Doctors at the Cardiovascular Centre under the Hanoi-based E General Hospital have applied 3D technology in successful cardiovascular endoscopic surgery for a patient suffering from atrial septal defect (ASD).

For the first time in Vietnam, 3D technology has been successfully applied in cardiovascular endoscopic surgery at E General Hospital in Hanoi. (Credit: VGP)

D.T.T, 68, a Nam Dinh native, had suffered from ASD with frequent chest pain and dyspnea. According to Prof. Dr. Le Ngoc Thanh, Director of E Hospital, the patient was diagnosed with ASD six months ago and was hospitalised with left chest pain, difficulty in breathing, fatigue and in very weak condition, weighing just 34kg.

As prescribed by the hospital’s doctors, T. needed to undergo surgery due to large holes in the interatrial septum that had negative consequences on the heart and lung. Furthermore, doctors also found that the patient had severe coronary thrombosis and they needed to intervene early.

In this case, if 3D technology wasn’t used, the patient would have been assigned an open surgery. This method would force doctors to cut the entire sternum and would be risky as the patient was elderly and light weight, while the body parts involved in the surgery would be difficult to recover in the postoperative period.

Therefore, doctors decided to apply 3D technology in this case. The patient's narrow coronary artery was re-established by means of placing stents through the skin, followed by complete laparoscopic surgery using 3D technology through small cavities in the chest in order to treat ASD.

The 3D technology makes cardiovascular endoscopic surgery to become extremely "real" as open surgery. (Credit: VGP)

Currently, one day after the surgery, the patient has recovered quickly and is expected to leave the hospital after 5-6 days. The only traces left are small scars from 1-1.5cm in the unseen parts of the body.

Doctor Thanh shared that this technique has been introduced to the world by E Hospital and has received high praise by international colleagues. The superiority of 3D technology enables physicians to perform cardiac surgery accurately, quickly and more effectively, reducing the complications for patients.

This is the first time 3D technology has been used in Vietnam for cardiac surgery combined with endoscopic ASD treatment through four small trocar holes in the chest.

3D technology makes the surgery become extremely "real" with clear surgical images of the heart, blood vessels or lung, helping the surgeons to proceed smoothly, while shortening surgery times and limiting the risks. In particular, the cost of surgery and treatment for 3D technology does not increase compared with the full normal laparoscopic surgery (without 3D technology support).

At present, 3D technology is also being applied to other disease treatment at the hospital, such as congenital heart defects, valve repair, cardiac valve replacement and removing tumors in the heart, providing a better quality of life for many patients.

Nhan Dan