Hue Central Hospital announced this morning that it has successfully performed four organ transplantsincluding heart, liver, and corneas.
Organs for transplant were given by a brain-dead donor in Ho Chi Minh City.
On June 12, Hue Central Hospital received information on coordinating tissues and organs from the brain-dead donor from the National Coordination Center for Human Organ Transplantation.
The hospital's Board of Directors urgently convened a meeting, directing the organ retrieval team to immediately travel to Ho Chi Minh City and collaborate with Thong Nhat Hospital and 108 Military Central Hospital to procure organs, including heart, liver, and cornea from the brain-dead donor.
Professor Pham Nhu Hiep, Director of Hue Central Hospital, stated that upon the arrival of the organ source in Hue, transplant teams promptly conducted nighttime surgeries to save critically ill patients. The heart was transplanted into a patient with end-stage dilated cardiomyopathy, who had a severely reduced left ventricular function (LVEF 17-21 percent) and minimal response to medical treatment, having experienced multiple life-threatening cardiac arrests.
The right liver was transplanted to a pediatric patient, born in 2009, with congenital biliary atresia, who underwent Kasai surgery at 2 months of age and was regularly monitored and treated at Hue Central Hospital, with secondary biliary cirrhosis with a MELD score >30, recurrent biliary tract infections 1-2 times/year, had to have 5 ligations of esophageal varices. His life hung by a thread.
Following surgery, the two patients who received heart and liver transplants were transferred to the recovery unit. By 9:00 p.m. on June 13, both patients were fully conscious, hemodynamically stable, and their hematological and biochemical indices remained within permissible limits. They were successfully weaned off ventilator support by 9:00 p.m. on June 14.
As of six days post-operation, the liver transplant recipient is demonstrating good graft function, has resumed eating, and is engaging in light physical activity. No clinical complications have been observed.
Meanwhile, two patients with corneal dystrophy including one who had been living in complete darkness received donated corneal transplants. Each procedure lasted approximately one hour, during which surgeons removed the diseased cornea, implanted the donor tissue, and secured it with fine sutures. Postoperative recovery has been promising, with gradual restoration of vision and ongoing use of anti-rejection medication under close medical supervision.
Hue Central Hospital extends its heartfelt gratitude to the National Organ Transplant Coordination Center, Thong Nhat Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, 108 Military Central Hospital, Tan Son Nhat International Airport, Phu Bai International Airport, as well as the traffic police departments of both Ho Chi Minh City and Hue City. Their dedicated and responsible coordination played a critical role in the safe and timely transportation of donated tissues and organs.
