International cooperation milestone: University Medical Center Ho Chi Minh City and PIC (Pakistan) successfully implement Fontan, Rastelli, and many complex congenital heart surgeries
University Medical Center Ho Chi Minh City (UMC) Delegation of Doctors Assists Peshawar Institute of Cardiology (Pakistan) to Successfully Perform a Series of Complex Congenital Heart Surgeries – An Important Milestone in Pediatric Cardiac Care in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
From August 23 to 29, 2025, a delegation of doctors from the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery – University Medical Center Ho Chi Minh City (UMC) made a working trip to the Peshawar Institute of Cardiology (PIC, Pakistan). The delegation was led by Dr. Cao Dang Khang, PhD, MD – Head of the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, together with Dr. Ly Hoang Anh, MSc, MD – surgeon, and Dr. Hoang Quoc Trung, MSc, MD – pediatric cardiologist and congenital heart intensive care physician.
During the 6 working days, the delegation cooperated with Asst. Prof. Mujeeb Ur Rehman – Deputy Head of the Department of Cardiac Surgery, Head of the Congenital Heart Unit, PIC, to successfully perform 16 complex congenital heart surgeries, among which were cases performed for the first time in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, such as Fontan and Rastelli, complete repair of Ebstein's anomaly, repair of total anomalous pulmonary venous return (TAPVR), repair of double-outlet right ventricle (DORV) of Fallot type, and repair of complete atrioventricular canal (CAVC). Notably, among the children whose lives were saved were 2 children from Afghanistan, along with many small patients weighing only 5kg. This is an important milestone confirming a new advance of congenital heart surgery in the region.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) is the third most populous province of Pakistan with nearly 40 million people, with its capital city being Peshawar. This is an area with a high rate of congenital heart disease but still limited surgical resources. The Peshawar Institute of Cardiology (PIC) is the only modern cardiac center of the province, receiving tens of thousands of patients each year, including thousands of children from Afghanistan. However, the demand for complex congenital heart surgery far exceeds the capacity to meet it, especially for newborns and young children.
The Peshawar Institute of Cardiology held a press conference and widely publicized information about this cooperation program, while also expressing the wish to cooperate more with UMC, Vietnam.
Links to some media channels of the Peshawar Institute of Cardiology:
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/16x24odQGb/?mibextid=rS40aB7S9Ucbxw6v
https://www.urdupoint.com/.../pic-doctor-vietnamese…
https://www.app.com.pk/.../vietnamese-pic-doctors-to.../
On this occasion, the Peshawar Institute of Cardiology organized a cultural gala to honor the international specialists. Assoc. Prof. Shahkar Ahmed Shah, PhD – Director of PIC awarded commemorative medals to the Vietnamese doctors, in recognition of their valuable contribution to developing the congenital heart surgery capacity of the hospital. On the part of UMC, Dr. Cao Dang Khang, PhD, MD also presented a painting of the Vietnamese countryside landscape to Professor Doctor Shahkar Ahmed Shah, Director of the Peshawar Institute of Cardiology (PIC), as a message of friendship, strengthening the bond between the two units.
This cooperation activity marks an important step forward in the international cooperation on congenital heart surgery of the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, contributing to enhancing treatment capacity for patients in developing countries, opening up opportunities for life for many children with complex heart disease in the South Asia region.
UMC will continue to promote international cooperation, technique transfer, and accompany cardiac centers in the region, aiming towards the goal of improving treatment quality and bringing hope to the community, and introducing the good image of the Hospital to friends in the region and around the world.