MANILA - The National Taiwan University (NTU) cardiac treatment team, led by Dr. Jou-Kou Wang, a renowned pediatric cardiologist, is set to train Filipino physicians in a groundbreaking non-surgical valve replacement technique. This initiative is aimed at enhancing the treatment of children with heart disease in the Philippines.
According to Philippines News Agency, the training program is a response to the needs of patients with congenital heart diseases like Tetralogy of Fallot, which often leaves them with significant health challenges, including blue lips from birth due to poor blood oxygenation. Traditional treatments typically involve multiple open-heart surgeries, which pose considerable risks and can lead to complications like cardiac enlargement, right heart failure, arrhythmia, and even sudden death.
Dr. Wang's transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement technique, which earned him the CSI Lifetime Achievement Award, allows for valve replacement without the need for invasive surgery. This method significantly reduces risks associated with traditional procedures and shortens hospital recovery times. Since 2015, the NTU Children's Hospital team has successfully treated over a hundred patients with this technique, achieving leading results in Asia.
This June, the NTU team, sponsored by the Rotary Club's International Service Project, will bring this lifesaving technique to the Philippine Heart Center in Manila. Dr. Wang will personally lead the medical team in performing surgeries on three children, providing local doctors with an opportunity to learn and gain hands-on experience in this advanced procedure.
The collaboration was formalized on May 6 with a cooperation agreement signed at the Philippine Heart Center. Signatories included Lin Zhenbang, District Governor-elect of Rotary District 3521, and members of the NTU medical team, in the presence of Deputy Representative Deng-shi Yang from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines.
The Cardiac Children's Foundation Taiwan, which has supported over 6,800 children with heart diseases since its inception in 1971, will oversee the implementation of this medical service project.