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HOME > Clin Endosc > Volume 58(6); 2025 > Article
Review Current status of therapeutic endoscopy in Vietnam
Ky Doan Thai1orcid, Binh Thanh Mai1orcid, Tung Lam Nguyen1orcid, Dung Dang Quy Ho2orcid
Clinical Endoscopy 2025;58(6):826-830.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5946/ce.2025.041
Published online: August 19, 2025

1Institute of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Military Central Hospital 108, Hanoi, Vietnam

2Department of Endoscopy, Cho Ray Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Correspondence: Ky Doan Thai Institute of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Military Central Hospital 108, No 1 Tran Hung Dao Street, Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi, Vietnam E-mail: kythaitrung@gmail.com
• Received: February 10, 2025   • Revised: May 12, 2025   • Accepted: May 13, 2025

© 2025 Korean Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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  • In recent years, the field of gastrointestinal endoscopy has grown significantly in Vietnam. Although Vietnamese gastrointestinal endoscopy still lags behind developed countries, such as Japan and Korea, the advancement throughout the country has been rapid. Current advanced gastrointestinal endoscopy techniques from around the world have been implemented in Vietnam. The number of endoscopists has also significantly increased. These advancements, particularly in interventional endoscopy, have primarily resulted from investments in equipment and tools, strategic personnel training, and international collaborations. Since the establishment of the Vietnamese Federation for Digestive Endoscopy in 2011, numerous international collaborations and training activities have accelerated the development of interventional gastrointestinal endoscopy in Vietnam.
  • Keywords: Endoscopy; Gastrointestinal; Therapeutics; Vietnam
Vietnam is a developing country in Southeast Asia, with a population of approximately 100 million. It has undergone remarkable socioeconomic development over the past two decades. According to the World Bank (2024), Vietnam is among the world’s fastest-growing economies, although it is still a low-to-moderate-income country. Along with socioeconomic development, the healthcare system has received significant attention and investment. Over the past few decades, Vietnam has constructed a healthcare system that is accessible and affordable for most of the population.1,2 There are four types of government hospitals (categorized by administrative level), namely, national central hospitals, provincial hospitals, district hospitals, and commune healthcare services. Private hospitals and clinics account for less than 10% of the entire healthcare system, but their numbers have increased rapidly in recent years. There is a close working relationship among the different administrative levels of the healthcare system. Through a top-down referral model, professional support, patient transfer, training, and technical supervision are ensured, enhancing the quality of healthcare services from the grassroots to the central level.
In recent years, the use of gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy in Vietnam has grown significantly, particularly in the field of therapeutic endoscopy. Diagnostic endoscopy has also become widely available across all levels of the healthcare system. However, the application of advanced interventional techniques, such as advanced hemostasis, endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR), endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), and pancreatobiliary interventions, remains largely concentrated in major hospitals. This disparity reflects the challenges in infrastructure, human resources, training, and access to specialized equipment, especially in provincial and district hospitals. This review aimed to provide an overview of the development and current status of advanced therapeutic endoscopy techniques across hospitals in Vietnam.
Endoscopic hemostatic interventions for GI bleeding, such as hemoclipping, heat forceps, variceal ligation, and sclerosing injections, have been widely implemented in all central and nearly all provincial hospitals across the country. According to available data, the technical success rate of these interventions is relatively high, and comparable to the rates reported in international literature. In a retrospective study of 346 patients with upper GI bleeding underwent endoscopic hemostatic interventions at Hue University Hospital between 2017 and 2022, Long et al.3 reported that the causes of bleeding were esophageal variceal bleeding (39.8%), gastric varices (4.3%), peptic ulcer bleeding (50.9%), esophagogastric junction tears (5.5%), and others (3.8%). Hemostatic techniques included band ligation (33.7%), histoacryl injection (4.2%), hemoclipping (52.6%), argon plasma coagulation (7.9%), hemospray (0.8%), and others (16.2%). The technical success rate was high (99.1%), and the recurrent bleeding rate was only 2.5%. Other domestic studies have reported similar results.4-6
Due to equipment shortages, endoscopic hemostatic interventions remain challenging in some provincial and local hospitals. Consequently, many patients with GI bleeding are still being transferred to central hospitals for endoscopic hemostatic interventions.
EMR and ESD are among the most prominent and rapidly advancing endoscopic techniques in Vietnam. While EMR has been performed for an extended period, ESD was introduced only in the early 2010s. Initially, the number of ESD cases was limited, primarily because of the low detection rate of early GI cancers, and only a few doctors in major central hospitals were able to perform this procedure.
Gastric cancer is one of the most common cancers in Vietnam, ranking fifth in incidence and third in cancer-related mortality.7 In Vietnam, most patients with gastric cancer are diagnosed at an advanced or late stage. The rate of early gastric cancer (EGC) detection is low (<10%).8 Importantly, a national screening program for gastric cancer has not been implemented despite the high prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in the population.9,10 The varying quality of endoscopy is also one of the factors affecting the detection rate of EGC. In a survey that collected information about upper GI endoscopy from 12 hospitals across the country (six central hospitals and six provincial hospitals), Quach et al.11 reported that the total proportion of EGC was only 4.0% (115/2,857).
