5 consecutive lives revived thanks to liver transplants on National Day September 2

(Chinhphu.vn) - In the last week of August, doctors at 108 Central Military Hospital successfully performed 5 liver transplants from living donors, saving 5 patients with acute liver failure and liver cancer.

In the joyful atmosphere of the whole country celebrating National Day September 2, in a small corner of the 108 Central Military Hospital, the lights of the operating room are still on all night long with the hearts persistently fighting for the lives of patients with acute liver failure, liver cancer...

5 consecutive liver transplants in 1 week at 108 Military Central Hospital

5 consecutive liver transplants in 1 week

In just one week, doctors at the 108 Military Central Hospital simultaneously performed 5 liver transplants, including planned liver transplants, emergency liver transplants, and liver transplants from living donors. Performing 5 consecutive liver transplants in one week not only requires high technical expertise but also requires smooth coordination between many departments, from organ donation coordination, anesthesia, resuscitation to post-operative care.

A 19-year-old man in Bac Ninh did not hesitate to sign a consent form to donate part of his liver to his father who was suffering from acute liver failure and hepatic encephalopathy stage III. For about 2 weeks now, Mr. NHV (the donor's father) has been feeling tired, had a poor appetite, increased jaundice, and dull abdominal pain.

The patient was diagnosed with acute liver failure on the basis of chronic hepatitis B, and received medical treatment at a lower-level hospital for 4 days without improvement. The patient was transferred to the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases for treatment from August 13 and was treated with antibiotics, liver function support, and plasma exchange twice.

However, the patient's condition worsened, and he was in a hepatic coma and was intubated on August 21. He was then transferred to the 108 Military Central Hospital, where he received plasma exchange on August 22 and intensive treatment.

"My father's condition was very serious, time was pressing and all family members had done tests, however only my mother and I were suitable. But because my mother had just given birth to a baby more than 2 months ago, I did not hesitate and signed the consent form to donate part of my liver to my father," the son shared about his decision to donate his liver to his father.

On August 24, doctors successfully performed a liver transplant for patient NHV.

" The image of my father in a coma haunts my mind. I was afraid he would never wake up again, because I had not yet had time to show my gratitude to him. Now, seeing him awake after the liver transplant, I feel extremely happy and moved ."

The health of both the donor and the liver transplant recipient are progressing well.

Another story is about a 60-year-old male patient in Ninh Binh who was diagnosed with multifocal recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma 2 years after surgery. In 2023, the patient had surgery for hepatocellular carcinoma. The patient went for a routine health check-up and discovered a recurrence of the liver tumor, no fever, no abdominal pain, no jaundice, no bowel disorders.

Lieutenant Colonel, Associate Professor, Dr. Vu Van Quang, Deputy Head of the Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, 108 Central Military Hospital, said that the patient was diagnosed with left liver cancer 2 years ago and had undergone laparoscopic left liver resection surgery. The patient 's periodic check-up discovered a recurrence of the liver tumor. in the remaining liver and was advised to have a liver transplant.

However, performing liver transplantation in patients who have had previous liver resections is often more complicated and difficult because of adhesions from previous surgery , and the left vascular and biliary systems have been resected, making the shaping and performing of anastomoses particularly difficult.

With high expertise and modern techniques, after liver transplantation, the health of both the recipient and donor is stable and closely monitored and evaluated.

These are 2 of the 5 critically ill patients, on the brink of death, now recovering well. This is a precious gift for military doctors.

"Nothing is more sacred than the independence of a nation and nothing is more precious than the moment of seeing a sick person revived once again, freed from illness," Associate Professor, Dr. Vu Van Quang emotionally shared.

The donated liver was obtained laparoscopically.

According to the 108 Military Central Hospital, all liver transplants last week involved doctors taking liver grafts from donors using laparoscopic surgery to transplant them into recipients. This is one of the most complex surgical techniques currently performed using laparoscopic surgery, requiring a high level of experience and modern, synchronous equipment and machinery.

This method brings many benefits to liver donors such as: minimally invasive intervention, better post-operative pain relief than open surgery, faster recovery time, high aesthetics while the results are equivalent to open surgery.

Since the first laparoscopic graft removal surgery in Vietnam was performed at 108 Military Central Hospital in November 2021 , the Hospital has successfully performed over 90 laparoscopic graft removal surgeries .

In the world , currently only a few Liver and Gallbladder Centers and Liver Transplant Centers in countries with developed medicine such as the US, Europe, Japan, and Korea can perform laparoscopic surgery to obtain liver transplants from living donors.

Since the liver transplant more than 8 years ago, 108 Military Central Hospital has been the center with the largest number of liver transplants from living donors in Southeast Asia, implementing many types of transplants: emergency liver transplants, planned liver transplants, blood group incompatible liver transplants, laparoscopic surgery to remove liver grafts from donors, laparoscopic surgery to support liver transplants in recipients, liver transplants for adults, children...

HM

Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/lien-tiep-5-cuoc-doi-hoi-sinh-nho-ghep-gan-dip-quoc-khanh-2-9-102250831093904829.htm