Việt Nam Doctors’ Day: Sustaining the gift of life
In the era of advanced medicine, the successful performance of lung transplantation, one of the most complex procedures in organ transplantation, reflects not only a major medical breakthrough but also the convergence of expertise, medical ethics and modern technology by Vietnamese doctors.
VNA/VNS Photos by Minh Quyết
Designed for Longform by Bảo Long
In the era of advanced medicine, the successful performance of lung transplantation, one of the most complex procedures in organ transplantation, reflects not only a major medical breakthrough but also the convergence of expertise, medical ethics and modern technology by Vietnamese doctors. The achievement contributes to the implementation of the Politburo’s resolutions, supporting the country’s steady progress into a new era.
Continuing this milestone, on the night of the sixth day and early morning of the seventh day of the Lunar New Year of the Horse, the National Lung Hospital successfully carried out its first lung transplant of the year. The patient is now in stable condition and recovering well, further affirming Việt Nam’s mastery of high-tech and specialised procedures in lung transplantation and marking a significant advance for the nation’s respiratory medicine.
Lung transplantation is a highly specialised procedure requiring close and near-absolute precision in coordination among multiple disciplines, including surgery, anaesthesia, intensive care, respiratory medicine, nutrition and infection control.
Lung transplantation is a highly specialised procedure requiring close and near-absolute precision in coordination among multiple disciplines, including surgery, anaesthesia, intensive care, respiratory medicine, nutrition and infection control.
At the start of 2026, the National Lung Hospital successfully performed a lung transplant on the night of the sixth day and early morning of the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, 2026.
An ambulance transports the donor lungs to the hospital at midnight on the seventh day of the Lunar New Year.
The donor lungs are immediately transferred to the operating theatre for transplantation.
The transplant was carried out in accordance with the highest professional standards of UCSF Medical Centre in the United States, with close coordination among teams from the National Lung Hospital, E Hospital, the National Organ Transplant Coordination Centre, the 108 Military Central Hospital and Bạch Mai Hospital.
The medical team installs ECMO, an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation system that temporarily supports heart and lung function by circulating blood outside the body, oxygenating it and removing carbon dioxide before returning it to the patient.
The medical team installs ECMO, an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation system that temporarily supports heart and lung function by circulating blood outside the body, oxygenating it and removing carbon dioxide before returning it to the patient.
The transplant was carried out in accordance with the highest professional standards of UCSF Medical Centre in the United States, with close coordination among teams from the National Lung Hospital, E Hospital, the National Organ Transplant Coordination Centre, the 108 Military Central Hospital and Bạch Mai Hospital.
A lung tissue sample is taken for culture testing.
Meritorious Doctor Dr Đinh Văn Lượng, Party Secretary and Director of the National Lung Hospital, directly participates in the lung transplant procedure.
The medical team examines, flushes and transplants the donor lungs for the patient.
The medical team examines, flushes and transplants the donor lungs for the patient.
Applying advanced technology in lung function monitoring, rejection management, respiratory support, and postoperative care has helped boost success rates and shorten recovery times, offering a new lease on life for patients with end-stage lung disease.
Applying advanced technology in lung function monitoring, rejection management, respiratory support, and postoperative care has helped boost success rates and shorten recovery times, offering a new lease on life for patients with end-stage lung disease.
Meritorious Doctor Dr Đinh Văn Lượng, Party Secretary and Director of the National Lung Hospital, directly participates in the lung transplant procedure.
Meritorious Doctor Dr Đinh Văn Lượng, Party Secretary and Director of the National Lung Hospital, directly participates in the lung transplant procedure.
Throughout the first night of the Lunar New Year, doctors and nurses worked through to the early hours of the morning to complete the remaining stages of the procedure.
Throughout the first night of the Lunar New Year, doctors and nurses worked through to the early hours of the morning to complete the remaining stages of the procedure.
With 13 successful lung transplants to date, the hospital's high survival rate nears the standards of the world's leading transplant centers.
With 13 successful lung transplants to date, the hospital's high survival rate nears the standards of the world's leading transplant centers.
The patient is currently recovering well, receiving intensive care, monitoring, and full rehabilitation under the National Lung Hospital's specialised protocol.
Most notably, in less than two months at the end of 2025, the hospital performed five lung transplants. These included two transplants on the same day, three consecutive procedures within seven days, and one performed on the very last day of the year. — VNS
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