On February 24, marking the 71st anniversary of Vietnamese Physicians’ Day (February 27, 1955-February 27, 2026), the hospital announced notable achievements in lung transplantation, underscoring an important advance in Vietnam’s respiratory medicine.

Lung transplantation is considered the most complex organ transplant procedure, requiring high-level expertise and close inter-hospital coordination.

The surgeries were carried out in accordance with standards of UCSF Medical Center (United States), with coordination among multiple institutions, including E Hospital, the National Organ Transplant Coordination Center, the 108 Military Central Hospital, Bach Mai Hospital, Cho Ray Hospital, 115 People’s Hospital, Pham Ngoc Thach Hospital and Ba Ria General Hospital, along with leading experts at home and abroad.

In less than two months at the end of 2025, the hospital performed five lung transplants, including two on the same day, three within seven consecutive days and one on the final day of the year.

On November 9, 2025, the hospital simultaneously received notifications of two lung donations in Hanoi and Vung Tau. With the maximum preservation time for lungs outside the body limited to about 10 hours, the entire process of organ retrieval, transport by road and air, and transplantation had to be calculated precisely by the hour. Both surgeries were successful.

Among the recipients was a patient who had faced the prospect of not receiving a transplant before the Lunar New Year (Tet). After surgery and recovery, the patient was able to walk independently, no longer required mechanical ventilation or a tracheostomy, and was discharged home in time for Tet.

In early 2026, during the night of the sixth day and early hours of the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, the hospital performed its first lung transplant of the year. To date, the total number of successful lung transplants at the National Lung Hospital has reached 13, with a high post-transplant survival rate approaching that of leading transplant centers in the region and worldwide.

Making lung transplantation a routine procedure affirms the hospital’s position as a leading institution in lung and tuberculosis care, while opening new opportunities for survival for patients with end-stage respiratory failure and contributing to the development of Vietnam’s transplant medicine.

Alongside lung transplantation, the hospital continues to develop specialized techniques in the treatment of lung cancer, pulmonary fungal diseases and cell therapy, and to strengthen professional cooperation and technology transfer with partners in the US, Japan and other countries.

In 2025, the hospital recorded more than 201,000 outpatient visits, up 140% year-on-year, and treated nearly 58,000 inpatients. Despite heavy pressure, it ensured absolute safety and reduced the average length of hospital stay to 7.9 days.

The National Lung Hospital will continue developing as a modern, specialized institution, focusing on lung transplantation, lung cancer and cell therapy; investing in key infrastructure; improving professional standards, governance and social work; and fulfilling its mission to protect, care for and improve public health.

Vietnamese doctors succeed in fifth lung transplant

VOV.VN - Doctors working at Viet Duc hospital in Hanoi announced on September 1 that they successfully conducted a fifth lung transplant from a brain-dead donor on a patient who been suffering from interstitial lung disease.

First lung transplant performed in southern Vietnam amid 7 organ transplants

VOV.VN - Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City has recently coordinated with multiple units to carry out seven organ transplants, including the first lung transplant in southern Vietnam.