During the ceremony celebrating 100 pediatric liver transplants and the scientific conference on pediatric liver transplantation held on 29/5, Associate Professor, Doctor Pham Duy Hien, Deputy Director of the hospital, highlighted this achievement enables children with end-stage hepatobiliary diseases to live healthy lives within Vietnam. He noted that previously, these young patients faced a high risk of mortality or their families had to seek expensive treatment abroad.
National Children's Hospital launched its pediatric liver transplant program in 2005. After initial support from international experts, the domestic medical team has now mastered complex techniques, including emergency liver transplants, ABO-incompatible transplants, procedures for low-weight children, transplants from deceased brain-dead donors, and managing complex genetic metabolic disorders.
To date, the hospital reports a 90,2% five-year survival rate for pediatric patients after transplantation, comparable to data from major centers worldwide. It is also the first facility in Asia to successfully perform a liver transplant for a child with cirrhosis caused by a gene mutation leading to a bile acid metabolism disorder. Notably, in 2025, doctors successfully completed the first pediatric liver transplant using an organ from a deceased brain-dead donor.
Among the 100 liver transplant cases, approximately 70% of pediatric patients suffered from biliary atresia, with the remaining cases involving metabolic disorders, primary liver cancer, or end-stage cirrhosis.
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Phuong's family talks with Professor Tran Minh Dien. Photo: Le Nga |
A prime example is Phan Linh Phuong, 2,5 years old, residing in Ho Chi Minh City, whose life was successfully saved by specialists. Doctors diagnosed her with congenital biliary atresia just days after birth. After an unsuccessful Kasai procedure, the young patient required a liver transplant to survive.
At 17 months old and weighing only 8 kg, the child underwent surgery to receive a liver segment donated by her paternal uncle. One year after the surgery, she maintained stable health, gained weight well, and achieved normal liver function.
The patient's family reported that they had to pay an additional nearly 500 million VND for the organ retrieval and transplantation process, beyond the amount covered by Health Insurance. Post-transplant care requires significant effort, as family members must ensure the child takes lifelong immunosuppressants and adheres to stringent medical care requirements.
According to Professor, Doctor Tran Minh Dien, Director of National Children's Hospital, the current cost of a pediatric liver transplant ranges from 500-700 million VND, placing it among the lowest in the region. Health Insurance covers most of the listed costs for children under six years old.
Despite this, the scarcity of donated organs remains a significant challenge. The hospital currently has 65 pediatric patients awaiting liver transplants, with 25 cases requiring urgent surgery. To address financial burdens, the Hope Foundation has sponsored 17 liver transplants at the hospital, bringing the total number of organ transplants supported by the foundation nationwide to 39.
Master of Science, Doctor Dinh Anh Tuan, Director of the Department of Mother and Child Health (Ministry of Health), stated that reaching 100 transplants marks a significant milestone for the hospital and Vietnam's entire pediatric organ transplant sector. Regulatory bodies will continue to improve the Law on Human Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation in the future, creating a legal framework to support the sustainable development of this field in the new era.
Le Nga
