Ho Chi Minh City doctors close large heart defect in Cambodian girl

The procedure improved her heart function and is expected to support healthier growth.

The hospital announced on Wednesday that it had managed to treat the patient, identified as E..

According to the girl's family, the condition was detected when she was very young in Cambodia.

Owing to the complexity of the case and limited treatment options in Cambodia, the family was advised to seek care abroad.

After researching treatment opportunities, the family decided to bring the child to Vietnam for further evaluation and specialized care.

Echocardiography revealed an atrial septal defect measuring approximately 16 millimeters.

The right chambers of her heart had become significantly enlarged due to prolonged volume overload caused by the defect.

The large opening between the atria had a substantial impact on both her cardiovascular function and physical development.

Following multidisciplinary consultations and careful assessment, doctors decided to close the defect using a catheter-based procedure in which a specialized occluder device is deployed through a blood vessel to seal the opening.

During the intervention, doctors carefully evaluated the shape of the defect, the surrounding atrial septal tissue, and selected an appropriately sized device.

Dr. Tran Cong Bao Phung from City Children’s Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City said the case was particularly challenging because the defect was very large relative to the child's body size.

With a 16-millimeter defect in a child weighing only 11 kilograms, the procedure posed significant technical challenges, from selecting the appropriate device to ensuring safety throughout the intervention, Phung said.

He added that the patient was a foreign national without health insurance coverage in Vietnam, making cost considerations and device selection more complicated.

Thanks to careful preparation and the experience of the medical team, the procedure was completed successfully.

Post-procedure examinations showed that the defect had been completely closed, the device was securely positioned, and no complications were detected.

The girl was discharged just two days later with significantly improved cardiac function.

The hospital previously reported another successful intervention involving a four-kilogram infant with large atrial and ventricular septal defects who had required prolonged mechanical ventilation.

After catheter-based closure of the defects, the child was able to be weaned off the ventilator and has since developed normally.

According to Dr. Phung, atrial septal defect is a relatively common congenital heart condition, but many children may not show obvious symptoms in the early stages.

Parents are advised to seek a cardiology evaluation if children exhibit signs such as poor weight gain, recurrent respiratory infections, reduced exercise tolerance, or an abnormal heart murmur.

Early diagnosis and treatment can help prevent long-term complications and support normal growth and development, he said.