Female health care worker donates organs, giving five lives a new lease on life

The 108 Military Central Hospital, on January 12, announced that it had successfully performed a multi-organ transplant from a brain-dead donor, a health care worker.

Doctors of the 108 Military Central Hospital perform the multi-organ transplant on January 12. (Photo courtesy of the hospital)
Doctors of the 108 Military Central Hospital perform the multi-organ transplant on January 12. (Photo courtesy of the hospital)

Hanoi (VNS/VNA) – The 108 Military Central Hospital in Hanoi on January 12 announced it had successfully performed a multi-organ transplant from a brain-dead donor, a healthcare worker, marking another milestone in Vietnam’s transplant medicine.

The donor was N.C., a 46-year-old female nurse from Hanoi, who was diagnosed with brain death following a haemorrhagic stroke. Despite immediate medical intervention, her condition did not improve.

The hospital’s organ donation mobilisation team counselled the patient’s family on the possibility of organ donation to save critically ill patients. Overcoming their grief, the family agreed to donate her organs to give life to others. On January 12, an expert council confirmed the patient was eligible for organ donation after three diagnoses of brain death.

In this case, the liver was transplanted to a 36-year-old male patient diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma, while two kidneys were transplanted to two patients with chronic kidney disease, a 37-year-old female and a 47-year-old male. Two corneas were transferred to Hue Central Hospital, creating opportunities for vision restoration for patients who have long awaited the return of sight.

After more than five hours of surgery, the liver transplant proceeded smoothly. Immediately afterwards, the recipients were closely monitored and cared for under specialised procedures. All three transplant patients are currently in stable condition, alert and breathing well on their own.

As a leading organ transplant centre in Vietnam and the top liver transplant centre in Southeast Asia, the 108 Military Central Hospital has so far performed 665 kidney transplants, 319 liver transplants, eight heart transplants, four lung transplants, one pancreas transplant, 34 corneal transplants and four limb transplants.

These procedures have achieved success rates and survival outcomes comparable to those in advanced countries worldwide, delivering significant scientific and humanitarian value and reaffirming the hospital’s professional capacity and pivotal role in organ donation and transplantation./.

VNA

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