FV Hospital’s 27-minute rescue: Saving a life on the pickleball court

A 47-year-old man unexpectedly suffered an acute heart attack after a Pickleball session. Thanks to the seamless coordination between departments and the rapid activation of FV Hospital’s cardiac emergency protocol at FV Hospital, the patient’s life was miraculously saved in less than 30 minutes.

“I was in the hospital for only about 30 minutes and everything was finished,” he shared emotionally. “It was so fast that I didn’t even realise I had just escaped death”.

Collapsing on the Court: A sudden heart attack

The patient, Mr N.A.D (47, Ho Chi Minh City), leads an active lifestyle and has played Pickleball regularly for 3 to 4 hours a week over the last five years. He had no prior history of cardiac disease, and a routine health check-up six months earlier had returned entirely normal results.

After a high-intensity session in hot afternoon weather followed by sudden rain, Mr D. clutched his chest and stumbled as he was struck by a sudden, severe chest pain. Despite resting for 20 minutes, the chest pain did not subside, so he was taken to a clinic in the former District 7. The doctors there diagnosed him with an acute heart attack and immediately arranged an emergency transfer to FV Hospital.

24/7 cardiac emergency response at FV Hospital. (Photo: FV)

Upon receiving the information, FV Hospital immediately activated its cardiac emergency response “Red Alert.” – from the Accident & Emergency department to the Cathlab (Coronary Intervention Unit) – was already in position and waiting.

Dr Bui Thi Bich Hanh, Specialist Level I – Accident & Emergency Department at FV Hospital shared: “By communicating closely with the referring clinic, we were quickly able to establish which medications the patient had already received and his current clinical status. This allowed us to prepare our reception and treatment plan in advance, without losing a single second“.

27 minutes to reclaim a heartbeat: A multidisciplinary race for life

As soon as the ambulance arrived at the entrance of FV Hospital’s Emergency Department, the entire multi-specialist team operated at maximum speed. Within the first 12 minutes in the Emergency Department, Mr D. underwent clinical examinations and necessary tests. Following this, taking only 2 minutes to move through a private corridor, the patient was taken directly to the Cathlab. Here, the Cardiology team quickly performed the intervention within 13 minutes, using a catheterisation technique to suction out the blood clots and insert a stent to restore blood flow to the heart, concluding a spectacular and lightning-fast emergency procedure.

Directly performing the intervention, Dr Ho Minh Tuan (PhD), Head of Cardiology & Interventional Cardiology at FV Hospital, stated: “When inserting the catheter, we discovered a very large blood clot, approximately 5-7mm in diameter, causing a complete blockage of the blood vessel. Instead of just performing a standard stenting, the team had to use a special catheter to suction out the blood clot before placing the stent to ensure the vessel was perfectly clear.”

In total, the time from reaching the hospital doors to the moment blood flow was restored took only 27 minutes. This figure is nearly one-third of the international “gold standard” (90 minutes) and even surpasses the strict 70-minute requirement set by FV Hospital itself.

Dr Ho Minh Tuan (PhD) performs the intervention to clear the blood vessel, saving the patient from an acute heart attack. (Photo: FV)

From a breathtaking emergency: A warning about the risk of heart attacks in young people

The success of this case was not only due to medical expertise but also the humane policy of FV Hospital – when a patient is admitted in a critical condition, doctors prioritise immediate intervention. In Mr D.’s case, with every minute of ongoing blockage, more heart muscle is permanently lost every 6 minutes, increasing the risk of heart failure, arrhythmia, or sudden death.

Dr Bich Hanh emphasised: “At FV, for ultra-urgent heart attack cases, we prioritise saving the patient’s life first, without focusing on hospital fees or paperwork at that moment. This decision helps remove all time barriers to win back the patient’s life”.

After the surgery, Mr D. made a miraculous recovery; he was conscious and his chest pain had completely vanished. Thanks to the speed of the intervention, Mr D.’s heart pumping capacity recovered to a completely normal level (LVEF: 70%). He shared emotionally: “I was in the hospital for only about 30 minutes and everything was finished, it was so fast that I didn’t even realise I had just escaped death. I used to be quite careless because I thought I was healthy; now I understand that the heart doesn’t give you a second chance if you are late”.

Dr Ho Minh Tuan (PhD) examines the patient after the procedure (Photo: FV)

Cardiology experts at FV warn that heart attacks are increasingly affecting younger patients. In cardiology, early-onset coronary artery disease is defined as occurring in men under 55 years of age and women under 65. It is often linked to genetics, high cholesterol, or gene abnormalities that standard general health check-ups can easily miss.

Dr Ho Minh Tuan recommends that those who play high-intensity sports or have a family history of heart disease should undergo specialist screenings. These include echocardiography, cardiac stress tests, coronary CT scans, or genetic testing to detect asymptomatic plaque early. If you experience any signs of chest pain, shortness of breath, or numbness in the arms lasting more than 15 minutes, call for emergency help immediately to make the most of every second of the “golden hour”.

For more information about emergency heart attack interventions at FV Hospital, you can visit in person at 06 Nguyen Luong Bang, Tan My Ward (formerly District 7), HCMC, or contact (028) 34 11 33 33. 24/7 Emergency Hotline: (028) 35 11 35 00.