Dr. Biswaroop Roy Chowdhury, President of WorldKings, presented Tam Anh General Hospital in TP HCM with the Asian record certificate on 21/9. The award recognizes the hospital's reproductive support center as the first in Asia to develop an ISO 5 certified embryology lab system based on the "lab-within-a-lab" model, used for gamete manipulation and embryo culture. Representatives from WorldKings' leadership, the Vietnam Records Organization, and record holders from across the country witnessed the ceremony.

This is the first time a Vietnamese hospital has set an Asian record for a "lab-within-a-lab" IVF system.

Tam Anh TP HCM representatives, including Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Quang Binh, Medical Director, and Dr. Giang Huynh Nhu, Director of the Reproductive Support Center (second and third from right), receive the Asian Record certificate. Photo: Thanh Luan

Dr. Chowdhury of the Asian Book of Records (ABR) explained that they cross-referenced other record systems to verify if the record had been previously recognized in the India, Vietnam, Indonesia, or other Asian record books. A medical advisory board comprising doctors and medical experts from various countries, including Indonesia, Vietnam, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and some countries outside of Asia like the US, reviewed all evidence and deemed the record eligible for recognition.

"With the rapidly increasing demand for in vitro fertilization (IVF) in Vietnam, India, Asia, and globally, this achievement holds significant social importance," Dr. Chowdhury said, adding that it represents a remarkable international advancement in Vietnam's reproductive support field.

Professor Hoang Quang Thuan, representing WorldKings and the Vietnam Records Organization, stated that the record establishment process was conducted systematically, scientifically, and transparently based on independently collected, detailed data about Tam Anh TP HCM's IVF embryology lab system. Experts cross-verified numerous aspects, from lab design and operating procedures to IVF success rates, safety indicators, and service quality, benchmarking against international standards.

Dr. Giang Huynh Nhu, Director of Tam Anh TP HCM IVF, conceived, designed, built, and operates the "lab-within-a-lab" system. This facility houses complex techniques related to embryo creation, culture, and storage, as well as gamete (egg and sperm) storage, which are crucial to the success of IVF.

From the initial conceptualization and design phase to the installation of the gas system, equipment, and materials, Dr. Nhu explained that rigorous measures were taken to protect embryos and gametes from exposure to adverse external factors. The floor and ceiling are equipped with a top-down vertical ventilation system; all outside air must pass through filtration and deodorization systems to ensure embryo safety. The ISO 5 lab features tunnels connecting to Class 2 biosafety cabinets outside. When embryos are removed from the incubator and placed in the tunnel, they enter a warm, clean, incubator-like environment. Microscopic environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, air concentration and quality, and light are meticulously controlled, optimizing the embryo culture environment. This enhances fertilization efficiency, blastocyst development rates, implantation potential, clinical pregnancy rates, and live birth rates.

Maintaining an ISO 5 compliant IVF lab presents numerous maintenance and operational challenges, requiring continuous monitoring of environmental parameters such as dust particles, microorganisms, pressure, and temperature, according to Dr. Nhu. The lab demands strict adherence to standard procedures, from personnel flow and access control to personal hygiene and culture techniques. The ISO 5 lab system relies heavily on stable technical infrastructure and power supply; even a minor malfunction can affect the entire culture environment quality. For five consecutive years, Tam Anh TP HCM's IVF embryology lab has been ISO Class 5 certified for air quality by the Pasteur Institute.

The cumulative pregnancy rate across all patient groups at Tam Anh TP HCM IVF has steadily increased from 2021-2024, averaging over 80%. This rate is nearly 87% for patients under 28. For patients with multiple failed IVF attempts, the average cumulative success rate is nearly 72%. 100% of children born through IVF at the system have developed normally, even exceeding physical standards, without any health abnormalities, and with a lower incidence of common childhood illnesses compared to the general Vietnamese population.

An embryologist observes embryo development through a time-lapse incubator system. Photo: Thanh Luan

According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Quang Binh, Medical Director of Tam Anh General Hospital system in TP HCM, the number of international patients seeking treatment at the system is increasing, thanks to technology comparable to other countries but at one-third the cost of ASEAN nations. Patients primarily come from the US, UK, Japan, Australia, Singapore, and the Philippines, with an upward trend during holidays and festivals.

Hoai Thuong