On the morning of March 28, 2025, Vietnam National Children’s Hospital held a closing ceremony to conclude the working visit of a delegation of experts from Children’s HeartLink (USA). The delegation’s visit, taking place from March 24 to 28, 2025, aimed to facilitate professional exchange, teaching, and the introduction of updated techniques in the treatment of pediatric cardiovascular diseases for doctors and nurses at the hospital’s Heart Center.
The Children’s HeartLink expert delegation included: Prof. Dr. Shunji Sano – Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Showa University Hospital; Prof. Dr. Mark Cocalis – Department of Pediatrics, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital; Prof. Dr. Sarah Tabbutt – Department of Pediatric Cardiology, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital; Prof. Dr. Hung Nguyen – Department of Anesthesiology, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital,
along with other specialists in the delegation.
Welcoming the delegation on behalf of Vietnam National Children’s Hospital were Dr. Cao Viet Tung – Vice Director of the Hospital, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ly Thinh Truong – Director of the Heart Center, as well as leaders of various departments and medical staff.
Children’s HeartLink is an international non-profit organization dedicated to improving care for children with congenital heart disease in underserved regions around the world. Since 2017, the organization has supported the hospital through professional exchanges, complex case consultations, training sessions, and the introduction of updated techniques in treatment, cardiac intervention, and post-operative care for children with congenital heart defects.
During this visit, Children’s HeartLink team provided training for doctors and nurses at the Heart Center on new techniques in cardiac intervention and post-operative care. Notably, staff received guidance on fluid management and strategies for vasopressor use in older children post-surgery, as well as the differences in resuscitation approaches between older and younger pediatric patients. This knowledge not only enhances professional capacity but also helps improve the quality of care for children with congenital heart diseases in Vietnam.
Speaking at the ceremony, Prof. Dr. Shunji Sano from Showa University Hospital expressed his pleasure at the remarkable achievements of the Heart Center and highly appreciated the capabilities of the hospital’s surgical and medical team in treating pediatric cardiac conditions. He affirmed his continued support for improving pediatric cardiac care in Vietnam.
Children’s HeartLink experts were impressed with the significant progress made by the hospital’s staff and proposed new approaches and case management strategies to further improve treatment outcomes.
On behalf of the hospital leadership and staff, Dr. Cao Viet Tung expressed sincere gratitude to Children’s HeartLink and expressed hope for a closer partnership in the future, opening more opportunities for training, research, and the application of advanced techniques in pediatric cardiology.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ly Thinh Truong also expressed his deep appreciation to the expert delegation and hoped that the cooperation would continue to bring new advances to improve the quality of pediatric cardiac care.
The collaboration between Vietnam National Children’s Hospital and Children’s HeartLink has yielded significant results in improving pediatric cardiac care in Vietnam. The Cardiovascular Center is now one of the leading facilities in the country for diagnosing, treating, and managing congenital heart diseases, performing over 1,000 open-heart surgeries, more than 500 closed-heart surgeries, and over 500 cardiac interventions annually. The mortality rate for open-heart and congenital heart surgeries is comparable to that of developed countries.
It is hoped that the partnership will continue to grow, not only in enhancing treatment methods but also in training the next generation of medical professionals, creating more opportunities to save children with complex cardiac conditions and contributing to the sustainable development of pediatric cardiac care in Vietnam.
