On the occasion of its 10th anniversary, the Heart Center of Vietnam National Children’s Hospital (VNCH) was honored to receive the prestigious “Center of Excellence” designation from Children’s HeartLink, an international non-profit organization based in the United States dedicated to improving care for children with congenital heart disease in regions where access to specialized cardiac services remains limited.
The celebration took place during the scientific conference “Updating Experience in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Complex Congenital Heart Disease,” co-organized by Vietnam National Children’s Hospital and the Vietnam Pediatric Association on 12–13 March 2026.
With this recognition, the Heart Center – Vietnam National Children’s Hospital becomes the third center in Southeast Asia and the sixth worldwide to receive the Center of Excellence designation from Children’s HeartLink.
This international title recognizes pediatric cardiac centers that demonstrate outstanding achievements in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of congenital heart disease in children. The award follows more than eight years of close collaboration between Vietnam National Children’s Hospital, Children’s HeartLink, and UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, San Francisco.
The conference attracted numerous cardiology experts from around the world, including specialists from the United States, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, India, and the United Arab Emirates, alongside professors, physicians, and scientists from hospitals and healthcare institutions across Vietnam.
In his opening remarks, Prof. Dr. Tran Minh Dien, Director of Vietnam National Children’s Hospital and President of the Vietnam Pediatric Association, noted that open-heart surgery for congenital heart disease has been performed at the hospital since 2004 with the support of international experts. By 2015, nearly 5,000 children with congenital heart disease had undergone surgery at the hospital.
In 2016, the hospital officially established the Heart Center, integrating several specialized units including pediatric cardiology, cardiac surgery, cardiac anesthesia and resuscitation, and postoperative intensive care. The aim was to develop pediatric cardiology into a highly specialized field and to enhance both the scale and quality of cardiac care.
Prof. Tran Minh Dien also expressed his sincere appreciation to Professor Shunji Sano, experts from UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, and Children’s HeartLink for their long-standing support and partnership with Vietnam National Children’s Hospital.
After a decade of development, the Heart Center has achieved significant milestones. The total number of open-heart surgeries has exceeded 10,000 cases, double the number recorded prior to the Center’s establishment. In addition, the Center has performed more than 5,000 closed-heart surgeries, over 7,000 cardiac interventional procedures, and more than 2,000 interventional procedures for cardiac arrhythmia treatment in pediatric patients.
The Center also maintains a high volume of diagnostic and outpatient services, conducting approximately 50,000–55,000 echocardiographic examinations and more than 30,000 cardiology outpatient consultations each year.
Notably, the Heart Center is currently one of the leading pediatric cardiac centers in Southeast Asia, particularly in neonatal cardiac surgery and the management of complex congenital heart disease. Many cardiac conditions requiring surgical intervention during the neonatal period have now become routine procedures at the hospital, with around 300 neonatal surgeries performed annually.
In terms of treatment outcomes, the post-operative mortality rate for open-heart surgery is maintained at 1.8–2.5%, comparable to outcomes reported by many leading cardiac centers in developed countries. For neonatal cardiac surgery, the mortality rate in 2025 was 6.5%, a positive outcome given the existing constraints in healthcare resources.
According to Prof. Tran Minh Dien, these achievements reflect the dedication and continuous efforts of the hospital’s healthcare workforce, together with the valuable support from international partners.
During the ceremony, Ms. Jackie Boucher, President of Children’s HeartLink, shared remarks about the collaboration and congratulated the Heart Center on this important milestone.
Prof. Dr. Shunji Sano, representing the Children’s HeartLink expert delegation, also addressed the conference and expressed his delight at the remarkable progress achieved by the physicians and staff of the Heart Center at Vietnam National Children’s Hospital.
Prof. Hung Gia Nguyen, Deputy Director of the Pediatric Cardiac Anesthesia Center at UCSF, also delivered remarks during the program.
