Vietnamese hospital approved to treat heart defects before birth

Vietnam’s Ministry of Health has formally authorised Tu Du Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City to perform heart procedures on babies still in the womb, providing a treatment option for selected severe heart defects. The approval took effect on 12 October.

Working with Children’s Hospital 1, the hospital’s doctors have performed 17 procedures reported as successful since January 2024. Doctors use a needle, a fine guide wire and a tiny balloon to open a blocked heart valve and restore blood flow. Only a limited number of specialist centres worldwide perform this treatment.

The latest case, on 9 October, involved a fetus at 28 weeks with a closed valve and an underdeveloped right heart chamber, which pumps blood towards the lungs. The thick valve made treatment difficult, and a sudden heart complication required emergency care. After stabilising the heartbeat, doctors opened the valve and restored blood flow. The mother was stable afterwards, while the fetus remained under close monitoring.

The procedure is suitable only for selected heart defects. It requires close coordination between maternity and children’s heart specialists and carries immediate risks, including abnormal heart rhythms and heart injury. Doctors are continuing to assess its longer-term effectiveness by following pregnancies, births and babies’ development.