Liver transplant for a pediatric patient in the South was blocked because of the project approval stage

Ms˳ HT (32 years old, in Ho Chi Minh City) was pregnant with baby PK in early 2022˳ After giving birth 5 months ago, the doctor discovered that her son had grade 3 cirrhosis and had an indication for a liver transplant˳ The family took the baby to Children’s Hospital 2 with the desire for a liver transplant˳

Here, Ms˳ T˳ was told by doctors that the hospital had not received liver transplants for children from the end of 2022 until now˳ Go to the University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, this hospital also does not accept liver transplants for children˳

Take your child to the North for a liver transplant

“Because there were no units in the South that still had liver transplants, I had to take her to the National Children’s Hospital in Hanoi for a transplant˳ But a liver transplant is not an instant transplant, I still have to wait for test results˳

The cost of eating, living, and examining the baby is a big worry for the family, the family has to save and borrow from many places˳ Many children cannot afford to go to Hanoi for a liver transplant, which is a pity,” said Ms˳ T˳

However, not everyone who goes to Hanoi will receive a liver transplant˳ At the National Children’s Hospital since 2005, liver transplants have been performed for children˳

The hospital representative said that liver transplantation is one of the very difficult techniques of organ transplantation, requiring strict professional and technical qualifications, the coordination between experts and doctors in many specialties˳

Currently, the National Children’s Hospital has mastered the technique of liver transplantation for pediatric patients, but it is difficult to meet all the needs of today’s patients˳

“The hospital also has a list of patients waiting for a transplant, but it cannot meet all of them˳ Although it has mastered the technique of liver transplantation, it can only perform 1-2 cases per month˳

This is not a surgery that can be performed continuously, because the liver transplant depends on many factors, depending on the child’s condition˳ Besides, the cost of surgery is expensive, and post-operative care is also a long and difficult journey,” a representative of the National Children’s Hospital informed˳

Dr˳BS Pham Ngoc Thach, deputy director of Children’s Hospital 2, also said that despite the hospital’s best efforts in the past, it has not been able to meet all the needs of liver transplants for pediatric patients, not to mention the future˳ for some reason” the hospital was slow to re-transplant the patient’s liver˳

Dr˳BS Tran Thanh Tri, Head of the Department of Hepatobiliary – Pancreatic and Liver Transplantation at Children’s Hospital 2, specific information from October 2022 to present, Children’s Hospital 2 has not given any liver transplant to any children˳

October 2022 is also the end of liver transplant cooperation between Children’s Hospital 2 and University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital of Ho Chi Minh City˳

Dr˳ Tri added that there are currently no facilities in the South for liver transplants for pediatric patients, but children have to go to the North˳

Not fast, two children die every month

So how will children in the South who want to receive a liver transplant be treated? According to Dr˳ Thach, in addition to the pediatric patient having to go to the North for a transplant, if the child is absolutely necessary, the hospital will contact a foreign expert on transplantation for pediatric patients, or continue to recommend a specific case that needs a transplant˳ liver transplant with the University Hospital of Medicine and Pharmacy to coordinate liver transplantation on a case-by-case basis˳

In addition, Dr˳ Thach said “it is also possible that the two hospitals will review the signing of cooperation agreement on liver transplantation for pediatric patients”˳

But in order to be autonomous in liver transplantation, with more children receiving liver transplants, Children’s Hospital 2 is still waiting for the organ transplant appraisal project˳ This is also one of the reasons for the hospital’s delay in liver transplantation in recent times˳

Children’s Hospital 2 has just built two modern operating rooms to perform organ transplants, it is expected that by the end of this month, the Department of Health of Ho Chi Minh City will evaluate˳ After being appraised by the Department of Health, the hospital will send the project to the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment for appraisal˳ This project is approved, Children’s Hospital 2 will self-transplant liver˳

At that time, the doctors of Children’s Hospital 2 will actively take liver donors from adults and transplant them to children˳ The hospital can transplant three children/month instead of only one case/month as before˳

According to general assessment, Children’s Hospital 2 has the cheapest liver transplant cost in Vietnam˳ The cost for a pair of both liver transplants and liver recipients ranges from 300-400 million VND, but the problem is… we have to wait for the project to be approved˳

At Children’s Hospital 2, there are 70-80 children with end-stage liver failure waiting for a liver transplant˳ And without a liver transplant, the painful thing is the risk of two children dying every month˳

Children’s Hospital 2 slows liver transplant because of waiting… project

From October 2022 to present, Children’s Hospital 2 has not given a liver transplant to a single patient˳ The main reason for the delay in liver transplantation is waiting… the organ transplant appraisal scheme˳