The surgery was recently conducted at Viet - Duc (Vietnam - Germany) University Hospital in Hanoi, doctors said at a press briefing on March 19.

The heart-liver transplant recipient, a 53-year-old man, was diagnosed with a rare hereditary form of amyloidosis, a condition that causes protein misfolding and affects multiple organs. The patient suffered from progressive infiltrative cardiomyopathy and was indicated for simultaneous heart and liver transplantation. This approach not only replaced the amyloid-infiltrated heart but also removed the liver producing the mutant transthyretin (TTR) protein. Remarkably, the patient’s liver remained fully healthy and suitable for transplantation into another recipient.

The donor was a female patient who suffered brain death due to a traffic accident. Surgeons at Viet - Duc Hospital successfully transplanted her heart and liver into the amyloidosis patient. The heart began beating immediately, and the liver demonstrated good bile excretion, indicating prompt graft function. The total duration of the simultaneous heart-liver transplant was seven hours.

The second transplant involved a 64-year-old man with hepatocellular carcinoma on a cirrhotic liver complicated by portal vein thrombosis. Surgeons resected the patient’s diseased liver and implanted the healthy liver from the amyloidosis patient. The graft functioned immediately, with bile excretion observed shortly after implantation. The liver transplant procedure lasted six hours.

"Domino liver transplantation addresses organ shortages. Normally, a single deceased donor can only save one patient. With domino transplantation, the healthy liver from the first patient can be transplanted to a second patient, effectively saving two lives from a single donor," explained Asociate Professor Dr. Nguyen Quang Nghia, director of the Organ Transplant Centre at Viet Duc Hospital.

Asociate Professor Dr. Duong Duc Hung, director of Viet Duc Hospital, reported that both patients were extubated within 12 hours, and graft function recovered rapidly. Within 72 hours, both patients were alert, able to sit up, and resume oral intake.

"This procedure is highly complex and rare globally. Our pioneering transplant shows that our patients are recovering well, walking, and eating normally," said Prof. Dr. Hung.

Dr. Ha Anh Duc, director of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment (Ministry of Health) welcomed the results of the transplant, saying the achievement has placed Vietnam on the international organ transplantation map.

“Viet Duc Hospital now demonstrates advanced techniques in multi-organ transplantation, including total liver transplant with vena cava reconstruction, split liver transplantation, combined heart-liver, kidney-liver, and now domino liver transplants. This success not only elevates the reputation of Vietnam’s transplantation field internationally but also supports the development of medical tourism, enhancing the prestige and recognition of Vietnamese health care," he stated.

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