Okayama University

LANGUAGE
JAPANESECHINESE
MENU

Vietnam's first living donor lung transplant succeeds-Okayama University sent a transplant team

February 24, 2017

On February 21, the Okayama University Hospital lung transplant team successfully performed a living donor lung transplant on a 6-year-old boy at the Vietnam Military Medical University located in Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam. The patient is in stable condition and expects to be discharged in about two months if the recovery goes smoothly.
Professor Oto stated, “this surgery involved the patient and two donors so the preparation was very involved, but I am relieved that the operation was successful. Now that we had the opportunity to introduce for the first time, sophisticated medical skills needed for lung transplants to Vietnam, it is my hope that the medical field here will continue to progress.”
The boy suffered from cystic fibrosis, an incurable disease that leads to respiratory failure due to accumulation of mucus in the lungs. During the living donor double-lung transplant, both lungs were removed from the boy while attached to artificial heart-lung machines, while single lower lobes from his father and uncle were removed concurrently, then transplanted to the boy.
A total of 29 Okayama University Hospital lung transplant team members travelled to Vietnam for this surgery. The transplant team brought its own medical equipment, making it possible to conduct surgery with “Okayama University quality.”
Okayama University Hospital has conducted 164 cases (as of February 2017) of lung transplants, the largest number in Japan, and has one of the world’s highest success rates. The lung transplant team also conducted Sri Lanka’s first successful lung transplant surgery in 2011. The surgery in Vietnam marked the second time conducting a lung transplant surgery overseas.

Contact Information
University Hospital Planning Office
E-mail: ouhinfo (a) adm.okayama-u.ac.jp
For inquiries, please contact us by replacing (a) with the @ mark.

ACADEMIC YEAR