Two Pediatric Patients Make Strong Recovery After Heart and Liver Transplants
On March 19, 2025, University Medical Center Ho Chi Minh City (UMC) successfully received and transplanted two donor organs—a heart and a partial liver—procured from a brain-dead donor at Thong Nhat Hospital into two pediatric patients suffering from life-threatening conditions. Both young recipients currently present a favorable prognosis for recovery.
Patient N.T.P. (11 years old) had experienced frequent hospital admissions due to end-stage heart failure, presenting with severe physical exhaustion, whose only chance of survival depended on an urgent heart transplant. Meanwhile, patient X.X.Y. (9 years old), diagnosed with congenital biliary atresia and having undergone surgical intervention during infancy, subsequently developed severe hepatopulmonary syndrome with recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding, also leaving a liver transplant as the sole life-saving option.
The chance of survival arrived for both children when a 44-year-old patient declared brain-dead at Thong Nhat Hospital had organ donation consented to by the family. Both the donor's heart and a segment of the liver proved to be biologically compatible matches for the two pediatric candidates.
At 2:00 PM on March 19, at Thong Nhat Hospital, physicians and healthcare personnel from both institutions observed a solemn memorial tribute honoring the donor, expressing profound gratitude for the noble gesture of the deceased and the family. Conducted in a solemn and moving atmosphere, the tribute served as heartfelt recognition for the gift of life bestowed upon others.
Immediately following the procurement and transport, the surgical teams initiated both transplant operations at University Medical Center Ho Chi Minh City.
The heart transplant was performed by Prof. Nguyen Hoang Dinh, MD, PhD—Vice Director of the Hospital. Following a two-and-a-half-hour operation, the donor heart resumed vigorous cardiac contractions. "Heart transplantation is a race against every passing minute and second. Rapid transport and meticulous coordination across surgical teams serve as the decisive factors for success," noted Prof. Dinh.
The liver transplantation spanned nearly 10 hours under the direction of Tran Cong Duy Long, MD, PhD—Vice Head of the Department of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery and Head of the Hepatobiliary Cancer and Liver Transplantation Unit. Despite technical complexities arising from aberrant anatomy and severe underlying disease, the procedure concluded smoothly, and the young patient is showing favorable clinical recovery.
Prof. Nguyen Hoang Bac, MD, PhD—Director of the Hospital—remarked: "This milestone not only underscores our clinical capability, but also reflects profound humanitarian values in organ donation advocacy for the community. The more families overcome the pain of loss to bestow the gift of life, the greater our motivation to invest in and advance organ transplantation techniques, particularly for pediatric patients."
Source: https://alobacsi.com/hai-benh-nhi-duoc-ghep-tim-va-ghep...