The first liver transplant recipient from a brain-dead donor in Vietnam, Tran Ngoc Thanh (59 years old, residing in Dien Bien), had a reunion with the two doctors who performed the life-saving surgery on him 14 years ago: Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Tien Quyet - former Director of Viet Duc Friendship Hospital and Dr. Duong Duc Hung - Director of Viet Duc Friendship Hospital.
In 2010, when he was diagnosed with end-stage liver disease, Mr. Thanh was in critical condition and the only chance to continue living was a challenging liver transplant. Thanks to the dedication and outstanding efforts of the medical team at the hospital, the historic liver transplant was successful, not only reviving the patient's life but also marking an important milestone in the country's medical field.
According to Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Tien Quyet, the success of the first liver transplant in Vietnam from a brain-dead donor has opened up great prospects for the future of patients who unfortunately suffer from serious illnesses. And this also proves that Vietnamese medicine can perform all the difficult techniques of world medicine in organ transplantation. This liver transplant was performed entirely by the medical team of Viet Duc Friendship Hospital, without the support of foreign experts, and the transplant was performed quickly in 5 hours and 20 minutes.
At the meeting after 14 years, Mr. Thanh could not hide his emotion when meeting the surgeons who gave him a second life: “I cannot believe that I have lived a healthy life for the past 14 years, all thanks to the doctors and those who helped me in the moment of life and death. Meeting the doctors again today, I feel like I am reliving the moment of resurrection.”
The meeting was not only an opportunity to recall memories of the historic surgery but also a testament to the development of the Vietnamese medical sector in the field of organ transplantation. After a regular health check-up and necessary tests, doctors said that Mr. Thanh's health was stable. Currently, at home, Mr. Thanh still does farm work. He feels completely healthy and only needs to use low doses of anti-rejection drugs.
The fact that the patient is still healthy and living normally after a long time is a clear testament to the quality of medical services and post-transplant techniques, and also demonstrates the remarkable progress of the domestic healthcare system. This achievement not only helps thousands of patients in Vietnam have the opportunity to live and improve their quality of life, but also reduces the need to go abroad for medical treatment, contributing to increasing people's trust in the country's healthcare system.
Over the years, Vietnam has continuously developed organ transplant techniques, from liver, kidney, heart, lung to multi-organ transplants, demonstrating its ability to compete and integrate with countries in the region and the world.
