As Tet approaches, more than 200 medical staff at the University Medical Center Ho Chi Minh City worked tirelessly through the night to harvest and transplant organs from a brain-dead donor, giving the gift of life to four patients.

A race against time to save lives

On January 26, Associate Professor Nguyen Hoang Bac, Director of the University Medical Center Ho Chi Minh City, announced the successful transplantation of four organs from a brain-dead donor.

The donor, who had been in critical condition and received intensive care, was declared brain-dead after specialized evaluation. The family made the selfless decision to donate their loved one’s organs, ensuring others could live.

On January 24, a multi-disciplinary team led by Associate Professor Bac convened to plan the complex organ retrieval and transplantation process. The team carefully reviewed the medical conditions of potential recipients on the waiting list to ensure compatibility with the donated organs.

By 8 p.m. the same day, over 200 medical staff began the delicate procedure of harvesting the organs.

A gift of life for four patients

The heart was successfully transplanted into a 12-year-old boy suffering from restrictive cardiomyopathy, a severe condition that limits the heart’s ability to pump blood.

The liver was given to a patient with hepatocellular carcinoma, a type of liver cancer, while the two kidneys were transplanted into two end-stage renal failure patients.

"We extend our deepest gratitude to the donor’s family for their courageous decision amidst their grief. Their generosity has not only saved lives but also exemplifies the beauty of human compassion," Associate Professor Bac remarked.

This achievement follows another recent success at the University Medical Center Ho Chi Minh City, where organs from a brain-dead donor saved six patients.

In that case, the heart and two corneas were transported to Hue Central Hospital, where they were transplanted into two patients. Meanwhile, the liver and two kidneys were transplanted into patients with liver cancer and end-stage renal failure at the University Medical Center Ho Chi Minh City.

Linh Thuy