14-Year-Old Filipino Boy with Congenital Heart Disease Recovers Health After Surgery in Korea

Heart Disease Detected During Local Medical Checkup
Surgery Performed at Bundang Seoul National University Hospital
Simultaneous Correction of Atrial Septal Defect and Partial Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return
Self-Breathing the Day After S

A 14-year-old boy from the Philippines born with congenital heart disease has recovered his health after undergoing surgery in Korea.

Bundang Seoul National University Hospital announced on the 15th that Professor Lim Jae-hong from the Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery and Professor Lee Juwon from the Department of Pediatrics successfully performed heart surgery for Vincent Valente, a patient of Philippine nationality. Vincent was discharged on the 9th and is scheduled to return to the Philippines after receiving outpatient care in Korea for about a week.

Medical staff from Bundang Seoul National University Hospital and the family of patient Vincent from the Philippines are taking a commemorative photo. Bundang Seoul National University Hospital

Vincent had suffered from heart disease since birth, but faced circumstances that made it difficult to receive treatment. Studying at Maria Boys' Home in Cebu, Philippines, he had to travel about five hours from home to reach a hospital equipped to diagnose his heart condition, and his family's financial constraints prevented him from receiving proper care.

When Vincent was about 11 months old, a German doctor visiting the Philippines suspected a heart problem and Vincent underwent an echocardiogram. At that time, he was diagnosed with atrial septal defect (ASD). However, he was unable to receive further treatment, forcing him to endure discomfort in daily life such as shortness of breath even with slight movement.

The opportunity for help arrived in November last year. The JW LEE Center for Global Medicine at Seoul National University College of Medicine, conducting health checkups for students at Maria Boys' Home in Cebu as part of its "Health and Nutrition Improvement Project for Low-Income Adolescents in the Philippines," identified Vincent's condition. The center decided to bring him to Korea for surgery at Bundang Seoul National University Hospital.

Vincent was admitted to Bundang Seoul National University Hospital on the 1st and underwent echocardiography and cardiac CT scans. The tests confirmed not only the previously diagnosed atrial septal defect, but also partial anomalous pulmonary venous return (PAPVR).

Atrial septal defect is a congenital heart defect in which a hole forms in the wall between the left and right atria. Partial anomalous pulmonary venous return is a condition where some pulmonary veins are connected to the wrong location, away from the normal position of the left atrium. The combination of these two conditions had caused Vincent's heart to become enlarged and his pulmonary vessels to expand beyond normal.

On the 4th, medical staff performed surgery to close the atrial septal defect and to reroute the pulmonary veins to the left atrium. Although the enlarged heart and pulmonary vessels indicated the surgery would be high-risk, the procedure was completed safely.

Vincent recovered to the point that he could breathe on his own without a ventilator the day after surgery, and he was discharged in good health on the 9th. After returning to the Philippines, the JW LEE Center for Global Medicine at Seoul National University College of Medicine will check on Vincent's condition through his family and school contacts, and plans to monitor his health status annually during visits to the Philippines.

Professor Lim Jae-hong said, "I felt deeply saddened by the circumstances that forced this young patient to go more than 10 years without treatment for heart disease. Thanks to the support from various organizations, he was able to receive a proper diagnosis and treatment, and all the medical staff think of this as truly meaningful."

This surgery was supported by the Korea Heart Foundation, the SNUbian Nanumhoe—a staff and faculty patient assistance group at Bundang Seoul National University Hospital—and the Raphael Nanum Foundation. Graduates of Maria Boys' and Girls' Homes from both Korea and the Philippines also assisted with Vincent and his family's entry into Korea and acted as interpreters.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.