Nghe An: Mother donates 60% of liver to save her child from "death's door"

(Baonghean) - Ms. Huyen collapsed on the day she received the news that her son had severe cirrhosis. The mother donated 60% of her liver in exchange for her son's life. The successful liver transplant brought her family boundless happiness.

Resurrection from mother's liver

Two weeks after the liver transplant surgery, the health of Ms. Phan Thi Huyen (41 years old) and her son Duong Ngoc Toan (born in 1999, residing in Yen Thanh district, Nghe An province) have both improved. During the farewell ceremony for the patient on the afternoon of June 15, the congratulations from the doctors at Vinmec Times City International General Hospital (IGH) made the mother and son even more emotional.

The liver transplant surgery team congratulated Huyen and her son Toan on the day of discharge from the hospital.

On the happy day of her discharge from the hospital, Ms. Huyen still vividly remembered the past 3 years of hardship. While taking her son to the doctor at the end of 2014, the doctors discovered that Toan (then 15 years old) had severe cirrhosis. “We took him to many places for treatment but could not completely cure the disease, the whole family almost lost all hope,” she recalled. Toan himself was also desperate as his health gradually deteriorated.

At the most desperate moment, Ms. Huyen and her child were referred by a doctor from a leading hospital in Hanoi to Vinmec Times City International General Hospital for treatment support. Ms. Huyen immediately brought her child here in early April 2017, once again hoping that her child would have a chance to recover. After examining Toan, Vinmec Times City doctors determined that due to not receiving treatment for a long time, Toan's cirrhosis was in the late stage, and the optimal solution was a liver transplant.

Luck once again smiled on the mother and son when all test results showed that the mother's liver was suitable for transplant to Toan. "With such a way to save my child, if necessary, I am willing to give my whole liver to him" - Ms. Huyen emotionally shared.

The patient is free of cirrhosis and has good health recovery.

After all the necessary preparations, Toan's liver transplant was performed in early June 2017 at Vinmec Times City International Hospital. The liver transplant involved a team of 18 experts, doctors, and leading technicians in the field of organ transplants at the hospital and lasted 7 hours without any problems. The doctors took 60% of the mother's entire liver volume (equivalent to 500 grams) to transplant to her child.

Toan's liver transplant took place at Vinmec Times City Hospital in early June 2017.

Three days after surgery, the health of both mother and child began to recover well. Ms. Huyen's body gradually adapted to the condition of only 40% of the liver volume remaining, liver enzymes decreased, bile secretion function improved and gradually returned to normal activity. Meanwhile, her son's body gradually adapted to the new liver, vital signs gradually returned to the allowable limit, he began to walk and recover movement. 14 days after surgery, test results showed that Toan's cirrhosis had disappeared, and chronic liver disease was also thoroughly treated to maintain the life of the newly transplanted liver.

This is the second consecutive successful liver transplant at Vinmec Times City International General Hospital in the past 2 months. This special achievement helps Vinmec Times City become the first private hospital in Vietnam to master liver transplant techniques - one of the most complex techniques in the field of organ transplantation. These are also the latest cases among more than 20 liver transplants from living donors performed nationwide since 2004.

Professor Bui Duc Phu - Director of Vinmec Times City International General Hospital presented flowers to Ms. Huyen and her son on the day of discharge.

The success of Vinmec Times City Hospital marks a remarkable development of the private healthcare system in the context that Vietnam has a few public hospitals but only 2 hospitals that can perform routine liver transplants, with about 20 cases of liver transplants from living people. The demand for tissue and organ transplants, including liver transplants in Vietnam is currently very large and is increasing rapidly (with about 1,500 people waiting for liver transplants). Therefore, Vinmec's mastery of the most difficult technique in the field of organ transplants has opened up many new hopes and options for patients in the country.

PV