Trans-Vietnam heart transplant
On December 2, Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital said that the unit urgently coordinated with 108 Central Military Hospital and the City Children's Hospital to activate the process of taking - transporting - and transplanting a heart across Vietnam for a 9-year-old boy with end-stage heart failure.
The Heart Transplant Council of Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital held an urgent meeting with the participation of leaders of specialized departments, departments and representatives of the City Children's Hospital, to comprehensively assess the patient's condition and develop a surgical plan.
In Hanoi, 108 Central Military Hospital completed the removal of multiple organs from a brain-dead donor. The heart was then strictly preserved and transported more than 1,600 km to Ho Chi Minh City to be promptly brought to the operating room under optimal conditions. On this revival journey, the crew expressed their deep gratitude to the organ donor and his family.
Particularly difficult transplantation
According to Prof. Dr. Nguyen Hoang Dinh - Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital (the main surgeon who directly performed the transplant), this pediatric patient is the youngest case that the hospital has ever had a heart transplant.
The donor is an adult weighing 57 kg, while the child weighs only 33 kg. This significant difference forces the crew to meticulously calculate so that the adult heart is suitable for the young chest.
In addition, children have just experienced pneumonia, high fever and preoperative infection - factors that increase the risk of complications after the transplant. Children's pulmonary artery pressure is also high, increasing the risk of right subcutaneous failure after the transplant.
In particular, the time the heart is outside the body up to 6 hours, making the ability to recover contractious functions after transplantation even more challenging.
The surgery began at11:30 p.m. on November 29. At around 7pm, the donated heart hit the boy's chest again. The crew continued to complete the steps of stopping the bleeding, drainage and chest tightness. At 10:27 p.m., the transplant was officially over.
To date, this is the 5th heart transplant and also the youngest patient to receive a heart transplant at Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital.
After 48 hours of resuscitation, the boy showed many positive signs of recovery: alert, cooperated well, started breathing, stable blood circulation, gradually reduced the need for vasopressors; kidney and other organ function improved significantly, inflammation index decreased. These signs show that the new heart is in good rhythm with the body, opening up hope for the recovery journey ahead.
