Vietnamese doctors successfully perform bowel transplants from live donors for first time

Delegates at a press conference announcing the first successful bowel transplants from live donors in Vietnam (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Hanoi (VNA) – The two live donors were in stable conditions after the operations. Meanwhile, the patients were under intensive care and close watch of medical workers, with stable vital indicators.
 
The Military Medical University on October 31 announced that bowel transplants from live donors have been carried out successfully for the first time.

Director of the Military Medical University Prof. Dr. Lieut. Gen. Do Quyet said with this success, Vietnam has made into the list of 22 countries in the world to perform such a complex surgery.

To date, Vietnamese doctors have performed about 1,000 bowel transplants.

Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan noted that the Military Medical University is one of the leading medical establishments of Vietnam in scientific research and extended his congratulations to the university on its accomplishments.

It is the first Vietnamese medical establishment to successfully perform bowel transplant on human, marking a significant progress in the medical sector.

The first patient was Nguyen Van D., aged 42, who underwent five bowel surgeries at various hospitals due to peritonitis, caused by colon perforation. He had a large part of small intestine removed, leaving the organ spanning only 80 cm in May 2007.

He was admitted to the Hanoi-based Military Hospital 103 under the Military Medical University on May 2 this year because of intestinal failure triggered by short bowel syndrome, type 1 and bowel incontinence.

The patient had been under intravenous feeding, a method of getting nutrition into the body through the veins, to fight against disorders caused by intestinal failure.

The other patient was a 26-year-old man named Lo Van T. In early September this year, he was diagnosed to suffer from peritonitis due to necrosis in his entire small intestine.

He had most of his small intestine removed at a hospital in Than Uyen district of the northwestern mountainous border province of Lai Chau. The organ measured nearly 20 cm in length.

The patient was transferred to the Military Hospital 103 on September 29 owning to fatigue and exhaustion caused by short bowel syndrome, type 3.

He was also under intravenous feeding and later diagnosed with liver disease associated with intestinal failure in the small bowel syndrome.

Upon receiving the two patients, the Military Medical University had consulted experts in the field, determining that both of them had stable indexes for bowel transplant.

The university then sought permission from the Ministry of Health to perform the surgeries at the Military Hospital 103.

The operations were performed on October 27-28 by doctors of the hospital and their colleagues from Japan’s Tohoku University Hospital.

Lo Van T., 26, got a bowel section from his mother, 47. The first patient, Nguyen Van D., received a healthy bowel from his younger brother, 40.

After surgery, both bowel donors are in stable health conditions. The two transplanted patients are under intensive care with their survival indicators being closely monitored by doctors.

In 2019, the Military Medical Hospital was assigned by the Ministry of Science and Technology to carry out research on bowel transplant from live donors, and Prof. Dr. Lieut. Gen. Quyet was the head of the research team.

The successful surgery would open up more opportunities for patients who are in need of bowel transplants, Quyet said.

Deputy Minister of National Defence Rear Admiral Pham Hoai Nam praised efforts of the hospital’s medical staff for the successful operations and asked the hospital to gain more achievements, contributing to the development of the medical sector of Vietnam and to expand medical cooperation with countries with advanced development to get access to modern medical technology in health check-up and treatment.

In January, Vietnam conducted the world's first limb transplant from a live donor. The operation was carried out by doctors of the Central Military Hospital 108 in Hanoi./.