HCMC medical teams perform 17th successful fetal cardiac catheterization

Medical teams from Tu Du Hospital and Children's Hospital 1 in Ho Chi Minh City have successfully completed their 17th fetal cardiac catheterization. This latest procedure addressed a case involving a fetus with no pulmonary valve, a closed interventricular septum, severe tricuspid regurgitation, and moderate right ventricular hypoplasia.

The case was notable for being the earliest detection of cardiac abnormalities among the 17 procedures performed by the two hospitals. After detecting the issues at 16 weeks and 6 days of gestation, specialists monitored the pregnancy and consulted with Professor Gerald Tulzer, former director of the Linz Children's Heart Center in Austria, to determine the optimal intervention window.

On October 9, at approximately 28 weeks of gestation, the team performed the procedure to dilate the pulmonary valve. Despite technical challenges caused by excessively thick and rigid valve leaflets that initially prevented the passage of specialized guidewires, the medical team successfully adjusted their approach to complete the intervention.