Deploying heart surgery in Dong Nai: Bringing many benefits to patients

A heart surgery performed at Thong Nhat General Hospital. Photo: Linh Bui

Dong Nai is one of the few localities in the country with two provincial general hospitals, Dong Nai General Hospital and Thong Nhat General Hospital, that have successfully implemented heart surgery techniques. Since the first case in 2016, the two hospitals have performed more than 250 heart surgeries, bringing life chances to patients and many other benefits.

Trust the provincial hospital

While being treated for tooth extraction and waiting for his health to stabilize for heart surgery at the Thoracic Surgery Department of Thong Nhat General Hospital, Mr. TVV (67 years old, living in Phu Lam commune) said that a few months ago, he often felt tired, pale skin, sweated a lot, and had difficulty breathing. His family took him to a higher-level hospital in Ho Chi Minh City for examination. After examination, the doctor diagnosed him with aortic valve regurgitation and mitral valve regurgitation, requiring surgery to replace the heart valve. However, because the higher-level hospital was too crowded with patients, Mr. V. had to wait a long time, so the doctor advised him to go to Thong Nhat General Hospital for heart surgery.

Deputy Director of the Department of Health Nguyen Van Binh emphasized that the successful heart surgery performed by two provincial hospitals in Dong Nai not only helps to raise the level of Dong Nai's healthcare sector, but also brings many benefits to patients, especially poor patients in remote areas.

“When I arrived at Thong Nhat General Hospital, I felt healthy, without having to wait, jostle, or walk around with difficulty. At the upper level hospital, there were too many patients, waiting to be examined and tested was very long and tiring, many people had no place to sit and wandered around. I was sick so after walking a short distance, I had to stand and catch my breath because I couldn’t stand it anymore,” said Mr. V.

In the heart surgery waiting room, Mr. V. was arranged to lie alone in a bed, with electricity and a fan. The room was spacious, airy, and not too crowded with patients, making him feel more comfortable.

Mr. V. said that the three previous visits to a higher-level hospital cost him several million VND each time in hospital fees. He had to rent a car to travel there. If the results were not available on the same day, he had to rent a room to get the results the next day. In particular, the higher-level doctor informed him that if Mr. V. had heart surgery at the hospital, the cost, including health insurance, would be about 150 million VND. Meanwhile, at Thong Nhat General Hospital, the cost of heart surgery, excluding health insurance, was only about 120 million VND.

“The diagnosis of the doctors in Dong Nai and the upper level hospital was the same, while the treatment cost was much lower, and the nurses took good care of me. If I had known that, I would have been examined and treated in Dong Nai from the beginning. I have great confidence in the team of doctors and hope the surgery will be successful,” Mr. V. confided.

Do what's best for the patient

Specialist Doctor I Bui Van Linh, Acting Head of the Department of Thoracic Surgery at Thong Nhat General Hospital, shared that from 2016 to now, with the support of experts from Cho Ray Hospital (Ho Chi Minh City), the hospital has successfully performed 60 heart surgeries. The main techniques include: aortic valve replacement, mitral valve replacement, mitral valve repair, tricuspid valve repair, atrial septal defect patching, ventricular septal defect patching, atrial myxoma...

Thong Nhat General Hospital nurses take care of patients waiting for heart surgery at the hospital.

Recently, female patient PTT (66 years old, residing in Xuan Lap ward) with severe aortic valve stenosis and severe mitral valve regurgitation was successfully operated on by doctors at Thong Nhat General Hospital and Cho Ray Hospital.

Ms. T. said that recently she felt tired, had difficulty breathing, and had chest tightness when exerting herself. She went to Cho Ray Hospital for a check-up and was diagnosed with severe aortic valve stenosis and mitral valve regurgitation. Doctors there advised Ms. T. to return to Thong Nhat General Hospital for heart surgery.

According to specialist doctor Bui Van Linh, for serious and complicated cases, the hospital will invite experts from Cho Ray Hospital to assist in performing the surgery. The same was true for Ms. T. Thanks to that, the surgery went smoothly and the patient recovered well.

Tran Ngoc, head nurse of the Thoracic Surgery Department of Thong Nhat General Hospital, said that most patients undergoing heart surgery have difficult family circumstances. In Ms. T's case, the total cost was more than 250 million VND, of which the Health Insurance Fund paid more than 140 million VND, the patient only had to pay more than 100 million VND. For patients with especially difficult circumstances and permanent residence in Dong Nai, the department will contact the hospital's Social Work Department to take steps to call for and support hospital fees... Thanks to that, many patients have the opportunity to have surgery, prolong their life, and improve their health.

At Dong Nai General Hospital, according to specialist doctor II Ngo Duc Tuan, hospital director, from 2021 to now, the hospital has performed 191 heart surgeries, including 25 endoscopic heart surgeries. If heart surgery is difficult, endoscopic heart surgery is much more difficult. To meet the increasing demand for cardiovascular health care of people in and outside the province, the hospital is striving to establish a Cardiovascular Center on the basis of 3 existing departments: Internal Cardiology, Cardiovascular Intervention and Thoracic Surgery - Cardiology. The hospital is continuing to deploy the Arrhythmia Treatment Unit and the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit, aiming to complete the basic framework of the Cardiovascular Center by the end of 2025 or early 2026.

Hanh Dung

Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/dong-nai-cuoi-tuan/202507/trien-khai-phau-thuat-tim-tai-dong-nai-mang-lai-nhieu-thuan-loi-cho-benh-nhan-5a135c5/