A liver transplant is the only chance to help save the lives of children with terminal liver failure and cirrhosis. Lao Dong Newspaper had a conversation with Dr. Tran Thanh Tri - Head of the Department of Nephrology, Immunology and Hunger Transplantation of Children's Hospital 2 - to listen to the doctor's sharing about this field.
Can you tell me how you came to the medical industry?
- Originally, I was a child with many diseases that made my mother work hard to make a living and run around buying medicine, so she hoped I would become a doctor to help myself and help life practically. That desire has motivated me to nurture my dream since I was a child and constantly strive to achieve it.
It was the venerable teacher - Prof. Dr. Tran Dong A - who guided me to become a specialist in pediatric surgery and organ transplantation. In the first years after graduating as a general practitioner, he sent me to study at the Saint- Luc Institute, a leading organ transplant center in Europe. Since then, his passion for this field has been formed and has grown to the present.
In the past journey, what advantages and challenges have doctors encountered?
- I used to be an international-phthalmologist, graduated from a level 1 international-phthalmology department, so when I switched to ngoai surgery and especially the field of liver transplantation - a field that requires much coordination between internal medicine and surgery, I had many advantages in group coordination, care and treatment of patients with diseases that require ngoaiural intervention.
Being trained in the organ transplant environment in general and liver transplant in particular at the leading organ transplant center in Europe has helped me accumulate a lot of knowledge, experience and expertise in this specialized field.
In the field of general pediatrics, the journey to improve yourself is not too challenging if you are a person who is eager to learn, progressive, respectful in your studies and work at one of the leading pediatric centers in Vietnam.
The field of pediatric surrogacy in Vietnam has already reached regional level. Coming out of the " gate" is not too difficult with the strong development of information technology and policies to expand international cooperation in specialized fields.
The field of liver transplantation still faces many challenges because it requires coordination of many specialties and many centers together. Building a team of specialized specialties and coordinating with a joint hospital for liver transplantation in Ho Chi Minh City to perform liver transplantation often causes many difficulties for children because the personnel are well-trained and the accompanying partners have the same lacking goals.
Among the liver transplants performed, which case leaves the deepest impression on the doctor?
- A memorable memory is the 35th liver transplant case in July 2024. This is a rare case of underlying disease.
To ensure the safe liver removal for the mother and child and the successful liver transplant for the child, we have consulted many times with domestic and foreign experts. From there, propose different solutions for the situations and establish a treatment regimen before, during and after surgery.
The liver surgery and liver transplantation took place as planned and proceeded smoothly after surgery. We have shared our experience about this case in a prestigious international pediatric organ transplant magazine that was just approved in early 2025.
What does the doctor consider the greatest achievement he has achieved in his career?
- Up to this point, the biggest achievement I have seen is building a team of personnel with many specialized specialties that can coordinate smoothly to perform regular liver transplant surgery at Children's Hospital 2.
Doctors' expectations for the development of the organ transplant industry in Vietnam in general and Children's Hospital 2 in particular?
- At the end of 2024 and the beginning of 2025, organ transplant surgeries will be performed more regularly, by the National Organ Transplant Coordination Center in coordination with many hospitals across the country.
I hope that 2025 will be a turning point in helping organ collection and transplantation in Vietnam in general and Children's Hospital 2 in particular reach important milestones such as the number of donated organs from brain-dead donors, the number of cases of organ transplants from brain-dead donors, the number of liver donations distributed to patients, multi-organ transplants...
Organ transplants in general and liver transplants in particular across the country will enter an "explosive" phase, starting from the beginning of this year.
Thank you, doctor!
