Cho Ray Hospital successfully performed 7 organ transplants in 3 days, marking the first lung transplant in the South.

SKĐS - From November 7 to 9, 2025, the medical staff of Cho Ray Hospital worked day and night, coordinating with hospitals from the South to the North to retrieve and transplant 12 organs from two brain-dead donors, successfully performing 7 organ transplants, including the first lung transplant in the Southern region.

This is a significant milestone for Vietnamese medicine, not only affirming the professional competence of the medical team but also spreading profound humanitarian values ​​through the organ donation act of the two patients' families.

3 sleepless days and nights - 12 lives revived

At the information sharing session on November 10th, Dr. Pham Thanh Viet, Deputy Director in charge of Management and Operations at Cho Ray Hospital, stated: "For three consecutive days, the medical team at Cho Ray Hospital worked day and night to receive and transplant organs from two donors, giving life to 12 patients, including two heart transplants, four kidney transplants, two liver transplants, two lung transplants, and two corneal transplants. Notably, this is also the first lung transplant performed at Cho Ray Hospital and the first in the Southern region."

According to Dr. Pham Thanh Viet, this success is the result of close coordination among many units nationwide, from the National Organ Transplant Coordination Center, hospitals in all three regions, to transportation, aviation, and police agencies – to ensure that donated organs are transported safely and promptly to recipients.

The first organ donation case was a 49-year-old male patient, residing in Ho Chi Minh City, who was admitted to Cho Ray Hospital on November 6 with a severe brain injury due to a domestic accident.

After unsuccessful attempts to save him, the patient's family decided to donate his heart, lungs, two kidneys and two corneas to save those waiting for transplants.

Cho Ray Hospital's medical team performs a ceremony to honor organ donors. Photo: BVCC

Immediately after completing the legal procedures and evaluating the donated organs, Cho Ray Hospital promptly activated the entire professional process, coordinating with the National Organ Transplant Coordination Center to select a suitable recipient.

By the early morning of November 8th, four organ transplant surgeries at Cho Ray Hospital had been successfully completed , opening up new opportunities for patients. These included: a heart transplant for a 53-year-old male patient ( Can Tho ); two kidney transplants for a 48-year-old female patient (Dong Nai) and a 40-year-old male patient (Dong Thap); and notably, a lung transplant for a 39-year-old male patient (Ho Chi Minh City), marking a milestone in Cho Ray Hospital's organ transplant history as the first lung transplant in the Southern region.

Two corneas were transferred to Hue Central Hospital, helping two blind patients regain their sight.

The first lung transplant in the South also opened an important premise for complex organ transplant techniques. Photo: BVCC

Before they could rest, on the night of November 7, Cho Ray Hospital received information about another organ donation at Ba Ria General Hospital.

The donor was a 32-year-old male patient from Long Hai commune who suffered a severe traumatic brain injury in a traffic accident. After hearing the medical team assess the patient's chances of survival as 0%, the patient's relatives agreed to donate his heart, lungs, liver, and two kidneys to help other unfortunate patients with serious illnesses who are indicated for transplantation.

From an administrative standpoint, Cho Ray Hospital reported to the National Organ Transplant Coordination Center for the selection and coordination of donated organs according to regulations. The heart and two kidneys were allocated to Cho Ray Hospital, the liver was divided in half (one allocated to Hue and one to the University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City), and the lungs were allocated to the National Lung Institute.

Organ transport record – 64 minutes from Ba Ria to Ho Chi Minh City

Immediately after confirming the donor source, the National Organ Transplant Coordination Center, Ba Ria Hospital, Cho Ray Hospital, with the support of the Vietnam Civil Aviation Authority, Vietnam Airlines , and the Ho Chi Minh City Traffic Police, promptly implemented a plan to coordinate and transport the organ.

In just 64 minutes, the heart and two kidneys were transported to Cho Ray Hospital, arriving just in time for the "golden" time for transplantation into a heart failure patient.

"This is a record number in the history of organ transport in Vietnam" - said a representative of the Coordination Center.

One notable point is that the surgical team from the National Lung Institute did not have time to travel to the South to receive the organs.

Immediately, the surgical team of Cho Ray Hospital received, preserved and transported the lungs to Hanoi, ensuring absolute safety.

The success of these two consecutive organ donation and transplantation cases is a vivid testament to the compassion and dedication of Vietnamese medicine.

In particular, the first lung transplant performed at Cho Ray Hospital marked a significant turning point in the field of organ donation and transplantation in the South. This laid the foundation for further "miracles of recovery," giving a chance at life to many patients battling illness.

Source: https://suckhoedoisong.vn/benh-vien-cho-ray-thuc-hien-thanh-cong-7-ca-ghep-tang-trong-3-ngay-ghi-dau-ca-ghep-phoi-dau-tien-o-phia-nam-169251111071713141.htm