In recent years, improvements in diagnostic endoscopy and the application of image-enhanced endoscopy have led to an increased detection of early GI cancers, significantly advancing ESD in terms of both case numbers and technical quality. ESD is generally available in central, provincial, and private hospitals. Some major central hospitals perform more than 200 ESD procedures annually. The number of trained endoscopists has also increased. However, published ESD results for early GI cancers are limited. Some domestic reports on the application of ESD for early GI cancers have shown a high technical success rate and low complication rate.12-15 These results suggest that although the application of ESD in Vietnam started relatively late compared with other countries in the region, it shows promising potential for future development.
Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) was first introduced in Vietnam in the 1990s.16 Initially, ERCP was only performed in several major central hospitals. Today, ERCP has become widely available across the country and is performed, not only in central hospitals, but also in most provincial hospitals. We conducted an email-based survey targeting 15 key endoscopists (heads or deputy heads of endoscopy centers) from 15 hospitals across the country, including five central hospitals, five provincial hospitals, and five private hospitals, to assess the current implementation status of interventional and advanced endoscopic techniques at their institutions. The results showed that ERCP was the most widely adopted and earliest implemented technique in hospitals. This may be due to the high prevalence of biliary stone diseases in Vietnam and the earlier development of ERCP compared with other interventional endoscopic techniques. Some major hospitals perform a high volume of ERCP procedures annually, with over 500, or even over 1,000 cases per year (Table 1). High technical success rates and low complication rates of ERCP for the treatment of common bile duct stones have been reported in many domestic studies.17-19 Besides ERCP for stone removal, ERCP for stenting in cases of malignant biliary obstruction or post-liver transplantation biliary strictures or fistulas is also performed in central hospitals, with a high technical success rate and an acceptable complication rate.20
Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) has been available in Vietnam for over 20 years; however, its use is limited to a few major central hospitals. This is especially true for advanced procedures, such as EUS-guided fine-needle aspiration (FNA)/fine-needle biopsy (FNB) and EUS-guided biliary drainage, which are performed in limited numbers. Most recently, the SpyGlass system was introduced in central and private hospitals, further advancing the field of endoscopic procedures in Vietnam.
Third-space endoscopy or intramural endoscopy is rapidly emerging as a minimally invasive intervention for the treatment of many GI diseases, such as achalasia, gastroparesis, esophageal diverticulum, and subepithelial tumors.21 It has recently been adopted in several major central hospitals in Vietnam for the treatment of achalasia using peroral endoscopic myotomy and subepithelial tumors through submucosal tunneling endoscopic resection. However, the widespread application of this technique in Vietnam faces many challenges, as it has not yet been approved by the Ministry of Health as an official treatment and is not covered by the government health insurance.
Endoscopic stenting is primarily used for the treatment of esophageal cancer strictures and is available in only a few major central hospitals. Colonic stenting is almost unavailable, mainly due to a lack of equipment, although it is considered a good palliative treatment or bridging-to-surgery therapy for patients with colorectal cancer complicated by bowel obstruction.22
Over the past 15 years, advanced GI endoscopy training has gained significant traction in Vietnamese hospitals. Endoscopists are sent to domestic central hospitals and abroad for advanced training. Many Vietnamese endoscopists have received short-term scholarships for endoscopy training in Japan and Korea, particularly from the Asian-Pacific Society for Digestive Endoscopy, Japan Gastroenterological Endoscopy Society, and Korean Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (KSGE). For example, 29 Vietnamese endoscopists have received the Asian Young Endoscopic Award, which was initiated by the KSGE in 2014 to provide funding for basic and advanced endoscopic training in Korean institutions. The two-week fellowship program is a great opportunity for endoscopists to improve both their knowledge and endoscopic skills.23 Since the establishment of Vietnamese Federation for Digestive Endoscopy (VFDE) in 2011, there have been numerous international collaborations and training activities that have significantly accelerated the development of interventional GI endoscopy. Annually, VFDE collaborates with international endoscopy and gastroenterology organizations such as the Asian Novel Bio-Imaging and Intervention Group and the Asian-Pacific Association of Gastroenterology to organize numerous advanced endoscopy training courses. These courses focus on skills training in ERCP and EUS, as well as the diagnosis and treatment of early GI cancer lesions. They have provided Vietnamese doctors with invaluable opportunities to learn new techniques in advanced GI endoscopy, contributing significantly to the rapid development of therapeutic endoscopy in Vietnam in recent years.24-27
Social media groups focused on endoscopy and interventional endoscopy have been created to connect, share knowledge, and provide online continuing professional education. For example, the VFDE’s GI Early Cancer Facebook Group, founded in 2021 as a free-registration platform, has attracted the interest of thousands of endoscopists across the country who wish to share and learn by posting cases related to the early detection and endoscopic treatment of GI cancers. This connection has also influenced the widespread adoption of GI therapeutic endoscopy in hospitals nationwide in Vietnam.
GI endoscopy in Vietnam has advanced substantially, although a considerable gap remains compared to developed countries, such as Japan and Korea, particularly in therapeutic endoscopy. Significant growth in the near future is insight. This progress is driven by the country’s overall socioeconomic development, as well as the dedicated investment and training efforts of hospitals and specialized medical societies.
Table 1.
Hospital types and annual therapeutic endoscopy volumes at the 15 surveyed hospitals nationwide
Hospital types and therapeutic endoscopy volumes No. of hospitals
Hospital types
 Central hospitals 5 (33.3)
 Provincial hospitals 5 (33.3)
 Private hospital 5 (33.3)
Annual endoscopy volume
 10,000–30,000 4 (26.7)
 30,000–60,000 6 (40.0)
 >60,000 5 (33.3)
Annual endoscopic submucosal dissection volume
 None 2 (13.3)
 <100 8 (53.3)
 100–200 2 (13.3)
 >200 3 (20.0)
Annual endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography volume
 None 2 (13.3)
 <100 6 (40.0)
 100–300 2 (13.3)
 300–500 2 (13.3)
 >500 3 (20.0)
Annual endoscopic ultrasonography volume
 None 8 (53.3)
 <100 2 (13.3)
 100–200 2 (13.3)
 >200 3 (20.0)

