(Hanoi, 16th) Vietnam's achievements in the field of organ transplantation have gained international recognition, making the country one of the few in the world capable of performing the most complex multi-organ transplants, according to VNA (Vietnam News Agency).
In mid-August this year, Viet Duc University Hospital announced that its medical team had successfully completed the country's first heart-lung transplant, marking an important breakthrough in the nation's medical field.
Hospital Director Professor Duong Duc Hung said: "This success allows us to proudly place Vietnam's red flag on the world map of multi-organ transplantation."
He stated that this is not only a major leap forward in Vietnam's medical capabilities, but also brings new hope to patients with end-stage organ failure.
Vietnam's organ transplantation started late, but has made remarkable progress in the past 30 years.
The country's first kidney transplant was performed in 1992 at the 103 Military Hospital, marking the beginning of Vietnam's journey in organ transplantation.
In the early days, due to limited legal and social support for brain-dead organ donation, most surgeries involved living donor kidney and liver transplants.
The year 2010 became a turning point when Vietnamese doctors completed the country's first heart transplant from a brain-dead donor, a milestone in Vietnam's medical history.
By 2020, Vietnamese medicine had achieved two world-class accomplishments: Southeast Asia's first limb transplant and the world's first limb transplant from a living donor, both performed by the 108 Central Military Hospital.
In the same year, the 103 Military Hospital completed its first two intestinal transplants, enabling Vietnam to transplant the six major organs, including kidney, liver, heart, combined pancreatic-kidney, lung, and intestine.
This progress placed Vietnam among about 20 countries worldwide that have mastered such advanced technologies.
According to VNA, in 2024, Viet Duc University Hospital achieved yet another breakthrough by successfully performing simultaneous heart and liver transplants. Such procedures had previously only been carried out in a few advanced countries such as the United States and those in Europe. This year, the hospital made history again, completing the nation's first heart-lung transplant, one of the most complex surgeries in global medicine.
Globally, such surgeries are extremely rare—only about 100 cases per year—because suitable organs for transplantation are scarce and the risk of surgical complications is very high.
However, survival rates have significantly improved: the 90-day post-surgery survival rate for heart-lung transplants in the UK is about 85%, and the one-year rate is around 72%; in the US, the one-year survival rate is nearly 90%.
The report notes that Dr. Ha Anh Duc, Director of the Department of Medical Service Administration at Vietnam's Ministry of Health, stated that these accomplishments are not only a source of pride for Vietnam's medical system, but also fully demonstrate that Vietnamese doctors are capable of overcoming challenges previously considered "impossible."
In mid-August this year, Viet Duc University Hospital announced that its medical team had successfully completed the country's first heart-lung transplant, marking an important breakthrough in the nation's medical field.
Hospital Director Professor Duong Duc Hung said: "This success allows us to proudly place Vietnam's red flag on the world map of multi-organ transplantation."
He stated that this is not only a major leap forward in Vietnam's medical capabilities, but also brings new hope to patients with end-stage organ failure.
Vietnam's organ transplantation started late, but has made remarkable progress in the past 30 years.
In the early days, due to limited legal and social support for brain-dead organ donation, most surgeries involved living donor kidney and liver transplants.
The year 2010 became a turning point when Vietnamese doctors completed the country's first heart transplant from a brain-dead donor, a milestone in Vietnam's medical history.
By 2020, Vietnamese medicine had achieved two world-class accomplishments: Southeast Asia's first limb transplant and the world's first limb transplant from a living donor, both performed by the 108 Central Military Hospital.
In the same year, the 103 Military Hospital completed its first two intestinal transplants, enabling Vietnam to transplant the six major organs, including kidney, liver, heart, combined pancreatic-kidney, lung, and intestine.
This progress placed Vietnam among about 20 countries worldwide that have mastered such advanced technologies.
According to VNA, in 2024, Viet Duc University Hospital achieved yet another breakthrough by successfully performing simultaneous heart and liver transplants. Such procedures had previously only been carried out in a few advanced countries such as the United States and those in Europe. This year, the hospital made history again, completing the nation's first heart-lung transplant, one of the most complex surgeries in global medicine.
Globally, such surgeries are extremely rare—only about 100 cases per year—because suitable organs for transplantation are scarce and the risk of surgical complications is very high.
However, survival rates have significantly improved: the 90-day post-surgery survival rate for heart-lung transplants in the UK is about 85%, and the one-year rate is around 72%; in the US, the one-year survival rate is nearly 90%.
The report notes that Dr. Ha Anh Duc, Director of the Department of Medical Service Administration at Vietnam's Ministry of Health, stated that these accomplishments are not only a source of pride for Vietnam's medical system, but also fully demonstrate that Vietnamese doctors are capable of overcoming challenges previously considered "impossible."