First child patient in Vietnam receives kidney from brain-dead donor

Dinh Viet Huy is cared for by medical staff at the Nhi Dong 2 Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City (Photo: VNA)

Dinh Viet Huy from Lam Dong province, who suffers from end-stage kidney failure, is the first child patient in Vietnam to receive a kidney from a brain-dead donor.  

According to Dr Trinh Huu Tung, Director of Nhi Dong 2 Hospital, the kidney from the 43-year-old donor was transported from Viet Duc Hospital in Hanoi to HCM City by air on December 12. The operation was conducted at 21:00 the same day. 

On December 24, the child patient is in stable conditions and is able to urinate 4 litres of urine a day. Doctors said he can return to school in six months. 

Prof. Tran Dong A, an advisor on organ transplant at Nhi Dong 2 Hospital said the successful use of an organ from a brain-dead donor for a child patient opens up opportunities to save the lives of many children suffering from fatal diseases. Vietnam’s law does not allow the donation of viscera from under-18 children./.

VNA