Reviving the hearts of children

Over the past nearly 15 years, more than 800 children with congenital heart disease have received successful interventions at Khanh Hoa General Hospital. This result stems from the collaboration and transfer of specialized techniques between the hospital and leading cardiovascular experts from Ho Chi Minh City.

Successful interventions in many difficult cases.

Last weekend, with the professional support of a team of congenital heart disease experts from Ho Chi Minh City, the medical team of Khanh Hoa General Hospital successfully treated nine children with congenital heart defects including patent ductus arteriosus, ventricular septal defect, pulmonary artery stenosis, atrial septal defect, and several other complex congenital heart defects. These were all difficult cases, requiring specialized techniques and close coordination during the treatment process.

Dr. Do Nguyen Tin performs an ultrasound on a child before intervention for congenital heart disease.

One particularly noteworthy case is that of Mr. Phan Van Quang's family (Ninh Hoa ward). It is known that Mr. Quang suffered from congenital heart disease since childhood and underwent successful intervention. When he got married, his two children also developed the condition. Mr. Quang said: “Both of my children have congenital heart defects, including the patent ductus arteriosus, which were only discovered about four months ago. This time, my two children are on the list of those receiving intervention, with doctors from Ho Chi Minh City providing support for their treatment, which gives my family great peace of mind.”

Ms. To Thi Yen Vang (Cam Lam commune) brought her child for heart intervention after a long wait for the child to meet the health requirements. For her family, receiving treatment locally, with the support of leading experts from Ho Chi Minh City, is a great source of peace of mind. She shared: “When the disease was discovered, my child was too young and not healthy enough for intervention. Now, the child is eligible for intervention this time. I did some research and feel very reassured about having my child receive treatment right here in the province.”

Mastering advanced techniques

Implementing the Ministry of Health 's Project 1816/2008 on "Sending specialized staff on rotation from higher-level hospitals to support lower-level hospitals to improve the quality of medical examination and treatment," in 2011, Children's Hospital 1 (Ho Chi Minh City) signed an agreement to transfer the technique of treating congenital heart disease to Khanh Hoa General Hospital. This is an advanced, specialized method for treating congenital heart defects without open surgery. This method leaves no scars, has very few complications, and children can be discharged after 2 days of intervention. Following the signing, a team of doctors from Khanh Hoa General Hospital went to Ho Chi Minh City to directly learn the technique of congenital heart intervention from Children's Hospital 1. Simultaneously, Children's Hospital 1 sends a team monthly to transfer the technique through hands-on training, combined with support in treating difficult and severe cases. After four years of receiving the referral, Khanh Hoa General Hospital has independently performed interventional procedures to treat congenital heart defects in children weighing over 10kg and over one year old. In 2020, the hospital successfully intervened in children weighing under 10kg, under one year old, and even one month old. Many difficult techniques previously performed at the central level are now regularly implemented in the province.

Over nearly 15 years, the program has successfully intervened in more than 800 cases, including many children from Gia Lai and Dak Lak provinces. Along with treatment, the program also organizes regular screening for congenital heart disease at the hospital and in the community, mountainous areas, and disadvantaged regions for more than 10,000 children. Dr. Do Thanh Toan - Deputy Head of the Pediatrics Department, Khanh Hoa General Hospital shared: “With the support of experts from higher-level hospitals, the hospital has gradually approached and mastered many difficult techniques. Currently, we can intervene in infants weighing 2kg or more, newborns, and manage complex and emergency cases of congenital heart disease. We also maintain regular screenings to detect and intervene promptly for children.” Dr. Do Nguyen Tin - Head of the Cardiovascular Intervention Unit, Children's Hospital 1, President of the Ho Chi Minh City Cardiovascular and Congenital Heart Disease Association. Ho Chi Minh, who directly transferred the congenital heart intervention technique to Khanh Hoa General Hospital, stated: “To date, the medical team at Khanh Hoa General Hospital has independently performed approximately 80% of the transferred techniques. In the future, we will transfer more complex techniques, especially interventions for newborns and premature babies weighing less than 1kg. The goal is to help the doctors here master the techniques, confidently handle complex cases locally, and eventually receive and treat pediatric patients from other localities.”

The program for transferring congenital heart intervention techniques in Khanh Hoa has opened up opportunities for healthy lives for hundreds of children. The program is not only a professional achievement but also demonstrates the effectiveness of a sustainable healthcare cooperation model, bringing advanced techniques closer to the people at the provincial level.

C.DAN

Source: https://baokhanhhoa.vn/xa-hoi/202601/hoi-sinh-nhung-trai-tim-tre-tho-a3362f5/