modern resuscitation techniques into Vietnamese pediatrics.

After graduating from Hanoi Medical University and defending his doctoral thesis at Kanazawa University (Japan), Dr. Chu Thanh Son quickly became known as one of the leading experts in applying advanced resuscitation techniques for young children.

In 2011, when a hand, foot, and mouth disease outbreak occurred, many children suffered from respiratory failure and cardiogenic shock and did not survive. He and his colleagues pioneered the testing of continuous blood filtration techniques – previously only applied to adults – for severely ill pediatric patients. The results far exceeded expectations, with many children recovering within 48-72 hours.

"We felt like we were witnessing a miracle of science ," he said.

At Vinmec Smart City, Dr. Son and his team continue to apply ECMO, POCUS (bedside ultrasound), and continuous renal replacement therapy for young children – enabling rapid intervention and minimizing risks. According to him, what makes the difference is not just the equipment, but the never-give-up spirit and the seamless coordination between doctors, nurses, and technicians.

After successfully treating thousands of critically ill patients, Dr. Chu Thanh Son realized that many regrets stemmed from the parents' delays in treatment.

"High fever, cough, rapid breathing, and refusal to feed in children are dangerous signs, but many parents still wait another night or give their children folk remedies until their child turns blue before taking them to the hospital. Just a few hours earlier could have a different outcome," Dr. Son shared.

After nearly 20 years dedicated to the medical profession, for Dr. Chu Thanh Son, the greatest happiness doesn't come from the titles he receives, but from everyday moments: a baby who was once on the verge of death now playing happily; parents returning to embrace the doctor with tears of joy; or the first cry of a child after long days of silence in the intensive care unit.

"That cry is a signal that all efforts and interventions have yielded results. It's also a reminder that our work—though silent—is truly saving the most fragile lives," Dr. Son shared.

Amidst the urgent sounds of the emergency room, Dr. Chu Thanh Son and his colleagues at Vinmec Smart City continue to race against time every day to save the lives of young children teetering on the brink of death.

He hopes that the Vietnamese medical sector will have more neonatal intensive care units meeting international standards, that the gap between different levels of treatment will be narrowed, and that the quality of the workforce will be improved. From there, every child born will have the opportunity to receive comprehensive care and grow up healthy.

To schedule a consultation or examination with Dr. Chu Thanh Son, please contact Vinmec via the website here or download the MyVinmec app.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/suc-khoe/be-trai-8-thang-tuoi-hoi-sinh-than-ky-nho-trai-tim-nhan-tao-ecmo-20251027115359414.htm