On November 26, representatives from Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital announced that over 200 doctors at the hospital successfully performed organ retrieval and transplantation from a brain-dead donor to save four lives on the last day of the Giáp Thìn year.
The Journey of Organ Donation: Sacrifice and Humanitarian Value
One patient was admitted in critical condition and later determined to be brain-dead after all treatment measures failed. A specialist board evaluated and concluded that the patient met the criteria for organ donation.
Thanks to the efforts of the Social Work Department and their explanations about the humanitarian significance of organ donation, the patient’s family agreed to donate the organs with the hope of saving other critically ill patients.
Doctors bowing in gratitude to the organ donor (Photo: Hospital).
On the afternoon of January 24 (the 25th day of Tet), Professor Nguyen Hoang Bac, Head of the Southern Region’s Tissue and Organ Donation Association, chaired an urgent consultation with relevant units. The goal was to thoroughly review the preparation process, coordination plans for multi-organ retrieval and transplantation, and assess the suitability of potential recipients on the waiting list to ensure the best compatibility.
By 8 PM, the teams had successfully retrieved the heart, liver, and two kidneys from the donor, followed by immediate transplantation for the recipients throughout the night.
Seamless Coordination to Complete the Mission
Over 200 doctors, nurses, and support staff from departments such as the Planning and Coordination Office, Social Work Department, Organ Transplant Coordination Unit, clinical, and ancillary departments worked harmoniously and efficiently. Thanks to the relentless efforts of the entire team, four patients were given a new lease on life through this priceless gift.
- The heart was transplanted into a 12-year-old boy suffering from restrictive cardiomyopathy.
- The liver was transplanted into a patient with hepatocellular carcinoma.
- Two kidneys were transplanted into two patients in end-stage renal failure.
The donated heart being transplanted into the young patient (Photo: Hospital).
What makes these surgeries particularly remarkable is that they took place during the Tet holiday season when many healthcare workers had planned to return home to reunite with their families. However, with a sense of responsibility and compassion, all members put aside their personal matters to complete this noble mission.
Profound Gratitude
Professor Nguyen Hoang Bac expressed deep gratitude to the donor’s family for overcoming their grief to give the invaluable gift of life. He also thanked the National Organ Transplant Coordinating Center, medical experts from Vietnam-German Friendship Hospital, the surgical teams, nurses, medical staff, and logistics personnel for their tireless efforts throughout the night to bring new opportunities for survival to the patients.
Surgeons performing kidney transplants (Photo: Hospital).
Previous Successes
Previously, Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital also successfully performed organ retrieval and transplantation from a brain-dead donor, saving six lives. Among them, the heart and two corneas were transported to Hue for transplantation at Hue Central Hospital; the liver was transplanted into a patient with liver cancer, and two kidneys were transplanted into two patients with end-stage renal failure at the hospital in Ho Chi Minh City.
Organ donation not only saves lives but also spreads profound humanitarian values within the community. Let’s join hands to raise awareness about the importance of organ donation to create miracles in people’s lives.
