Heart Sapling Blossoms | Vietnamese Trainee Wins Best Case Award at KHRS 2025 with Landmark Case from Xiamen Cardiovascular Hospital

At the 2025 Korean Heart Rhythm Society (KHRS) Annual Scientific Session, Nguyen Tuan Viet, a graduate of the Heart Sapling Visiting Scholar Program from Vietnam, received the prestigious Young EPs Best Case Award. His award-winning case—developed during his clinical training at Xiamen Cardiovascular Hospital Xiamen University (XMCH)—was selected from among global early-career electrophysiologists for its innovation and clinical significance. This marks another significant achievement of the Heart Sapling Program, following Malaysian fellow Lim Su Min’s recognition as The Best Presenter at the Asia Pacific Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics Conference (TCTAP 2025).

The case involved a 44-year-old male with Brugada Syndrome and recurrent syncope, unresponsive to conventional therapies. Under the mentorship of the XMCH electrophysiology faculty, Viet applied a combined endocardial and epicardial mapping and ablation. Innovative elements included CT fusion, coronary angiogram overlay, and a propafenone challenge to unmask arrhythmogenic substrates. By targeting late abnormal ventricular activities (LAVA), the team successfully eliminated the ventricular fibrillation (VF) storm.

“Back home in Vietnam, we rarely encounter such complex cases,” said Viet. “Xiamen Cardiovascular Hospital’s high-volume EP center, advanced technologies like AI-assisted decision-making, and fully digitized patient management gave me a new perspective on the future of electrophysiology.”

“I’m integrating XMCH’s substrate mapping strategies and multidisciplinary collaboration model into our local practice. Even with limited resources, these tools will help us significantly improve care for high-risk patients,” he added.

In May 2025, Professor Le Van Sy, Director of Thanh Hoa General Hospital and a leading Vietnamese cardiologist, visited XMCH with a delegation. The two institutions signed a strategic cooperation agreement, deepening bilateral medical collaboration.

“This partnership with Thanh Hoa, fostered through the Heart Sapling Program, marks a promising beginning,” said Professor Wang Yan, President of XMCH. “We will continue expanding medical exchange and training with Vietnam and other Belt and Road partner countries to bring hope to more patients.”

Heart Sapling Visiting Scholar Program

The Heart Sapling Visiting Scholar Program is an international medical talent training initiative launched and hosted by Xiamen Cardiovascular Hospital Xiamen University. It recruits outstanding young cardiovascular specialists from around the world to receive systematic and professional training in China. Under the guidance of a team of experienced mentors, participants engage in theoretical instruction, clinical practice, case discussions, and academic seminars. They gain in-depth knowledge of the latest advances in cardiovascular disease diagnosis and treatment, master the clinical applications of innovative medical devices and cutting-edge technologies, and comprehensively enhance their cardiovascular clinical capabilities.

The program was officially launched at the United Nations Headquarters in April 2023 by the Global Development Promotion Center of the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), and was included in CIDCA’s Global Development Project Pool in April 2024. To date, it has received 26 visiting scholars from 12 countries for training in China, building a platform for international medical exchange and cooperation, promoting the sharing and development of global medical talent, and contributing to the high-quality advancement of global health and wellness.