Hanoi (VNA) - Approximately one week after undergoing an IVF procedure, a 46-year-old woman from Hanoi unexpectedly fell into a deep coma due to multi-organ dysfunction caused by acute liver failure. The patient required mechanical ventilation to remain alive. Without an emergency liver transplant, the patient would have only survived for 1-2 days.
Miraculously, in the last minute with the patient's condition deteriorating, a brain-dead donor with compatible liver indices was found.
On the morning of May 7, Viet Duc Friendship Hospital in Hanoi announced the successful completion of this extraordinary liver transplant.
Associate Professor Nguyen Quang Nghia, Director of the Transplant Centre at Viet Duc Friendship Hospital, said that the patient, T.T.H., 46 years old, had fallen into a hepatic coma following acute liver failure.
Four days before hospitalization, the patient experienced extreme fatigue, worsening jaundice, declining liver function, decreased consciousness, and high fever.
She visited the National Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, where elevated liver enzymes were detected, prompting her transfer to Bach Mai Hospital for emergency care.
Her condition deteriorated rapidly. Within six hours, she fell into a deep coma, exhibited jaundice, delirium, and severe bilateral lung damage, necessitating mechanical ventilation. She was diagnosed with acute liver failure and grade II hepatic encephalopathy on a background of chronic hepatitis B.
The patient was then transferred to Viet Duc Friendship Hospital, where she was diagnosed with acute liver failure and indicated for a full liver transplant.
The patient's husband was willing to donate his liver for his wife's transplant, but their blood types were not compatible.
In a critical battle between life and death, just when all hope seemed lost, a suitable liver from a donor was found for her. The donor was a 48-year-old male patient who had suffered a traumatic brain injury in a traffic accident.
"Upon receiving the patient, we had many concerns. She had severe liver failure with over 80% liver necrosis, multi-organ dysfunction, and severe lung damage. Meanwhile, the hospital's transplant waiting list included over 30 patients. The medical team faced a dilemma; if this patient received the transplant, others would have to wait," explained a hospital representative.
However, due to the patient’s critical condition, with her survival measured in mere days, and severe complications such as coagulopathy due to liver failure, acute renal failure, and complete cessation of the liver’s detoxification functions, the hospital's leadership urgently convened the medical council to make a decision.
Associate Professor Luu Quang Thuy, Director of the Anesthesia and Intensive Care Centre at Viet Duc Friendship Hospital, reported that during the surgery, doctors had to transfuse 1,400 ml of blood, 1,400 ml of fresh frozen plasma, 100 ml of coagulation factors, and use high-dose vasopressors.
After nine tense hours, the surgery concluded successfully, with the transplanted liver’s functions starting to recover.
By the 14th day post-surgery, the patient's tests were nearly back to normal limits, and her lung injuries had healed. She was alert, able to sit up, eat independently, and was expected to be discharged within a few days.
Currently, the patient is fully alert, interacts well, and can sit up and converse. As of today, we can confirm that the liver transplant has been successful, Thuy said./.
