Health

Vietnam, Germany forge cardiovascular partnership

Currently, cardiovascular specialists from the 108 Military Central Hospital are working alongside a team of Prof.Dr. Jan D. Schmitto, Deputy Director of MHH’s Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery on clinical trials for MCS devices, implanted in heart failure patients either as a bridge to transplantation or as permanent treatment.

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The working session between doctors from the 108 Military Central Hospital and their colleagues from the Hannover Medical School (Photo: VNA)

Berlin (VNA) - The 108 Military Central Hospital and Germany’s Hannover Medical School (MHH) will step up cooperation in high-quality cardiovascular human resources training and clinical trials of advanced medical technologies at the Vietnamese hospital, while moving towards comprehensive collaboration under a long-term agreement recently signed in Hannover city.

The deal represents a significant milestone, linking one of Vietnam's largest central hospitals with an institution ranked 5th in Germany and 41st globally by US-based Newsweek magazine, particularly in the areas of organ transplantation and implantation of Mechanical Circulatory Support (MCS) devices.

Over the recent past, the two institutions have engaged in regular exchanges, online consultations, and official visits. A 108 Hospital surgical team visited Hannover for training in September 2024, deepening their collaboration.

Currently, cardiovascular specialists from the 108 Military Central Hospital are working alongside a team of Prof.Dr. Jan D. Schmitto, Deputy Director of MHH’s Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery on clinical trials for MCS devices, implanted in heart failure patients either as a bridge to transplantation or as permanent treatment. This research holds particular significance in Vietnam where cardiovascular disease impacts millions and causes around 200,000 deaths annually, while organ donation remains extremely limited.

The MHH has supported the Vietnamese hospital in mastering minimally invasive cardiac surgery (MICS). On November 19, 2024, the hospital successfully performed its first minimally invasive aortic valve replacement. Its surgical team then completed 30 MICS cases in just three months, including complicated replacements.

A new milestone was achieved on March 21, when the hospital, under the direct supervision of Professor Schmitto, successfully implanted a third-generation Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD), the first of its kind in Vietnam, marking a breakthrough for the country's cardiac surgery.

Established in 1965, the MHH has operated under an integrated hospital-research-teaching model, securing its position among Germany's leading university hospitals. The institution's primary research areas encompass transplantation and stem cell research, regenerative medicine, infection and immunology research, and biomedical engineering./.

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