Four months after a successful kidney transplant, the woman from Hai Phong has made a remarkable recovery. Her skin is radiant, and she walks steadily. During a recent follow-up appointment at Military Hospital 108, she expressed her joy that her 13-month-old daughter is developing healthily. The anxieties of previous examinations have been replaced by the family's collective sigh of relief.

Doctors transplanting a kidney for the female patient. Photo: Hospital 108

Her current peace follows a tumultuous one-year journey. Over a year ago, just after her first month of pregnancy, she received a diagnosis of chronic kidney failure stage 5, the terminal stage. Doctors and family members advised her to terminate the pregnancy to save her life, but she steadfastly refused.

"I knew the danger for both my baby and me, but I couldn't bear to abandon my child once her heart was beating", the young mother recalled of her life-or-death decision.

Her pregnancy became an arduous battle, requiring cyclical dialysis and medication while facing numerous complications. At one point, she experienced uterine prolapse, necessitating a cervical cerclage to preserve the pregnancy. Suspicions of fetal abnormalities led to an amniocentesis, but fortunately, the baby developed normally.

In her 36th week of pregnancy, doctors performed an emergency C-section. The baby girl was born weighing 1,7 kg and was immediately transferred by medical staff to the special neonatal care unit.

After giving birth, while other new mothers rested, she continued her fight for survival. For 10 long months, she underwent hemodialysis three times each week. Her weakened health prevented her from breastfeeding or fully holding her child. A kidney transplant emerged as the only viable solution for her recovery and to raise her daughter.

During a consultation, the patient's mother immediately agreed to donate a kidney. She shared that she had no hesitation, her sole wish being for her daughter to be healthy enough to care for her grandchild.

Test results confirmed excellent immune compatibility between mother and daughter. The medical team at Hospital 108 successfully performed the living-related kidney transplant. The mother recovered quickly and was discharged after one week. The transplant recipient also rapidly stabilized, returning to normal activities.

Major, Doctor Tran Hong Xinh, from the Department of Nephrology and Dialysis, highlighted the significant advantages of living-related kidney transplants. High compatibility between recipient and donor reduces the risk of rejection and shortens recovery time. Additionally, the psychological bond within the family provides strong motivation for the patient during treatment.

According to Colonel, Doctor Ngo Quan Vu, Head of the Department of Nephrology and Dialysis, Hospital 108 performed its first kidney transplant in 2016. To date, the unit has successfully completed nearly 600 surgeries, averaging 120-140 cases annually, primarily from living donors. Doctor Vu affirmed that kidney transplantation is an effective, high-quality, and long-term cost-saving treatment compared to hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis.

Le Nga