On the night of March 11 and early morning of March 12, on the flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi, there were special "passengers" who were cherished by doctors every minute. Those were not ordinary luggage but the heart and liver of an organ donor - on the way to bring a chance of survival to patients waiting.
Previously, at Binh Duong General Hospital (HCMC), doctors tried their best to save a male patient with severe traumatic brain injury. However, after all efforts, a miracle did not happen. The patient was diagnosed with brain death.
In the most painful moment, the patient's family made a very humane decision: agreeing to donate the organs of a loved one to save others.
According to the coordination of the National Organ Transplant Coordination Center, in a short time, many teams of doctors from major hospitals across the country were mobilized.
At 9 am on March 11, doctors from Central Military Hospital 108 departed for Ho Chi Minh City. At the same time, the liver and heart transplant team in Hanoi also urgently completed tests and legal procedures for the organ recipient.
From many bridges across the country, doctors continuously held online consultations to prepare for the multi-organ transplant from a brain-dead donor.
At 5 pm on the same day, the patient was transferred to Cho Ray Hospital to undergo tests and perform multi-organ removal surgery. In the operating room, the team of doctors worked in absolute concentration.
According to the coordination plan, the heart and right liver were transferred to Hanoi for transplantation for two patients at Central Military Hospital 108; The left liver for a child patient at the National Children's Hospital; Two kidneys were coordinated for Hue Central Hospital; Two corneas were sent to Military Hospital 103 and Bach Mai Hospital.
At 11:30 pm, crates of organs containing liver and heart were urgently taken to the airport to catch the night flight to Hanoi.
Lieutenant Colonel, Dr. Ho Van Linh - Department of Liver - Gallbladder - Pancreas Surgery, Central Military Hospital 108 - shared: throughout the flight, all the focus of the doctors was on the precious organs and the patients waiting. Because in organ transplantation, every minute that passes is extremely precious. Throughout the journey, the groups of doctors at both ends of the bridge continuously updated information for each other.
Colonel, Dr. Ngo Vi Hai - Head of Thoracic Surgery Department, Central Military Hospital 108 - said: right from the start of the organ removal, the teams have been in continuous contact to update important timelines such as the timing of the heart removal, the timing of the aortic clamps or the expected transportation time. This information helps the transplant team in Hanoi to proactively prepare so that when the organs arrive, surgery can be performed immediately.
At 2:10 am on March 12, the delegation of doctors and organs arrived at Central Military Hospital 108.
On the same night, two large organ transplants were performed simultaneously: heart transplant and liver transplant.
According to Lieutenant Colonel, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vu Van Quang - Deputy Head of the Department of Liver - Gallbladder - Pancreas Surgery, Head of the Liver Transplant Team - the recipient of the liver is a 42-year-old male patient, suffering from acute liver failure on the background of chronic hepatitis B and cirrhosis, with a MELD score of 42 - very serious condition. The liver transplant lasted 9 consecutive hours and was initially successful.
Meanwhile, the recipient of the heart is a 53-year-old male patient, suffering from end-stage heart failure due to dilated cardiomyopathy. Thanks to the close coordination between the organ extraction team, transport team and surgical team, the ischemic time of the transplanted heart was maximally shortened.
Just over 50 minutes after arriving at the hospital gate, the heart beat its first beats in the recipient's chest. The time from the start of the transplant until the heart beats again is only about 30 minutes. This is the 9th heart transplant and the 3rd cross-Vietnam heart transplant performed at Central Military Hospital 108.
Currently, the health of both patients is progressing favorably. In the afternoon of March 12, the two people had their endotracheal tubes removed, were awake, self-breathing, pulse and blood pressure were stable and continued to be monitored and given special care.
Lieutenant General, Professor, Dr. Le Huu Song - Director of Central Military Hospital 108 - said that overnight organ transplants along with the dedication and silent sacrifice of many doctors and nurses. From Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi and then to Hue, that journey has extended life through many cities, many operating rooms and many lives. Thanks to the noble gesture of the donor and his family, 7 patients have had more opportunities to live, return to their families and continue their unfinished dreams.
