Doctors at Hue Central Hospital pay tribute and observe a moment of silence for the brain-dead donor. Photo: Provided by the Hospital

According to the hospital, the transplant procedures were carried out continuously from April 16th to 18th, including heart, liver, kidney, and corneal transplants. The entire process involved the coordinated efforts of nearly 200 medical staff across multiple specialties, from clinical to paraclinical, forming a large-scale medical “campaign” requiring high precision and responsibility.

Earlier, on April 15th, the hospital’s Organ Transplant Center received notification from the family of patient M.D.T (44, residing in Hue) consenting to organ donation after their relative could not be saved. The patient had been admitted with severe traumatic brain injury due to an accident, in deep coma with a very poor prognosis. Despite doctors’ efforts, the condition showed no improvement.

 Transporting the brain-dead donor to the operating room

After the professional council confirmed brain death on April 16th, the organ donation and transplantation process was urgently activated. The hospital coordinated with the National Coordination Center for Human Organ Transplantation to select the most suitable recipients from the waiting list, ensuring transparency and effectiveness.

At 8:45 p.m. the same day, following an emotional moment of silence in tribute to the donor, surgical teams simultaneously began operations in five operating rooms. Doctors and nurses worked through the night with urgency and intense focus to optimize the “golden time” for transplantation.

The operation’s results showed many positive signs. The heart transplant patient (P.M.D, residing in Hue) regained consciousness, could eat, and maintained stable cardiac function with an ejection fraction above 60%. The liver transplant patient (T.M.S, from Lam Dong Province) recovered well, with liver function indicators returning to normal. Two kidney transplant patients (N.M.C from Quang Tri Province and T.V.P from Da Nang) also showed clear improvement, with stabilized urine output and improved kidney function. Notably, two corneal transplant patients (N.V.L from Nghe An Province and V.T.H from Quang Tri Province), who had previously lost their vision completely, regained partial sight and were discharged after just two days.

 Monitoring and caring for patients after the transplant

Within just one week, Hue Central Hospital successfully performed 14 tissue and organ transplants, including many complex cases from brain-dead donors. This demonstrates increasingly solid professional capacity, as well as effective organization and coordination among hospital units.

Behind this medical success is a deeply moving story of compassion. The noble gesture of the donor and their family has transformed loss into hope for many others. When one life ends, many others are given the chance to continue.

A hospital representative expressed deep gratitude to the donor’s family, emphasizing that each decision to donate organs not only saves lives but also spreads a powerful humanitarian message, encouraging the community to join hands for life. The success of this multi-organ transplant once again highlights the profound significance of organ and tissue donation—an act small in scale but immense in its value to society.

By THANH HUONG