Connecting the heartbeat for the 9th Trans-Vietnam heart transplantion

The team of surgeons raced against time to bring the donated heart back to Hue

Previously, at 2:14 pm on July 5, right after receiving information from the Vietnam National Coordinating Center for Human Organ Transplantation, the organ transplant team of Hue Central Hospital was immediately activated. At 5:30 pm on the same day, the doctors brought the patient's blood sample on the flight to Hanoi.

The “special 160th passenger”

The organ coordination plan has been continuously changed due to the need to calculate the appropriate time of taking the heart and the flights on 6/7. As soon as the organ harvest surgery was officially planned at 17:20 pm, the Hanoi - Hue flight had only one last flight to take off at 19:35 pm, but the fact that the actual time to remove the heart from the patient’s ribcage was longer than expected made everyone nervous.

“The heart is coming out”, “The heart has got on the car”, “Has the heart left for the airport yet?”, “Hopefully it’s in time” are hasty and anxious messages from the director and organ transplant team of Hue Central Hospital. All efforts are made every minute, every second to bring the donated heart to Noi Bai airport on time.

Fortunately, Bamboo Airways has fully supported all flight procedures, even apologizing to passengers, to wait for the "heart" to fly back to Hue.

In response to that effort, the donated heart landed at Phu Bai airport at 21:25 pm, and arrived at the Cardiovascular Center - Hue Central Hospital at 21:48 pm.

On the fan page, Bamboo Airways posted the line: “Hope you were not upset and tired. As there is a life in Hue, tonight, being hoped to continue living, thanks to a heart that has rushed to race against time to get on the plane with us, with the organ transplant team, patiently waiting with each heartbeat and arriving at the door of the emergency room.”

“Today, your 23 precious minutes can do wonders. Bamboo Airways sincerely thank you", the Bamboo Airways fan page announced and thanked passengers for their sympathy during the flight, contributing to saving a patient's life in Hue.

Performing heart transplantation for patient T.V.G in the evening of July 6th

A passenger travelling on flight QH1201 Hanoi - Hue on the night of July 6th shared: "More than a flight, not only me, everyone was moved when waiting for the special "160th passenger" to join us “onboard.” We waited 23 minutes but, in return, revived a life.”

Ms. Luu Ly, a passenger from another province, commented: “I was very touched and cried when I read the article on the Bamboo Airways fan page. Thank you to the airline and 159 passengers for continuing to bring back another life.”

Although this is the first time Hue Central Hospital received support from the Bamboo Airways, the timely coordination and support has brought the miracle. Thus, there is now one more airline involved in trans-Vietnam organ transportation besides Vietnam Airlines for organ transplantation, setting more timely, efficient and humane tools for the transportation of organs. The board of directors of Hue Central Hospital hope to have many opportunities to bring miracles and contribute to the revival of new lives.

No feeling of tiredness to save lives

Receiving information that the heart had landed safely, the surgical team began to carry out the steps of heart transplant, bringing life to the patient, Mr. T.V.G., 31 years old, residing in Thua Thien Hue. Mr. G. suffered from dilated cardiomyopathy – heart failure 13 years ago, and had his optimal medical treatment, but recently, EF has decreased severely, his heart function has not improved, and he has been waiting for the opportunity to receive a heart transplant.

Each beat of the heart in the new body is a burst of joy, dispelling all the stress, anxiety and difficulties during the journey for the organ transplant team. Doctors said that, one day after the heart transplant, the patient was extubated, fully awake, with his stable hemodynamic and biochemical parameters, better heart function...

Ms. T.T.M, the wife of this recipient, thanked the airline and the encouragement from many people across the country. She wrote all the emotional lines on her personal Facebook to thank them all for giving her husband another chance to live.

Relatives of patient T.V.G have not believed this to be true until now. “It all happened so quickly and unexpectedly. It's wonderful, a miracle has happened to my family. After a night of staying awake, nervous and worried, the operation was successful. My family is very grateful to the person who donated his heart to give my brother a new heartbeat, a new life. I send my sincere thanks to the team of Hue Central Hospital and the airline", this person said.

One day after the heart transplant, the patient had his extubation and is fully awake

“There will be no exhaustion during the journey of joining hands to save lives,” said Prof. Dr. Pham Nhu Hiep - Director of Hue Central Hospital, even though the medical team had just spent two days overcoming the challenge of time and space to bring the "Hanoi heart" safely back to Hue.

Prof. Dr. Pham Nhu Hiep affirmed: “Hue Central Hospital has enough potential in terms of facilities and human resources to meet the requirements of performing the most complex organ transplant techniques, contributing to improving the quality of life for patients at their end-stage organ failure”.

Heart transplant at Hue Central Hospital is a pinnacle achievement in the field of cardiovascular surgery and organ transplantation in Vietnam, in which, there are achievements in training and improving skills for medical professionals specializing in cardiology: cardiovascular surgeons, extracorporeal circulation and anesthesiology, internal medicine and immunology, also other sub-clinical specialties related to heart transplantation technology, as well as upgrading equipment and treatment capacity.

The first heart transplant was performed at Hue Central Hospital on March 1, 2011 on a patient with end-stage heart failure due to dilated cardiomyopathy. This is the first heart transplant case in Vietnam performed by the medical team of the unit.

In particular, in 2018, Hue Central Hospital successfully performed 3 cases of trans-Vietnam heart transplants with hearts donated from patients in Hanoi and brought to patients in Hue by civil air.

According to Doctor Tran Thi Cam Tu - Deputy Director of the Organ Transplantation Unit of Hue Central Hospital, this is the 9th trans-Vietnamese heart transplant and the 10th successful one at the unit.