Vietnamese Doctors Successfully Perform High-Risk In-Utero Heart Surgery

Picture courtesy of VN Express

In a significant cross-border medical achievement, Vietnamese doctors performed a complex in-utero heart surgery on a 22-week-old fetus, saving the baby of a Singaporean woman following over a decade of infertility. This advanced procedure took place at Ho Chi Minh City's Tu Du Hospital and Children's Hospital 1, as the treatment was not available in Singapore.

The case marks Vietnam's ninth fetal cardiac intervention, considered the most technically demanding so far due to the fetus's early gestational stage, weighing just 600 grams, and diagnosed with a severe condition called aortic atresia. The 41-year-old mother, expecting her first child in September 2025 after successful IVF, faced the possibility of stillbirth due to the fetus's congenital heart defect.

Upon referral from KK Women's and Children's Hospital of Singapore, the fetus underwent a detailed cardiac evaluation in Vietnam, confirming the severity of the condition. In a collaborative effort, medical teams from both Vietnamese hospitals, in consultation with international experts from Australia and France, concurred on the urgent need for surgery.

The referral from a leading Singaporean hospital to Ho Chi Minh City underscores the trust in Vietnamese medical expertise and highlights Vietnam's growing reputation in advanced fetal medicine within ASEAN. Tang Chi Thuong, director of HCMC Health Department, emphasized that this milestone showcases HCM City's ambition to establish itself as a premier specialized medical hub in Southeast Asia.

This groundbreaking procedure not only highlights the sophisticated capabilities of Vietnamese healthcare but also reinforces the collaborative potential across Southeast Asian nations in providing specialized medical care.

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from VN Express 2025-05-30