Many techniques not yet available in Vietnam for heart disease treatment have recently been introduced by two cardiology specialists from Parkway Health Group, Singapore. These include the use of drug-eluting stents in the treatment of carotid artery stenosis and minimally invasive heart surgery methods.
Currently, doctors have begun using drug-eluting stents (replacing the previously used bare-metal stents) to treat carotid artery stenosis. The advantage of this type of stent is that the drug coating helps prevent blood clot formation on the stent surface, reducing the rate of restenosis from 20-40% for bare-metal stents to just 5-10%. “This has been confirmed with clinical efficacy after 5 years of trials and follow-ups,” stated Dr. Lau Kean Wah, who works at Gleneagles Medical Centre in Singapore.
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| Placement of a stent for carotid artery stenosis treatment at Cho Ray Hospital (Photo: My Lan) |
Among the latest heart surgery techniques, there is a minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) method. The surgeon only needs to open the chest through a small incision to perform the bypass without the need to saw through the sternum (previously, surgeons had to make a large incision to saw through the sternum). “This technique has been applied in over 100 cases with a mortality rate of 0. The advantages of this method are shorter operation time and improved aesthetics for the patient,” shared Professor Eugene Sim, one of the specialists.
Additionally, the technique of performing coronary artery bypass grafting without the use of cardiopulmonary bypass has also been implemented. This method helps to avoid the risks associated with artificial heart-lung machines, reducing complications such as blood loss, kidney damage, and neurological dysfunction. “Currently, many places still utilize techniques that involve cardiopulmonary bypass, where the heart is stopped during the procedure, which carries several risks. With the new method, operating on a beating heart reduces the risk of stroke for patients,” stated Professor Eugene Sim, who was the first to perform this surgical technique in Asia.
Doctors are also developing stem cell grafting techniques to restore heart function in patients with heart failure. Globally, there are approximately 200-300 cases using muscle-derived stem cells and 700-800 cases using bone marrow-derived stem cells for grafting to restore heart function for patients.
These techniques are being performed at three hospitals in Singapore: Mount Elizabeth, Gleneagles, and East Shore.
My Lan
