On February 24, Ho Chi Minh City University Medical Center Hospital said that the unit had just successfully performed the 9th heart transplant from a brain-dead donor, promptly saving an 11-year-old child with end-stage heart failure. The transplant was urgently deployed overnight.
On the afternoon of February 22nd (the 6th day of Tet), the hospital received information from the National Coordination Center for Organ Transplantation about a suitable donated heart source at Bach Mai Hospital (Hanoi). According to professional assessment, the organ donor's condition is unstable, if the brain death resuscitation time is prolonged, it may affect the quality of the organ. Time is spent on receiving and transporting organs urgently.
The hospital activated the emergency heart transplant procedure. In just over 1 hour, a team including cardiologists, resuscitation anesthesiologists, nurses and technicians gathered fully and promptly moved to Hanoi on the nearest flight.
The donated heart was transported to Ho Chi Minh City at 3:45 am on February 23 (the 7th day of Tet). The heart transplant surgery was performed immediately afterwards under strict professional control.
At about 4:45 am, the heart had restarted in the recipient's chest. Initial postoperative progress was favorable, hemodynamics were stable, and the patient continued to be closely monitored in the Intensive Care Unit.
Prof. Dr. Nguyen Hoang Dinh - Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City University Medical Center Hospital, Head of the heart transplant team, main surgeon said that in just one week, right before and after Tet, the hospital performed 2 consecutive heart transplants. This shows the proactiveness and high readiness of the entire heart transplant system, ensuring timely implementation with the highest goal of bringing the best life opportunities for patients.
The hospital respectfully expresses gratitude for the noble gesture of the donor and his family. This humane decision has contributed to bringing life to patients, while spreading the message about the meaning of organ and tissue donation in the community.
To date, Ho Chi Minh City University Medical Center Hospital has performed a total of 214 organ transplants, including 97 kidney transplants, 108 liver transplants and 9 heart transplants. In the coming time, the hospital will continue to strengthen coordination with the National Coordination Center for Organ Transplantation and medical facilities nationwide to shorten transportation time, optimize treatment results and expand survival opportunities for end-stage organ failure patients.
