Hanoi (VNA) – The National Lung Hospital on July 20 announced the successful completion of Vietnam’s 15th lung transplant, giving a 59-year-old man from Ho Chi Minh City a new chance at life.
Dr Dinh Van Luong, Director of the National Lung Hospital, described the transplant as the hospital’s most successful so far. He added that the hospital also launched a programme to train and transfer lung transplantation and post-transplant care techniques to other hospitals after the surgery.
The patient, identified as D.D.T., was diagnosed with chronic respiratory failure caused by idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in January 2025. His condition gradually worsened, requiring him to use oxygen around the clock at home. Doctors said a lung transplant was his only chance of survival.
He was admitted to the National Lung Hospital and placed on its transplant waiting list in April 2026.
His wife said her husband was too weak to travel by air, so the couple made a more-than-1,600km journey from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi by road over four days.
“During the journey, we always had a 40-litre oxygen tank in the car, which had to be replaced every day, along with several smaller tanks and an oxygen concentrator,” she recalled.
On July 17, the hospital received information from the National Coordination Centre for Human Organ Transplantation about a 22-year-old female student who had donated her organs after death.
Based on assessments of the donor, recipient, and medical conditions, the hospital coordinated with leading specialists, Hospital E, the University Medical Center Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City police, and Vietnam Airlines to safely collect, preserve and transport the donated lungs to Hanoi.
Her liver, heart and two kidneys gave four other patients in Ho Chi Minh City a chance to live, while her lungs were transported to Hanoi.
Doctors carried out the transplant on July 18. After eight hours of intensive work, the operation was completed. The patient has since recovered well and remains under close medical observation and treatment.
A notable feature of the operation was the small amount of blood lost, at only about 1–1.2 litres, according to Luong. About 24 hours after surgery, the patient was taken off the ventilator and was breathing independently with his new lungs.
“Among the 15 lung transplants we have performed, this was an excellent result, comparable with leading centres in the US, Japan and other developed countries,” Luong said.
He added that the case demonstrates the importance of beginning lung resuscitation and preservation immediately after brain death is confirmed, providing valuable experience for future transplants.
Luong said an estimated 1,000–2,000 people in Vietnam meet the criteria for lung transplantation each year, but only a small number can access the procedure because of the shortage of suitable donated organs.
The lungs are particularly difficult to preserve because they are directly exposed to the outside environment through breathing. Statistics show that only one out of every four or five organ donation cases has lungs suitable for transplantation.
“The donor’s lungs initially showed signs of damage. Our specialists had to consult continuously to resuscitate and preserve their function as much as possible before deciding to accept them,” Luong said.
After removal, lungs must be transplanted within 10 hours because of the limit on cold ischemia time (CIT), the period during which an organ is chilled and devoid of blood supply. Careful coordination between medical teams in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi therefore played a critical role in this case.
The National Lung Hospital also used the transplant as an opportunity to provide on-site training and transfer lung transplantation and post-transplant care techniques to Bach Mai Hospital and the University Medical Centre Ho Chi Minh City.
This “hands-on” approach allows partner hospitals to gain direct experience in medical procedures and practical skills, laying a stepping stone for a nationwide lung transplant network, Luong added.
The achievement is expected to bring lung transplantation, one of the most complex and advanced surgical procedures, closer to patients nationwide, helping more people to access treatment in Vietnam at a level approaching that of developed countries.
It also reinforces the National Lung Hospital’s leading role in lung transplantation and its capacity to master advanced techniques, coordinate with other hospitals, and organise training and technology transfer.
The hospital is set to gradually develop a regional lung transplant centre under the Prime Minister’s direction, serving as a specialised hub for training, technical transfer, professional support and coordination of a nationwide lung transplant network.
The effort is also in line with the Politburo’s Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW on breakthroughs in science – technology development, innovation and national digital transformation, which is expected to help modernise Vietnam’s healthcare system and improve the quality of medical services for the people./.
