Doctors at Huế General Hospital conduct the hybrid cardiac surgery for the eight-month-old baby, who suffers from complex congenital heart disease. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Two children suffering from complex congenital heart diseases have been successfully treated with a hybrid cardiac surgery, which was performed in Việt Nam for the first time, doctors have said.

The hybrid surgery involves interventional cardiologists and cardiac surgeons working together to make interventions safer and less traumatic for the patient.

The patient L.K.T, an eight-month-old baby from central Thừa Thiên-Huế Province, was taken to Huế General Hospital and was diagnosed with ventricular septal defect – an abnormal opening in the heart – with a size of about 11mm.

The patient was also suffering from increasing pulmonary artery pressure, malnutrition and lung infection.

Dr Nguyễn Lân Hiếu, director of Hà Nội Medical University, said the baby had been treated for underlying diseases and its health had improved. However, the excessive blood flowing through the ventricles caused heart failure and put the baby at risk of lung damage and Eisenmenger syndrome – a rare condition that affects both the heart and the lungs.

An ultrasound showed the patient had a very special and complex congenital heart defect location.

Due to the big size of the opening in the heart, it was unfeasible to perform a surgical intervention by parachute valve type. In addition, the location of the opening was very close to the apex of the heart, which caused difficulties for the doctor to access and stitch it.

The hospital conducted a meeting with medical experts and decided to choose the hybrid approach to the surgery.

On August 15, the patient was taken to the surgery room. The cardiopulmonary cardiologists conducted chest opening to expose the patient’s heart. Then, cardiologists inserted the parachute closure device through the heart wall, which was revealed under the guidance of echocardiography and DSA enhancement.

During surgery, the child was anesthetised and supported by the special cardiac resuscitation device. The surgery was successful after two hours.

Previously, on August 14, a three-year-old patient from central Quảng Bình Province was treated with the same intervention.

The baby was hospitalised with purple lips, high fever, headache and vomiting.

The computed tomography (CT) brain scan result showed the baby had suffered a brain abscess, while the CT chest scan detected a large opening from the pulmonary artery into the left atrium.

Surgery was conducted to cure the patient’s brain abscess. A month later, the doctors chose the hybrid cardiac surgery to fix the congenital heart defect.

The 10mm-wide opening in the heart of the patient was successfully healed with the parachute closure device.

Hiếu said the hybrid surgery was performed for the first time in Việt Nam and it was very rarely done in the world due to the complexity of this technique.

Currently, the two patients are in a stable condition and being closely monitored at the hospital. — VNS