A doctor at Thống Nhất Hospital in HCM City examines a patient who had endoscopic mitral valve surgery. source https://tuoitre.vn

HCM CITY— Doctors at Thống Nhất Hospital in HCM City have performed endoscopic mitral valve surgery on a 57-year-old man from the city’s Phú Nhuận District.

The endoscopic surgery, which was performed for the first time at the hospital, helps reduce pain and recovery time, doctors said at a press meeting on December 24 in the city.

Two days after surgery, the patient was able to walk, and will be discharged from the hospital soon.

The patient was hospitalised with heart failure. He had suffered from mitral regurgitation for five years, and his health condition was becoming worse.

Dr Đỗ Kim Quế, the deputy head of the hospital, said that Chợ Rẫy and Thống Nhất hospitals and the University Medical Centre are the only hospitals in HCM City that can perform endoscopic mitral valve surgery.    

According to the Maastricht University Medical Center in the Netherlands, “minimally invasive mitral valve surgery is becoming the new standard for mitral valve operations and has shown to be safe and effective, with less morbidity compared to conventional sternotomy, despite longer cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and cross-clamp time.”

Mitral valve surgery through a limited incision requires a different mind-set due to its high complexity and steep learning curve, especially in a fully endoscopic approach.

Thống Nhất Hospital doctors said that patients with mitral regurgitation suffer from heart failure and an enlarged liver. They have difficulties breathing when doing ordinary tasks. When their heart becomes too weak, surgery is needed to increase their survival rate. VNS