After more than a decade of infertility, a 41-year-old Singaporean woman became pregnant with her first child through in vitro fertilisation (IVF).

But her pregnancy soon took a critical turn.

Doctors discovered that the fetus had a severe congenital heart defect, one that carried a high risk of stillbirth.

While in-utero heart surgery offered a possible lifeline, the advanced procedure was reportedly unavailable in Singapore, according to Vietnamese news outlet VnExpress International.

However KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) tells Mothership that they are "fully equipped to manage complex fetal conditions, including offering surgical interventions where appropriate".

After consultations with doctors at KKH, the couple decided to go to Tu Du Hospital and Children's Hospital 1 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Against the odds, the surgery performed on the 22-week-old fetus was a success.

Cardiac issues detected at 21 week

The fetus' heart condition was detected during a routine scan at 21 weeks.

The diagnosis revealed a critically narrowed aortic valve, with the fetus weighing just 600g.

The case was quickly deemed high-risk, and specialists at KKH had consultations with the couple.

They then went to Vietnam for treatment.

"This was the most challenging of the nine cases we've treated so far," said Dr. Do Thi Cam Giang from Children’s Hospital 1.

Multiple international consultations followed.

Vietnamese doctors worked closely w...