Milestones of Vietnamese medicine
Ten years ago, when organ transplantation in Vietnam was still a challenging field, requiring high professional qualifications, modern technology and widespread social consensus, Central Military Hospital 108 launched a pioneering journey with a consistent goal: Reclaiming life for patients with top medical techniques.
Starting from the first kidney transplant in December 2016, the hospital gradually built a comprehensive tissue and organ transplant system. As of February 25, 2026, the total number of transplants reached 1,305 cases - a number reflecting outstanding progress in both scale and professional quality.
Not only outstanding in quantity, the unit also routinely masters the technique of liver transplantation from living donors - one of the most complex surgeries today. Many pioneering techniques have been successfully deployed such as endoscopic support surgery in liver transplant recipients; endoscopic removal of liver fragments from living donors; removal of liver from brain-dead donors for simultaneous transplantation to two patients.
In particular, since 2021, the liver transplant team has routinely performed blood group incompatibility liver transplantation (ABO) techniques for both adults and children.
A meaningful and humane imprint is the trans-Tet organ transplant campaign in 2024. Right on the 30th day of Tet Giap Thin, the on-duty team performed multi-organ transplantation from a brain-dead donor, saving 8 patients at the same time. The event widely spread the message about organ donation to save people, creating strong emotions in the community.
2025 recorded a new breakthrough when the hospital successfully performed the first third-generation partial artificial heart transplant (LVAD – HeartMate3) in Vietnam. Also in this year, the unit set a record of performing 19 tissue and organ transplants in just one week – demonstrating its rare high-intensity coordination, anesthesia and resuscitation capabilities.
In January 2026, the hospital reached the milestone of the 1,000th organ transplant - a milestone marking the comprehensive maturity of a leading organ transplant center in the country.
Spreading high technology, expanding life opportunities
Sharing about that journey, Lieutenant General Prof. Dr. Le Huu Song - Director of Central Military Hospital 108 emphasized: The 10-year journey of organ transplantation is proof of the spirit of daring to commit, daring to take responsibility and willingness to sacrifice for patients. Doctors are not only good at their profession but must also be full of compassion.
Behind the impressive figures is the silent sacrifice of many forces: Surgery team, anesthesia and resuscitation, intensive care, organ transplant coordination, testing, diagnostic imaging, infection control, technical logistics... along with close coordination of traffic police, aviation and the Funeral Committee. Many sleepless nights, many breathless races with time have taken place to save the lives of patients. But above all, the most mentioned thing is the humanistic value that organ transplants bring.
Each successful transplant is a revival; each patient returning to normal life is a family that retains happiness.
Towards a new stage of development
Entering the next stage, Central Military Hospital 108 continues to identify tissue and organ transplantation as a strategic spearhead. The focus is on expanding the source of organs from brain-dead donors, promoting multi-organ transplantation and complex transplant techniques to optimize the opportunity to save patients' lives. The hospital is also preparing conditions to deploy transplantation from heart-dead donors, apply robot surgery in organ extraction and transplantation, strengthen standardization of procedures, develop scientific research and expand international cooperation.
