06:12, 11/12/2020

Advanced procedures for congenital heart defects readily available for children

Khanh Hoa General Hospital has independently and successfully treated several cases of congenital heart defects, making advanced procedures more readily available and convenient for children in the province...

Khanh Hoa General Hospital has independently and successfully treated several cases of congenital heart defects, making advanced procedures more readily available and convenient for children in the province for over 10 years receiving intervention techniques from the Children’s Hospital 1, Ho Chi Minh City.
 
Many child patients cured 
 
Khanh Hoa General Hospital in cooperation with the Children’s Hospital 1, Ho Chi Minh City has just successfully treated 13 cases of severe congenital heart defects. Among them is 1-month-old Nguyen Duc P suffering from severe inborn heart defects and failure in Ninh Hoa Town. After 1 month hospitalized and monitored at the Pediatrics Department, Khanh Hoa General Hospital, the baby was successfully treated by percutaneous intervention method at Khanh Hoa General Hospital in late November thanks to the professional support of the Children’s Hospital 1.
 
 

 

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Heart screening at  Khanh Hoa General Hospital.
 
 
 
7-year-old Tran Thuy H, Nha Trang city has a congenital disease with patent ductus arteriosus and Ventricular septal defect . The child used to have breathing difficulty, rapid breathing, recurring pneumonia and suffer from fatigue and severe malnutrition. However, the family cannot afford the surgery. The child was hospitalized into Khanh Hoa General Hospital in late November due to breathing difficulty. The percutaneous intervention method was used. After the treatment, the child felt better with no longer breathing difficulty and has been discharged from the hospital.
 
Her mom Nguyen Thi Hong was touched, saying, “My child got a congenital heart defects. I thought I had to take her a long way to Ho Chi Minh City for treatment. Fortunately, such procedures have been conducted by Khanh Hoa General Hospital for many years. Knowing our financial hardship, the doctors have called sponsors to donate more than VND50 million dong to fund the child’s treatment. She now has a healthy heart thanks to the doctors here.”
 
Successful application of advanced techniques
 
Since 2011, under the Ministry of Health’s scheme 1816 on technical transfer to lower level of care, Khanh Hoa General Hospital has received many percutaneous intervention techniques for congenital heart defects from the Children’s Hospital 1. Percutaneous interventions are believed to have obvious advantages over cardiac surgery and avoid open surgeries. Children may be discharged 2 days after the intervention.
 
In order to be able to master the advantaged techniques, initially, physicians of Khanh Hoa General Hospital have to travel to Ho Chi Minh City to learn the techniques; and Children’s Hospital 1 sends staff to Khanh Hoa General Hospital every month to transfer the techniques through hands-on approach and provide support for the treatment of severe cases.
 
Master, Dr. Do Thanh Toan, Deputy Head of Pediatrics Ward, Provincial General Hospital says, “After 3 or 4 years of the transfer, we are able to independently and  successfully apply the techniques in the treatment of common congenital heart diseases in children. Currently, we have treated 60% of severe cases; the remaining 40% are conducted under coordination with the Children's Hospital 1. Over 10 years of transfer, 2 hospitals have coordinated in treatment for more than 700 cases of children, including many from Phu Yen, Binh Dinh, Dak Lak, Dak Nong and Ninh Thuan. The success rate has reached 100% with no complications.
 
After Khanh Hoa General Hospital has independently implemented intervention techniques to treat congenital heart disease for children weighing more than 10kg, in 2020, the Children's Hospital 1 has transferred such technology applied for children weighing less than 10kg. The Provincial General Hospital has become the first hospital in the Central region and the Central Highland to implement the technique. The Children's Hospital 1 plans to continue transferring intervention techniques for the treatment of congenital heart defects in infants under 1 month of age or still a fetus in the coming years.
 
“Khanh Hoa General Hospital is well-equipped with competent doctors, we will transfer more procedures, namely aortic coarctation; transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), stent implantation of the arterial duct, Rashkind procedure in complicated congenital heart diseases; transposition of great arteries, etc. These are difficult and intensive techniques,” said PhD., Dr. Do Nguyen Tin, Cardiology Department, the Children's Hospital 1.
 
 
C.Dan
Translated by N.T