Doctors from Children's Hospital 1 and Từ Dũ Hospital jointly performed the surgery. — VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — Vietnamese doctors have successfully conducted a complex fetal heart intervention on a 25-week-old fetus weighing less than 600 grams, in a case referred from Singapore, the Ministry of Health said on Friday.

The procedure, jointly performed by medical teams from Children's Hospital 1 and Từ Dũ Hospital in HCM City, marks the ninth successful fetal heart surgery in Việt Nam.

It was conducted on May 28 and involved a rare congenital defect identified by Singapore’s KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

According to the Vietnamese Ministry of Health, the Singaporean fetus was diagnosed with aortic valve atresia, a rare and life-threatening heart condition.

Singaporean doctors assessed that the fetus faced a high risk of intrauterine death and referred the patient to Việt Nam for intervention.

Following assessment at Children’s Hospital 1, doctors from both hospitals conducted remote consultations with specialists from Australia and France. The international team confirmed the diagnosis and agreed on the need for early intervention to save the fetus.

Fetal echocardiography conducted after the surgery confirmed the restoration of blood flow through the aortic valve.

Health Minister Đào Hồng Lan issued an official commendation on Friday, praising the medical teams for their high level of expertise, close coordination, and dedication.

"This is not only a medical-technical achievement but also a deeply humanitarian triumph," the Minister wrote, "as a fragile live on the brink was preserved through the dedication, intellect, and compassion of doctors who cared as tenderly as mothers."

The fetal heart intervention technique, which is still only performed successfully in a few highly developed countries, requires advanced knowledge, sophisticated skill, multidisciplinary cooperation, and the ability to make life-and-death decisions involving both mother and child.

Minister Lan also highlighted the broader significance of the achievement, saying it opens new directions for diagnosing and treating complex fetal conditions and strengthens Việt Nam’s integration into global medicine. — VNS