Surgeons perform an organ transplant at Việt Đức Hospital. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — For the first time in its history, doctors at Việt Đức Hospital in Hà Nội successfully carried out 23 organ transplants within 13 days.

Three heard, four liver and 16 kidney transplants were performed between August 30 and September 12.

The hospital say all the patients who received the new organs are recovering well following surgery.

Many of the live transplants were conducted on relatives of patients needing new organs.

A nurse takes care of a patient who underwent an organ transplant at Việt Đức Hospital. — Photo suckhoedoisong.vn

A 33-year-old man from the central province of Thanh Hoá underwent a six-hour heart transplant surgery on September 11 after doctors found a heart donated by a brain dead donor was suitable.

The donor was a young man suffering from serious traumatic brain injury and his family agreed to donate his heart, liver and kidneys on September 10.

The recipient has end-stage heart failure with underlying condition of dilated cardiomyopathy for five years.

During his treatment, dangerous arrhythmias occurred many times, requiring electric shock treatment, posing high risk of fatality.

A heart transplant was the only chance to save his life.

The surgery was performed by Ass. Prof. Nguyễn Hữu Ước – Chief of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Center who faced difficulties as the patient’s heart was enlarged because of his illness.

Another donated heart was given to a 52-year-old man who was found to have dilated cardiomyopathy since 2006 which caused end-staged heart failure since 2013.

The patient had to stay at hospital, waiting for heart transplantation due to his health condition.

He eventually received a heart from a 30-year-old man who was unable to recover from a traffic accident.

Until now, both patients are recovering well.

From August 12 to August 18, Việt Đức Hospital made a record of 15 successful organ transplants including 10 organs donated from brain dead donors and five from living donors.

Former director of the hospital Nguyễn Tiến Quyết said that cost for organ transplantation in Việt Nam was one third of those conducted in other countries in the region and in the world.

Patients paid VNĐ200-300 million (US$8,600-13,000) for a kidney transplantation at Việt Đức Hospital but about $35,000 in hospitals elsewhere in Asia.

The first liver transplant from brain dead donor at Việt Đức Hospital cost VNĐ500 million but it could cost up to VNĐ1-1.5 billion if conducted overseas.

As Vietnamese surgeons have now mastered techniques, medical costs are reasonable. It is expected more people would be willing to donate organs to save lives, Quyết said.

“It’s so sad to see patients longing for organ transplantation because of unavailable organs. Some died because they cannot wait,” he said. —VNS