A medical staff monitor the infant's health following the liver transplant. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Vinmec International Healthcare System said it has successfully performed a landmark liver transplant on an eight-month-old infant weighing only 6.5kg, using a donor liver from a brain-dead patient.

This is the first time a private hospital in Việt Nam has successfully carried out such a complex liver transplant on one of the youngest and lightest pediatric patients in the country’s history.

The child, N.L.T, was diagnosed with end-stage cirrhosis caused by biliary atresia. Despite undergoing a Kasai procedure at just 1.5 months old, the infant’s liver function continued to deteriorate.

The baby was hospitalised every one to two weeks with worsening symptoms, including abdominal swelling, an enlarged spleen, fluid buildup, and struggles with breathing due to liver compression on the diaphragm. Liver transplantation became the only viable treatment option.

When a compatible donor liver became available from a brain-dead donor at Hà Nội-based Bạch Mai Hospital, Vinmec convened a multidisciplinary medical council, chaired by Assoc. Prof. Phạm Đức Huấn, to activate an urgent transplant protocol.

Given the patient’s small size and complex medical history, the surgery presented significant challenges in anesthesia, critical care and surgical technique.

Assoc. Prof. Lê Văn Thành, Senior Advisor to Vinmec’s Liver Transplant Programme and one of Việt Nam’s leading transplant experts, said the 10-hour operation required meticulous, minute-by-minute coordination. The procedure involved tackling severe coagulation disorders, complex anatomical reconstruction, and intricate vascular work due to the child’s prior health complications.

Immediately after the anesthesia wore off, the baby let out a strong cry – a powerful signal of recovery after months of critical illness. As of now, the child is recovering well, with improved liver function, and is eating and sleeping normally.

The baby’s mother was overwhelmed: “For the first time in eight months, my child cried with strength after enduring so much. In that moment, it felt like a new life had begun.”

Doctors perform the liver transplant surgery on the patient. VNA/VNS Photo

Dr Huấn also emphasised the logistical complexity of the case, as the donor was a multi-organ brain-dead patient who contributed heart, lungs, liver, and corneas. This demanded precise coordination across various surgical and logistical teams, adhering to strict technical and time-sensitive standards.

Vinmec has successfully performed several high-risk transplants, including those for children under 10 kilogrammes, patients with acute liver failure on top of chronic liver disease, those with blood type incompatibility, and patients undergoing a third liver transplant. Vinmec has also dealt with complex anatomical variations in both donors and recipients.

Vinmec remains the only private hospital in Việt Nam capable of performing both living and deceased donor liver transplants and currently ranks second nationwide in terms of total living donor liver transplants performed.

Over the past three decades, Việt Nam’s medical sector has made remarkable strides in organ transplantation, now leading Southeast Asia in the number of transplants performed annually. To date, the country has carried out more than 9,000 organ transplants. — VNS