Doctor Duong Thi Men, 28, from Hai Phong, unexpectedly became a patient herself when she was diagnosed with decompensated cirrhosis and severe liver failure, with a slim chance of survival. Facing this life-or-death situation, her husband, To Quang Hau, 33, volunteered to be tested as a liver donor.
Despite the risks, he said, "If I can't give you complete happiness, I will give you a part of my body, a part of my life".
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Men and her husband Hau. Photo: Vinmec |
Men and her husband Hau. Photo: Vinmec
Vinmec specialists performed the surgery using advanced laparoscopic liver resection combined with ICG fluorescence staining, minimizing complications and shortening recovery time. Thanks to her husband's sacrifice and the medical team's expertise, Men has a chance to live and continue her journey with Hau.
Unlike Men, Hoang Thi Thu Hien, 44, from Hanoi, was admitted in critical condition with hepatic encephalopathy and gastrointestinal bleeding, her life hanging by a thread. Underlying conditions including Wilson's disease, cirrhosis, and multiple miscarriages meant treatment options were almost nonexistent.
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Nguyen The Hanh, Hien’s husband. Photo: Vinmec |
Nguyen The Hanh, Hien’s husband. Photo: Vinmec
In this critical moment, her husband, Nguyen The Hanh, decided to donate his liver even though the doctor said Hien "only had a 1% chance of survival." Coincidentally, the transplant took place on his birthday. "There is no gift more precious than my wife's life," he shared.
The surgery followed international standards, from compatibility screening and donor liver function assessment to laparoscopic liver resection assisted by ICG and specialized post-operative care in the intensive care unit for liver and biliary tract (ICU). As a result, Hien overcame the critical condition and is currently recovering in intensive care.
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Doctor Le Van Thanh talks to Men after the successful liver transplant. Photo: Vinmec |
Doctor Le Van Thanh talks to Men after the successful liver transplant. Photo: Vinmec
Associate Professor, Doctor Le Van Thanh, Deputy General Director of Medical Services for the Surgical Division at Vinmec Health System, said: "In medicine, a 1% chance is extremely valuable. To turn it into life requires love, sacrifice, and unwavering belief".
According to the National Organ Transplantation Coordination Center, Vinmec is one of eight medical facilities in Vietnam and the only private hospital capable of performing liver transplants. Successfully completing two transplants in August reinforces Vinmec's position and affirms the system's medical expertise both in Vietnam and internationally.
The Dan
