Vinmec successfully transplanted liver into 8-month-old patient from brain-dead donor

This is the first time the hospital has successfully performed a liver transplant on one of the youngest and lightest pediatric patients ever in Vietnam. This success continues to affirm Vinmec's top-notch expertise and synchronous operating system in the field of complex organ transplantation.

The special liver transplant was for an 8-month-old patient, NLT, who suffered from end-stage cirrhosis due to congenital biliary atresia. Despite undergoing Kasai surgery at 1.5 months of age, the patient's liver function did not improve. The patient had to be hospitalized every 1-2 weeks in an increasingly serious condition, with abdominal distension, enlarged spleen, ascites, and difficulty breathing due to the liver compressing the diaphragm. Liver transplantation is the only treatment option.

Associate Professor, Dr. Le Van Thanh - a leading expert in the field of liver transplantation in Vietnam presided over the surgery.

When a suitable liver source was available from a brain-dead donor at Bach Mai Hospital, the Vinmec Expert Council chaired by Associate Professor, Dr. Pham Duc Huan urgently activated the interdisciplinary coordination process to perform the transplant. This was a very difficult surgery, not only because of the patient's extremely low weight but also because of the patient's long medical history. The Vinmec medical team made a detailed plan, preparing the most optimal and safest options for anesthesia, resuscitation, and especially liver transplant techniques.

"The surgery lasted more than 10 hours and was successful, with each step performed precisely and rhythmically down to the minute" - Associate Professor, Dr. Le Van Thanh - Senior Advisor of the Liver Transplant Program of Vinmec Healthcare System, a leading expert in the field of liver transplantation in Vietnam shared.

Dr. Dao Duc Dung is the main surgeon.

Dr. Dao Duc Dung, Hepatobiliary Surgeon, Department of Gastroenterology - Hepatobiliary - Urology, Vinmec Times City International General Hospital - the main surgeon of the surgery - said: "With the patient's medical history, the surgery poses very difficult problems regarding blood clotting disorders, anatomy, and vascular reconstruction".

Team of experts and doctors in surgery.

Immediately after the anesthesia ended, the patient cried healthily - a strong sign of recovery after a life-threatening journey. Currently, the baby's health is progressing positively, eating and sleeping well, and liver function has gradually improved.

Baby T was able to meet his mother after the surgery had positive results.

"My child cried after the transplant - the first strong cry after 8 months of fighting the disease. I was also silent for a moment, because to me, it was the cry of a rebirth," the patient's mother emotionally shared.

The extremely difficult liver transplant not only marked a breakthrough in organ transplant techniques in Vietnam but also left an impression on the smooth and scientific coordination between units inside and outside Vinmec to make the most of the "golden time" when the liver was removed from the donor's body.

Associate Professor, Dr. Pham Duc Huan said: "The donor is a brain-dead case who donated many organs (heart, lungs, liver, corneas), so the entire process of organ retrieval - transportation - transplantation requires close, continuous coordination and strict adherence to technical and time aspects."

Associate Professor, Dr. Pham Duc Huan, Director of Vinmec Times City Digestive - Hepatobiliary - Urological Center, Chairman of the Liver Transplant Council.

Liver transplantation is a difficult technique but has been implemented and fully mastered by Vinmec since 2017, successfully performing many challenging transplants, such as: liver transplantation for children under 10kg, transplantation for patients with acute liver failure on the basis of chronic liver disease, patients with incompatible blood groups, patients undergoing a third liver transplant and especially cases with anatomical changes in the blood vessels, bile ducts of the liver, or anatomical changes in the liver donor. Vinmec is also a private medical unit in Vietnam that can perform liver transplantation from living donors and ranks second in the country in the number of this type of transplant.

With an academic medical orientation, a team of leading experts and equipment - operating rooms on par with major medical centers in the world - Vinmec not only responds well to complex liver transplants but also pioneers in successfully treating many rare cases with very high difficulty. Typically, the case of simultaneous replacement of the pelvis and femur with 3D printed bones; the case of chest wall reconstruction with 3D printed titanium; the case of treating pseudotumor caused by metal poisoning from artificial joints; the case of treating retroperitoneal Castleman disease or autoimmune encephalitis with stem cell therapy...

Up to now, after 12 years of establishment and development, Vinmec has become the largest private multidisciplinary healthcare system in Vietnam with 9 hospitals and 4 clinics in many provinces and cities across the country. Of which, Vinmec has 2 hospitals that meet JCI (USA) standards, which are safety standards for the purpose of improving the quality of patient care, while developing more and more clearly in the direction of academic medicine - serving people.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/suc-khoe/vinmec-ghep-gan-thanh-cong-cho-benh-nhi-8-thang-tuoi-tu-nguoi-hien-chet-nao-20250507171529236.htm