A patient is taking diagnosis and intervention test with the DSA. Photo N.P

The 21-billion-VND worth DSA is the most advanced digital medical equipment today, said the hospital’s director Pham Ty. It is useful in the diagnosis and interventional treatment of blood vessel diseases. It helps to insert or implant medical devices into patients’ bodies, reaching damage or defect places to close holes or widening blocked vessels, preventing open surgeries. Because all of the organs in our body have blood vessels, the technique can be frequently applied.

According to head of the hospital’s Cardiovascular Department, the DSA can be used in the diagnosis and treatment, such as image taking and intervention of the coronary arteries (in case of ischaemic heart disease or myocardial infarction), of the renal arteries, of the aorta, the carotids, the limb arteries and other peripheral arteries; diagnosing cardiac regurgitation,  opening narrowings or blockages of the bicuspid valve using Inoue balloon, opening blockages of the pulmonary artery and of the aorta valves, closing the congenital heart septal defects (atrial  septal defects – ASD and ventricular septal defects – VSD, etc.), performing intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation with the device inserted percutaneously, implanting inferior vena cava filter to prevent pulmonary embolism, removing foreign body in circulatory system, implanting long-term pacemaker, performing intra-cardiovascular ultrasound, performing electrophysiology study and treatment, examining and treating liver cancer, uterus tumour, cerebral tumour, cerebrovascular abnormity.

In preparation for the first use of the DSA, a staff of 20 including doctors, technicians and nurses in teams were assigned tasks of learning about the blood vessel disease diagnosis and interventional treatment with the DSA at many domestic hospitals, such as Hue Central Hospital, HCM city-based Cho Ray Hospital and University Medical Centre, Hanoi-based 108 Military Hospital and National Institute of Cardiology.

Statistical figures by the hospital’s Cardiovascular Department reveal that the number of patients with cardiovascular diseases accounts for 12-15 percent of total existing patients of the hospital. Mortality rate among patients with myocardial infarction is high without the timely diagnosis and intervention.

No sooner had the DSA put into use than the hospital’s medical staff operated successfully cardiovascular intervention on 7 cases, in which 2 myocardial infarction cases were inserted Stent, 1 case was diagnosed patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) and then underwent a closure surgery of PDA with device, and the rest took tests to capture images for the diagnosis and ways of treatment.

Patient Vo Khac Hoc, 61, from Hoai Hao commune, Hoai Nhon district was hospitalized in serious condition because of acute myocardial infarction. Images taking by the DSA showed that his left coronary artery had been blocked at 2 sections. The hospital inserted Stent to relieve the blockage then. His health condition progressed fairly well 1 week after the arterial Stent treatment.

Department of Neurological and Vertebral column Surgery has performed so far image taking tests with the DSA on 7 patients, of whom 2 were found with cerebral vessel aneurysm, 1 with cerebral vessel abnormity, and 1with cerebral tumour. Most of patients with such diseases had been introduced to HCM City-based hospitals for further treatment.

Patient Tran An, 71, from Hoai An district was hospitalized in full consciousness but then suddenly fell into a coma and suffered hemiplegia. After receiving emergency aid as a stroke patient, An was asked to have CT scan of his head. The images suggested that one of his aneurismal cerebral vessels had suspiciously broken. After he took test with the DSA, the image result helped to find out his cerebral artery aneurism. A timely intervention was performed.

The DSA can help to diagnose and treat brain damages such as cerebral vessel aneurism, cerebral vessel abnormity, cerebral vessel tumour…, said Doctor Nguyen Van Trung from the Department of Neurological and Vertebral column Surgery. With the machine, the hospital is now capable of treating patients with cerebral vessel diseases, instead of transferring them to Ho Chi Minh City as before.

• Nguyen Phuc