Successfully performed the first partial artificial heart transplant in Vietnam

On April 12, 108 Military Central Hospital announced that its doctors had successfully performed the first third-generation partial artificial heart transplant (LVAD - Heart Mate3) in Vietnam. This is an important milestone, bringing Vietnamese medicine closer to the most advanced medical systems in the world.

In March 2025, female patient HTX (46 years old, in Thanh Hoa) came for examination and was diagnosed by doctors with severe heart failure (EF only 19%) due to dilated cardiomyopathy, combined with dangerous complications such as old cerebral infarction and right subclavian artery occlusion.

According to the patient, she was diagnosed with end-stage heart failure and treated with the best medications for many years, but her health condition did not improve, she had acute shortness of breath, and a large amount of pleural effusion that required emergency hospitalization.

The patient was consulted both domestically and internationally and was prescribed a third-generation left ventricular assist device (LVAD), the latest generation to replace the left side of the heart. The device acts as a mechanical pump, pumping blood from the heart to the aorta, with a special structure and operating mechanism that optimizes the blood flow, while minimizing the risk of thrombosis and hemolysis; the device has a wire connected to an external battery. The device has been proven to prolong the time and quality of life for patients with late-stage heart failure.

The surgery was performed by doctors from the 108 Military Central Hospital and under the guidance of Professor Jan D. Schmitto - President of the European Society of Mechanical Circulation, the first person in the world to successfully implant LVAD-Heart Mate3 to treat end-stage heart failure in 2014. After 11 years, the patient is still living normally.

The surgery took 4 hours. After 2 weeks of implantation, the patient was able to walk and perform personal activities completely stably and was being instructed in professional care procedures to prepare for discharge.

Dr. Dang Viet Duc - Deputy Director of the Institute of Cardiology said that the third generation left ventricular assist device (LVAD-Heart Mate3) is one of the most advanced and high-tech techniques in the field of cardiology, especially in the treatment of patients with severe heart failure. With the ability to support and replace the pumping function of the left ventricle, the device will improve blood flow to organs in the body, helping patients maintain a normal life.

Doctors monitor the patient's health after surgery. (Photo: PV/Vietnam+)

This success opens up opportunities for thousands of patients with end-stage heart failure, because their only option is to wait for a heart transplant, and although the source of donated organs has improved, it is still extremely limited compared to the number of people waiting for transplants.

Sharing after 2 weeks of transplant, patient HTX shared: “Before, every time I was hospitalized, I was very scared because I didn’t know when my heart would stop beating. I am truly grateful to the doctors, nurses, hospital staff and experts who have regenerated my heart. I feel very healthy and look forward to the day I can be discharged from the hospital.”

The successful implementation of this transplant marks an important turning point in the field of cardiovascular surgery in Vietnam, affirming the solid professional capacity and the right investment and direction strategy in the high-tech development strategy of the Hospital. This is also the premise for replicating and spreading the technical development model not only limited to a number of key specialties but also promoting all other specialties, promoting multi-specialty connections in scientific research and application of advanced techniques to increasingly better meet the needs of examination and treatment of patients.

The Party Committee and Board of Directors of 108 Central Military Hospital have decided to invest and pay more than 5 billion VND/patient for the first patients to receive partial artificial heart transplants.

108 Central Military Hospital is the first hospital in Vietnam currently licensed to routinely perform left ventricular assist device placement in accordance with regulations of the Ministry of Health and the Military Medical Department/Ministry of National Defense.

There have been tens of thousands of successful cases of partial artificial heart transplants in the world in general and the Heartmate 3 device in particular. Many patients have lived up to 15 years.

Previously, the Hospital proactively oriented its strategy, choosing the world's leading center for this technique, the Hannover Medical University Hospital (Germany), with a team of 04 doctors (02 cardiologists, 01 cardiologist and 01 anesthesiologist) who were fully funded by the Hospital during their study here, under the direct guidance of Professor Jan D. Schmitto - the world's leading professor in performing this technique and the person who performed the first case in the world./.

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/thuc-hien-thanh-cong-ca-ghep-tim-nhan-tao-ban-phan-lan-dau-tien-tai-viet-nam-post1027289.vnp