Organs taken from 2 brain-dead people saved 8 lives

According to information from the Ministry of Health , in late 2023, the Organ Transplant Consulting and Coordination Unit (CCO) at the Organ Transplant Center, Viet Duc Friendship Hospital received information from the Emergency clinic about 2 cases of patients with severe traumatic brain injury.

The Provincial People's Committee quickly met and shared with the families of the two patients N. (25 years old, Thai Nguyen) and PVG (32 years old, Phu Tho ).

Take the bones from 2 dead people to save 8 people, picture 1 — Organ donation is a noble act that has revived the lives of many patients (photo TL).

Both patients had a motorbike traffic accident and were transferred to Viet Duc Friendship Hospital by the lower level medical center in a state of severe traumatic brain injury, deep coma, Glasgow 3 points.

After hearing the doctor explain the patient's condition, the families of both patients were heartbroken, especially the family of patient PVG who initially asked to take the patient home. Then, when the topic of organ donation after brain death was mentioned, the families of both patients understood that organ donation could save many other lives, so they decided to agree to donate organs and tissues.

After intensive treatment and resuscitation, the doctors tried their best to find a last chance to live for the two patients, but the family did not have a miracle. A brain death assessment board was established, and three brain death tests were performed, all with positive results.

The Hospital Council and Board of Directors announced that the two patients were brain dead. All professional processes and legal procedures were quickly completed.

The Hospital Board of Directors directed the transplant operation with the participation of many specialized units such as: Organ Transplant Center, Cardiovascular and Thoracic Center, Surgical Anesthesia and Resuscitation Center, Department of Pathology and other related departments - offices - divisions. The patient was taken to the operating room and before the tissue and organ removal; the team of doctors and medical staff held a memorial ceremony, thanking the patient for donating his tissue and organs to save other patients.

Two major surgeries were performed consecutively within 24 hours at 8:40 p.m. on January 3 and 9:30 a.m. on January 4.

Donated organs and tissues of the 2 patients included: 2 hearts, 2 livers, 4 kidneys, 2 iliac veins, 2 tracheas, 4 corneas, and 11 tendons.

At the same time, the recipient patient is also being prepared for the transplant. All the developments during the surgery are carried out according to the procedure.

The National Coordination Center for Human Organ Transplantation quickly coordinated 2 corneas, 1 liver to the 108 Military Central Hospital and 2 corneas to the Central Eye Hospital to promptly revive many new lives.

According to the National Coordination Center for Human Organ Transplantation, there are currently tens of thousands of people in our country who need tissue and organ transplants to sustain their lives, but they cannot do so because there is not enough tissue and organ resources for transplant.

From the donated organs of patients N. (25 years old, Thai Nguyen) and PVG (32 years old, Phu Tho), 8 people were revived. Of these, 2 patients received heart transplants, 2 patients received liver transplants and 4 patients received kidney transplants.

Since 2010, Viet Duc Friendship Hospital has performed 59 heart transplants, 88 liver transplants, 185 kidney transplants and many other tissue transplants.

Tissue and organ transplantation is one of the important achievements of the medical industry in treating diseases, especially for patients with chronic and serious diseases due to impaired and irreversible function of tissues and organs such as: chronic kidney failure, liver, heart, bone marrow, corneal damage...

Successful organ transplants from brain-dead donors open up opportunities for a new life for many patients and promote the development of organ transplants in the Vietnamese medical sector.

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