Values are presented as number (%).

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    • Impact of a social media-based educational initiative on endoscopic practice in Vietnam: a survey study
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      Current status of therapeutic endoscopy in Vietnam
      Clin Endosc. 2025;58(6):826-830.   Published online August 19, 2025
      DOI: https://doi.org/10.5946/ce.2025.041
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    Related articles
    Current status of therapeutic endoscopy in Vietnam
    Current status of therapeutic endoscopy in Vietnam
    Hospital types and therapeutic endoscopy volumes No. of hospitals
    Hospital types
     Central hospitals 5 (33.3)
     Provincial hospitals 5 (33.3)
     Private hospital 5 (33.3)
    Annual endoscopy volume
     10,000–30,000 4 (26.7)
     30,000–60,000 6 (40.0)
     >60,000 5 (33.3)
    Annual endoscopic submucosal dissection volume
     None 2 (13.3)
     <100 8 (53.3)
     100–200 2 (13.3)
     >200 3 (20.0)
    Annual endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography volume
     None 2 (13.3)
     <100 6 (40.0)
     100–300 2 (13.3)
     300–500 2 (13.3)
     >500 3 (20.0)
    Annual endoscopic ultrasonography volume
     None 8 (53.3)
     <100 2 (13.3)
     100–200 2 (13.3)
     >200 3 (20.0)
    Table 1. Hospital types and annual therapeutic endoscopy volumes at the 15 surveyed hospitals nationwide

    Values are presented as number (%).

    Table 1.

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