Vietnamese surgeons have successfully performed for the first time an endoscopic heart surgery on a child, opening more opportunities for cardiac patients.

State-run Vietnam News reported Friday quoting Le Ngoc Thanh, Director of the Cardiovascular Centre of Hanoi-based Hospital E, as saying that the operation was conducted on an 11-year-old girl from central Nghe An province who suffered a congenital valvular disease of the heart.

Instead of a traditional open surgery with a 20-30cm cut along the breastbone, the method using endoscopic equipment only left two small holes on the patient's left chest, helping her feel less painful and recover more quickly.

The technique has brought great hope to cardio patients who cannot undergo surgery due to their weak health or old ages, said the director.