Heart Sapling Germinate | Malaysian Scholar won the award of Asia Pacific top cardiovascular Academic Conference for Xiamen Cardiovascular Hospital case

Recently, at the 30th Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics Asia Pacific (TCTAP 2025) held in Seoul, South Korea, Dr. Lim Sumin from Malaysia—a cardiologist graduated from Heart Sapling Visiting Scholar Program—was honored with “The Best Presenter” award for a highly complex case report she participated in during her training at Xiamen Cardiovascular Hospital Xiamen University (referred to as "XMCH"). Another participant, Dr. Senthilrj Thangasami from India, also received unanimous praise from on-site judges for a representative case he encountered during his training at XMCH. The emergence of Heart Sapling Visiting Scholar Program scholars at this top-tier cardiovascular intervention conference in the Asia-Pacific region showcases the remarkable outcomes of XMCH's international specialty talent training program.

Lim Sumin and Senthilrj Thangasami, students of the Heart Sapling Visiting Scholar Program, received training at XMCH (left image, August 2024); Meet at TCTAP 2025 (right figure, April 2025)

Case Highlight: XMCH's Complex Case Shines at TCTAP

At TCTAP 2025, Dr. Sumin presented a critical case involving an inferior myocardial infarction with cardiogenic shock. The patient underwent emergency percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and received intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) support, yet remained unstable. Echocardiography revealed severe mitral and tricuspid regurgitation with bilateral papillary muscle rupture—a condition with a mortality rate as high as 70% internationally. The XMCH team employed a groundbreaking approach by simultaneously repairing both valves via transcatheter intervention, ultimately saving the patient's life.

"According to the judges, the case nearly received a perfect score!" Dr. Sumin humbly remarked. "It wasn't just the complexity of the procedure—it was the XMCH team's precise preoperative analysis, well-prepared contingency plans during the surgery, and outstanding handling that made the difference. Honestly, I feel I was simply riding on the brilliance of President Wang Yan and the XMCH team."

Transformation: Sharpening Skills through Complex Case Practice

 During her participation in the Heart Sapling Visiting Scholar Program at XMCH, Dr. Sumin primarily focused on learning interventional techniques for structural heart diseases. “In Malaysia, these procedures are still not widely practiced, while XMCH has already built a mature and experienced minimally invasive system,” she noted. “President Wang Yan not only patiently explained the rationale behind every surgical step but also gave us invaluable hands-on opportunities.”

Reflecting on the case presented at the conference, she recalled, “When I first encountered such procedures, I mainly observed and took notes. Only after reviewing them repeatedly back home did I truly grasp the intricacies behind each decision. It felt like attending a masterclass—each session was immensely beneficial.”

Returning Home: Sowing Seeds of Hope

Comparing the healthcare systems of the two countries, Dr. Sumin said frankly, “XMCH is equipped with cutting-edge technology, a full-fledged cardiac specialty team, and extensive clinical research. Everyone who visits XMCH is deeply impressed, especially by the world’s first robotic mitral valve clipping surgery. It exceeded my imagination!” She highlighted that China’s advancement in medical robotics and AI applications is “beyond comparison.”

After returning home, Dr. Sumin has successfully applied the techniques learned at XMCH to perform multiple structural heart interventions, including TAVI, BAV, and PBMV procedures. “My goal is to ensure that patients no longer face a dead end, but instead have multiple treatment options.”

As an international training project included in the “Global Development Project Pool” released at the United Nations headquarters by China's International Development Cooperation Agency, Heart Sapling Visiting Scholar Program has, since its launch in 2023, trained 22 scholars from 12 countries. The innovative practices of Heart Sapling Visiting Scholar Program offer a replicable “Chinese solution” for building a shared global community of health. By cultivating one scholar, the program empowers a team and influences a region. This initiative is spreading the seeds of cardiovascular care advancement worldwide. As Dr. Sumin put it: “What I learned at XMCH was not only technical skills but also a mindset of medical excellence.” With continued development, Heart Sapling Visiting Scholar Program is weaving a cross-border safety net for life, bringing quality medical resources to more patients and truly realizing the noble vision of “medicine without borders, safeguarding life”.