Doctors from the Surgery and Cardiovascular Interventions Ward of the Da Nang General Hospital and the Recovery Department of the city’s Maternity and Paediatrics Hospital recently saved the life of 15-day-old Gai Vien from Quang Nam Province’s Tien Phuoc District.  The baby girl was suffering from congenital heart disease.

At 2 pm on 12 September, the baby was transferred to the Recovery Department of the city’s Maternity and Paediatrics Hospital from the Quang Nam Province Children’s Hospital for further treatment.  She was in a critical condition with cyanosis and heart rate oscillation, and her oxygen saturation level was only between 38% and 40%.  With the help of an ultrasound scan, doctors detected that the baby had no pulmonary valve and a ventricular septal defect.  In particular, there was a small atrial septal defect, and her ductus arteriosus was likely to close.

The doctors operating on the baby girl

At 3pm, the baby was admitted to the Surgery and Cardiovascular Interventions Ward of the Da Nang General Hospital.  By then, her oxygen saturation level had fallen to only 20%, and she had to be given cardiac medications.   Doctors from the 2 hospitals together performed a cardiovascular intervention on her by performing a ductal dilatation and by stenting the ductus arteriosus.

After the hour-long operation, the patient was out of danger.  Her health is now recovering, and she is able to breathe and be breast-fed normally.