Two patients in Vietnam were treated for coronary artery blockage using IVL technology.

'It's a success, guys!' - a joyful shout echoed in the Cathlab room at FV Hospital, when Dr. Ho Minh Tuan and the cardiovascular team witnessed the stent fully open, clearing the blocked blood flow, helping the patient's heart to beat normally again.

Dr. Ho Minh Tuan and colleagues check the patient's health - PHOTO: FV

This is one of two minimally invasive interventions using IVL (Intravascular Lithotripsy) technology in Vietnam, marking a new step forward in interventional cardiovascular procedures: patients with severe coronary artery obstruction due to calcification who previously required open surgery can now be completely treated using minimally invasive methods.

Rotapro diamond drill combined with ultrasonic shock waves (IVL) breaks up "stubborn" calcium plaque

Mrs. HTC (89 years old, Dong Nai ) was admitted to the emergency room with difficulty breathing and chest pain. The X-ray showed that the right coronary artery was blocked, causing an acute myocardial infarction, and the left coronary artery was narrowed by 90% due to severe calcification. "This left artery is responsible for supplying up to 70% of the blood to the heart, so the patient's risk of sudden death is very high," said Dr. Ho Minh Tuan, Head of the Department of Cardiology and Interventional Cardiology at FV Hospital.

The large and thick calcium mass stuck tightly in the lumen of the blood vessel made the conventional balloon stenting method impossible. In the Cathlab, Dr. Ho Minh Tuan calmly deployed a "dual strategy": first, the Rotapro diamond drill was inserted, carefully breaking the rock-hard calcium layer on the surface. The lumen of the blood vessel was gradually exposed, and IVL (Intravascular Lithotripsy) technology continued to attack with powerful ultrasound pulses, causing the calcium plaques deep under the endothelium to begin to crack. Next, the IVL balloon was inflated to widen the lumen of the blood vessel, at which point a stent was placed in the lumen of the blood vessel, helping to clear the blood flow.

The entire process was closely monitored by optical coherence tomography (OCT). Before that, the patient underwent a series of tests on the heart, liver, kidneys and underlying diseases such as diabetes and hypertension - every step was carefully calculated to minimize risks and ensure absolute safety.

Dr. Ho Minh Tuan (middle) performs coronary intervention using IVL technology - PHOTO: FV

After the procedure, Mr. C's health stabilized, and the chest pain and shortness of breath that had tormented him for so long completely disappeared. He was grateful when mentioning Dr. Ho Minh Tuan: "Meeting such a good doctor, I feel relieved and reassured."

"I'm scared of open surgery! Luckily, there's Dr. Tuan!"

On the same day, Dr. Ho Minh Tuan's team continued to set another milestone when they successfully treated Ms. TTTĐ (69 years old, Bac Lieu ), also using IVL technology. This was an extremely complicated case of coronary artery stenosis: the patient had many underlying diseases - diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and chronic kidney disease - causing severe calcification of the lumen of the artery.

Ms. D. frequently suffered from angina attacks, sometimes even fainting. Previously, she had a stent placed at another hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, but due to severe calcification, the stent could not fully expand, causing the coronary artery to re-narrow twice. During the two emergency visits to FV, Dr. Tuan used a Rotapro diamond drill to widen the artery, but the results were still not optimal - until the IVL appeared, bringing a turning point in treatment.

Thanks to this IVL intervention, the calcium plaques were completely broken down, and the stent inserted into the patient's blood vessels expanded to its maximum. "Many studies have shown that when the stent is placed in the blood vessels and expanded to the optimal level and combined with prescription medication, the risk of restenosis is reduced to less than 0.5%," Dr. Tuan explained.

Two days after the procedure, Ms. D. was able to breathe easily again. "I have been following Dr. Tuan for heart treatment for more than 10 years. I recently fainted and was taken to the provincial hospital for emergency treatment. When I was stable, I was transferred to FV for further treatment... I was so happy when the doctor introduced the new IVL technology. I was very afraid of open surgery. Without Dr. Tuan, I would have died!", the female patient emotionally said.

Mrs. D's health condition has stabilized after vascular intervention - PHOTO: FV

IVL Technology: The Key to Opening the Way to Life for Patients with Complex Coronary Artery Stenosis

According to statistics, for every 100 cardiovascular interventions, about 5 cases fail due to severe calcification. These cases require the use of special techniques such as Rotapro or IVL. If the optimal lumen of the vessel cannot be opened for balloon angioplasty and stent placement, the patient will almost certainly have restenosis and face the risk of acute myocardial infarction.

Previously, the only solution was open surgery, but this method had many potential risks, especially for the elderly or those with many underlying diseases. Many patients had to accept the risk of re-narrowing after the intervention, making the treatment process longer and more expensive.

IVL technology has changed the "game": it is both an effective calcification and a minimally invasive procedure, the patient is awake throughout the intervention, recovers quickly, and complications are significantly reduced compared to traditional open surgery.

FV Hospital pioneers in applying IVL technology to treat coronary artery blockage - PHOTO: FV

FV Hospital's Department of Cardiology and Interventional Cardiology is one of the pioneers in Vietnam in applying minimally invasive intervention technologies, effectively treating complex cardiovascular diseases: from myocardial infarction, arrhythmia, valve regurgitation, heart failure to severe coronary artery stenosis.

In particular, advanced techniques performed in the Cathlab at FV Hospital are covered by Health Insurance.

For more information, readers can contact the Department of Cardiology and Interventional Cardiology of FV Hospital via phone number (028)35113333 or come directly to 06 Nguyen Luong Bang, Tan My Ward, Ho Chi Minh City.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hai-benh-nhan-tai-viet-nam-duoc-dieu-tri-nghen-mach-vanh-bang-cong-nghe-ivl-1852508061813191.htm