Nghe An General Friendship Hospital routinely implements aortic stent graft placement technique

Recently, the Cardiovascular Center, Nghe An General Hospital of Friendship, admitted patient NHK, 76 years old, residing in Lien Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district, to the hospital with the reason of difficulty breathing and abdominal pain. The patient had a history of high blood pressure and newly discovered abdominal aortic aneurysm.

According to the family, patient NHK had abdominal pain, accompanied by difficulty breathing; abdominal pain increased with movement and had not received any treatment. The patient was transferred by his family to Nghe An General Hospital for treatment.

After being hospitalized, patient NHK was examined, had all blood tests, abdominal ultrasound, and abdominal aortic computed tomography scans performed, which showed the following results: Fusiform aneurysm of the abdominal aorta below the renal artery, 50mm long; largest transverse diameter 53mm, with calcified blood clots at the thickest point of 14mm.

The patient was diagnosed with: Fusiform aneurysm of the abdominal aorta below the renal artery with a very high risk of rupture in hypertensive patients... For cases of abdominal aortic aneurysm threatening to rupture, there are two treatment options: open surgery to replace the abdominal aortic segment or placing a Stent Graft within the aneurysm segment.

Traditional open surgery has a higher risk of complications and a longer recovery time. On the contrary, because it is less invasive than open surgery, the recovery time when placing an aortic stent graft is usually faster, the patient can return home within a week and return to normal activities after 4 to 6 weeks. However, the cost of the stent graft procedure is usually higher.

The NHK patient was consulted with a cardiothoracic surgeon and explained to the family the decision to choose the Stent Graft procedure to treat the abdominal aortic aneurysm.

The surgical team led by Master, Doctor Nguyen Huy Loi and interventional cardiologists in collaboration with experts from the Vietnam Heart Institute performed abdominal aortic imaging via the femoral artery; determined the location of the large aneurysm lesion in the abdominal aorta below the renal artery with a diameter of ~ 60 mm. The doctors inserted the instrument and Stent Graft into the correct expected position, released the Stent Graft into the lesion, creating a solid frame for the vascular wall.

After 6 days of surgery, the patient had an ultrasound and X-ray to check that the Stent Graft was in the correct position, had good flow and no leakage, the incisions in the groin area on both sides were very small and dry, the patient's health recovered well and he was discharged from the hospital.

Master, Doctor Nguyen Huy Loi said: “Abdominal aortic stent grafting is an endovascular intervention treatment method through a catheter. The technique uses a stent graft segment inserted into the lesion site under the guidance of a fluoroscopy monitor to reconstruct the aneurysm of the abdominal aorta, reduce the risk of rupture, and adjust the flow in the lumen of the vessel according to anatomy. Applying the stent graft technique in the treatment of aortic aneurysm helps shorten the time of surgery and hospitalization, while bringing superior results compared to traditional surgical methods.”

According to Associate Professor, Doctor Nguyen Van Huong - Director of Nghe An General Hospital: Aortic Stent Graft placement is a difficult and specialized technique in the cardiovascular field. This technique has been routinely implemented in hospitals and currently in Nghe An province, only Nghe An General Hospital has successfully implemented it on many patients.

The hospital currently has a team of highly qualified and experienced doctors and physicians capable of successfully performing endovascular intervention in the treatment of aortic aneurysms.

In addition, the hospital also focuses on investing in modern machinery, equipment and facilities, with an operating room equipped with a DSA angiography machine, which can meet the requirements of surgical treatment of arterial diseases, including aortic stent graft placement - a modern medical technique that is minimally invasive and safe, helping patients recover quickly with a shortened hospital stay, reducing treatment and living costs for patients when having to be treated at upper-level hospitals./.