For the first time, Thong Nhat Hospital successfully transplanted a heart from a brain-dead donor.

At exactly 3:30 a.m. on October 18, Thong Nhat Hospital held a ceremony to honor organ donors, then performed surgery to remove organs and tissues - Photo: Provided by the hospital

On October 23, Thong Nhat Hospital (HCMC) held a press conference to inform about the organ harvesting and transplant from a brain-dead donor performed on October 18 with the cooperation of many units. This is the 4th organ donation case at the hospital, behind it is a touching story about a noble act and the spirit of sharing life.

From a mother's wish

Associate Professor, Dr. Do Kim Que - Deputy Director of Thong Nhat Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City - said the organ donor was a middle-aged woman who worked far from home. While working at night, she unfortunately had a serious traffic accident.

The patient was admitted to Thong Nhat Hospital with multiple injuries, including severe traumatic brain injury and lung contusion due to blunt chest trauma. At the emergency department, the patient suffered cardiac and respiratory arrest and was resuscitated by doctors to restore circulation.

Doctors tried their best for 3 days (from October 13 to 16), however, the patient's consciousness did not improve and his neurological function was assessed as very low.

Faced with this situation, the hospital's organ and tissue donation association received the information and the hospital's organ donation coordinator directly met and discussed with the patient's son to share about the situation and the noble meaning of organ donation.

"The son said that his mother had previously wished that if she were to die, she would donate her body to medical science," Associate Professor Que said emotionally, adding that the son had agreed to donate his mother's organs in case she was determined to be brain dead.

Thong Nhat Hospital quickly established a Brain Death Assessment Council and a Coordination Council for Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation, and notified the National Coordination Center for Human Organ Transplantation.

At 9:30 a.m. on October 17, the hospital director officially announced the patient was brain dead and ready for organ donation. The conclusion of the organ donation expert council determined that the heart, two kidneys, and two corneas were still eligible for donation, but the lungs and liver were damaged and not eligible for donation because the donor had many underlying medical conditions.

At 8:05 a.m. on October 18, the donor's heart beat again in the recipient's chest. This was the first heart transplant at Thong Nhat Hospital, with the support of Cho Ray Hospital and Hue Central Hospital - Photo: Provided by the hospital

Saved 5 lives

Associate Professor Do Kim Que said that at exactly 3:30 a.m. on October 18, Thong Nhat Hospital held a ceremony to honor organ donors, after which doctors from Thong Nhat, Cho Ray, Hue Central, and Gia Dinh People's Hospitals collected the organs and tissues.

One kidney and two corneas were donated to a patient awaiting a transplant at Hue Central Hospital . The remaining kidney was donated to a patient awaiting a transplant at Gia Dinh People's Hospital. The heart was donated to a patient with end-stage heart failure being treated at Thong Nhat Hospital.

At 8:05 a.m. on October 18, the donor's heart beat again in the recipient's chest (127 minutes after the heart was removed from the donor). This is the first heart transplant performed at Thong Nhat Hospital, with the support of Cho Ray Hospital and Hue Central Hospital.

The heart recipient is a 61-year-old male patient with severe heart failure, registered for a heart transplant at the National Organ Transplant Coordination Center and is being treated at Thong Nhat Hospital.

The patient regained consciousness 6 hours after surgery and was extubated 26 hours later. The patient is now able to move around on the spot and sends his gratitude to the donor and the medical team who saved his life.

Dr. Truong Quang Khanh - Head of the Arrhythmia Department, Thong Nhat Hospital - added that the patient's heart transplant was a "chance of survival". If the heart transplant was not performed promptly, the patient could die in less than a week.

As for the two kidneys and corneas, Associate Professor Que said they were safely transplanted to patients at Hue Central Hospital and Gia Dinh People's Hospital.

"Thanks to the direction of the Ministry of Health , the urgent, precise and humane coordination of hospitals, the National Organ Transplant Coordination Center, the traffic police force, and Vietnam Airlines, the organ donation and transplant were successfully performed, saving the lives and improving the quality of life for five other patients," Associate Professor Que concluded.

The donor's body was brought back to his hometown by Thong Nhat Hospital according to the wishes of the donor and his family at 11:30 on October 18.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/lan-dau-tien-benh-vien-thong-nhat-ghep-tim-thanh-cong-tu-nguoi-cho-chet-nao-2025102314382431.htm