2007

Southeast Asia's first open-heart microsurgery

In 2007, KKH doctors performed Southeast Asia's first open-heart microsurgery on two infants weighing just over 1kg. Both infants were born premature at 31 weeks old with congenital heart defects that required surgical intervention within the first few months of life. With their hearts measuring 2cm across, the infants were operated by a team of doctors using magnifying lenses mounted on special spectacle frames, known as loupes.