Two families exchange kidneys to save lives of their girls

PSNews –Cho Ray Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City has successfully performed special kidney transplants for 2 girls.

The operations were special as each girl of the two was transplanted a kidney donated by the other family member.

Assoc. Prof Thai Minh Sam, head of the Cho Ray Hospital's Urology Ward said both the girls had been in a critical condition before the transplant. Although their parents were willing to donate kidneys to them, doctors realized the risk of transplant rejection if they had been transplanted kidneys from their family members.

On January 11, two operations on the two kidney donors were conducted from 8am to 11am while two transplant operations on the two girls were started at 2pm the same day.
On January 11, two operations on the two kidney donors were conducted from 8am to 11am while two transplant operations on the two girls were started at 2pm the same day.

The doctors of Cho Ray Hospital then discovered that the body of each of the girls could be well compatible with the kidney of the other family’s donor.

After explained about the issue by the doctors, the two families agreed to swap their donor organs to save their girls.

On January 11, two operations on the two kidney donors were conducted from 8am to 11am while two transplant operations on the two girls were started at 2pm the same day.

The two kidneys functioned normally after only 2 days of operation, and the two patients were returned home after 7 days. After nearly a month, both the patients have recovered and they both have come back to normal life.

The two girls meeting with doctor of the Cho Ray Hospital's Urology Ward.
The two girls meeting with doctor of the Cho Ray Hospital's Urology Ward.

According to the head of Cho Ray Hospital's Urology Ward, such a case was performed for the first time in South Korea in 1991, and many countries then followed.

Thanks to the organ donation swap technology, patients can have more chance to be cured, Assoc. Prof Thai Minh Sam said.

The first kidney transplantation operation was performed successfully in the world in 1954 while doctors in Vietnam conducted the first successful kidney transplant from living donor in 1992.

By Phung Nguyen

Other News

Hanoi ready to implement Capital Law 2026, unlocking new development momentum

Hanoi ready to implement Capital Law 2026, unlocking new development momentum

The effectiveness of the Capital Law 2026 will be measured not by the number of legal documents issued but by tangible improvements in governance and public administration, better services for people and businesses, faster administrative procedures, stronger investment attraction and higher economic growth.

Vietnamese students earn honours at ROBOG Asia Cup 2026

Vietnamese students earn honours at ROBOG Asia Cup 2026

Three teams from Chu Van An Secondary School in Vietnam’s Thai Nguyen province have earned First Prize honours and advanced to the quarterfinals at the ROBOG Asia Cup 2026, a regional robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) competition for students held in Hong Kong, China.

Hanoi sets out new investment blueprint with century-long development vision

Hanoi sets out new investment blueprint with century-long development vision

As of early June, Hanoi had attracted 74.6 billion USD in foreign direct investment (FDI) through more than 9,250 valid projects. FDI inflows in the first six months were projected at 3.2 billion USD, surpassing the annual target by 116%, while nearly 16,000 new businesses were established in the first five months, up 34.4% year-on-year.

Vietnam promotes legal cooperation and rule of law at global forum

Vietnam promotes legal cooperation and rule of law at global forum

Vietnam’s development and international integration have gone hand in hand with the improvement of its legal system, the incorporation of international commitments into domestic legislation, and legal reforms aimed at fostering development, openness and global integration. The country regards international law as an essential instrument for building fair, mutually beneficial relations among nations.

Hanoi to hold investment promotion event on June 29

Hanoi to hold investment promotion event on June 29

At the event, Hanoi authorities plan to grant investment policy decisions and investment registration certificates to 20 exemplary projects in the fields of transportation infrastructure, industrial parks, urban development, social housing, environment, science and technology, and foreign investment attraction.

Hanoi's Red River urban area development draws widespread attention

Hanoi's Red River urban area development draws widespread attention

Located south of the Red River and extending from the historic inner city to newly developing areas in the south and the west, the central urban area along Red River’s right bank covers approximately 45,317 hectares and is projected to accommodate around 6.365 million residents by 2045 and 6.455 million by 2065.

Hanoi's Red River urban area development draws widespread attention

Hanoi's Red River urban area development draws widespread attention

Located south of the Red River and extending from the historic inner city to newly developing areas in the south and the west, the central urban area along Red River’s right bank covers approximately 45,317 hectares and is projected to accommodate around 6.365 million residents by 2045 and 6.455 million by 2065.

Regional cooperation strengthened to combat cross-border drug crime

Regional cooperation strengthened to combat cross-border drug crime

Vietnam, China, Laos and Myanmar face common challenges as drug syndicates increasingly exploit the Mekong River, cross-border transport networks, e-commerce platforms, international logistics services, cyberspace and cryptocurrencies to organise drug transactions and smuggling operations.