The medical team performing the liver transplant surgery on the patient. — Photo courtesy of the 108 Military Central Hospital

HÀ NỘI — The family of a 41-year-old man who died in a traffic accident saved at least three seriously ill people after agreeing to donate the man's organs. His liver donation helped save the lives of a soldier and a baby with end-stage liver failure.

On the afternoon of June 23, the National Organ Transplant Coordination Centre reported a brain-dead patient at E Hospital in Hà Nội, who was killed in a traffic accident. The patient's family agreed to donate organs to help the other patients in need.

A liver removal team from the Hà Nội-based 108 Military Central Hospital quickly went to Hospital E to coordinate the liver removal surgery, and transferred the organ to the 108 Military Central Hospital at 2am on June 24.

The team of doctors at the 108 Central Military Hospital performed an overnight liver transplant to prolong the life of a soldier with multifocal hepatocellular carcinoma and a background of cirrhosis due to hepatitis B, who was indicated for a liver transplant.

After four hours of surgery, the transplant of part of the donor's liver was completed successfully. The liver recipient was fully awake and was transferred to the Department of Surgical Resuscitation and Organ Transplantation for continued monitoring and treatment.

Meanwhile, the left lobe of the brain-dead donor's liver was donated to a child patient at Vinmec International Hospital, his heart was transferred to the Việt Đức Friendship Hospital for transplantation, and his cornea was transferred to the Central Eye Hospital.

Major General and Professor Dr Lê Hữu Song, Director of 108 Central Military Hospital, said: “Organ transplantation is a professional matter, but organ donation is a humane act, a story of conscience contributing to building a humane and compassionate society.

"Brain-dead organ donors, to us, not only leave this life but also leave behind a part of their body to continue living, to continue contributing to another person's body. We would like to express our gratitude for this noble act of the donor and his family." — VNS