Heart from north to south revives a child's life at the beginning of the new spring

At dawn on the 7th day of the Bính Ngọ 2026 Tet holiday, Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital (BV ĐHYD) successfully performed the 9th heart transplant from a brain-dead donor, timely saving an 11-year-old child patient suffering from end-stage heart failure. The transplant was carried out as an emergency overnight, amid many healthcare workers just returning to the city after the Lunar New Year holiday.

4:00 PM on the sixth day of Tet, BV ĐHYD received information from the National Organ Transplant Coordination Center about a suitable donated heart source at Bach Mai Hospital, Hanoi. According to professional assessment, the donor's condition is unstable, and if the resuscitation period is prolonged, brain death could affect organ quality. Therefore, the time for receiving and transporting the organ is extremely urgent.

Immediately after receiving the information, the Hospital's Board of Directors activated the emergency heart transplant process. In just over an hour, the team, including cardiovascular surgeons, anesthesiologists and intensive care physicians, nurses, and technicians

The patient was fully gathered, promptly moved to Hanoi on the nearest flight. Many medical staff proactively returned to the hospital upon receiving deployment orders.

The donated heart was transported to Ho Chi Minh City at 3:45 am on the 7th day of Tet. The heart transplant surgery was performed immediately thereafter under strictly controlled professional conditions. Around 4:45, the new heart began beating again in the recipient's chest with strong and regular first beats. The post-operative course was initially favorable, hemodynamics stable, and the child continued to be closely monitored in the ICU.

Prof. Dr. Nguyen Hoang Dinh - Deputy Director of the Hospital, Head of the heart transplant team, chief surgeon said that within just one week, right before and after Tet, the Hospital performed two consecutive heart transplants. This shows the proactive and high readiness of the entire heart transplant system, ensuring timely implementation in all circumstances with the highest goal of providing the best possible chance of life for patients.

BV ĐHYD respectfully appreciates the noble act of the donor and their family. This humanitarian decision has helped bring life to patients, while also spreading the message about the significance of donating tissue and organs in the community.

To date, DHYD Hospital has performed a total of 214 organ transplants, including 97 kidney transplants, 108 liver transplants and 9 heart transplants. In the coming period, the Hospital will continue to strengthen cooperation with the National Organ Transplant Coordination Center and medical facilities

nationwide to shorten transportation time, optimize treatment outcomes, and expand survival opportunities for patients with end-stage liver failure.