Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City has carried out more than 1,100 organ transplants over the past 30 years, with a high success rate equivalent to the figures recorded in other countries, said hospital director Nguyen Tri Thuc at its 30th kidneyversary on Thursday morning.

The event gathered representatives of Vietnam’s Ministry of Health, the municipal government, and leading experts on organ transplantation in the country.

Organ transplants record high success rates

Given the support of experts at home and abroad, the hospital managed to perform a kidney transplant in its first two cases on December 28 and 29, 1992, just a few days after the country’s first organ transplant was done, Thuc recalled.

This milestone helped lay a solid foundation for the strong growth of the hospital’s kidney and organ transplantation. The number of organ transplants has risen over time and exceeded 1,100 to date.

Cho Ray Hospital was also a pioneer in adopting measures to expand a source of donated kidneys. For instance, it conducted a kidney transplant from a brain-dead donor in 2008, from a non-heart-beating donor in 2015, a cross-over transplantation in 2017 or an ABO incompatible transplant in 2021, among others.

Besides, to develop its source of donated kidneys and create fairness in organ transplantation, the hospital set up a management unit for human organ transplantation in 2014, developing its kidney transplantation division into one of the country’s top kidney transplantation centers.

The hospital has adopted many new techniques to enhance its medical treatment quality, such as laparoscopy, robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery for kidney removal, and pre-emptive kidney transplantation, while developing protocols for treating and caring for post-transplantation patients.

The hospital has also made efforts to build successor teams, coordinate with many organ transplantation centers worldwide, and offer support to over 10 domestic centers to further advance kidney transplantation.

Donated organs are priceless presents

Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan said organ transplants would not have been done successfully without organ donors. The health official expressed his gratitude to those who have donated and will donate their tissues or organs to save many lives.

“Since the country’s first organ transplant was conducted in 1992 at Vietnam Military Medical University in Hanoi, organ transplantation has become a routine medical technique,” the deputy health minister said.

“Organ donation is like a priceless gift.

“It is not only a noble practice but also helps save thousands of people on the verge of death.”

Nguyen Truong Son, former Deputy Minister of Health, affirmed that organ transplantation techniques are really necessary for society. Organ transplantation is also deemed an invaluable asset and is the connection between the lives of brain-dead donors and those of the recipients.

Given organ transplantation results, Thuc said that the recipients could return to their normal life and continue to contribute to their families and society.

“Kidney transplantation is considered among the top 10 significant achievements of mankind in the 20th century,” the hospital director added.

Number of organ donors inches up

According to Deputy Minister of Health Thuan, the number of people registering for organ donation soared to 62,555 last year from only 265 in 2014, with Cho Ray Hospital recording the highest figure, at around 50 percent.

In the world, some 40,000 organ transplants are performed annually and around 460,000 people are living thanks to one or several donated organs.

At the event, the government of Ho Chi Minh City honored and presented certificates of merit to 17 professors, associate professors, and doctors for their contribution to laying the foundation for kidney transplantation at Cho Ray Hospital.

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