Military Hospital 175 performed two endoscopic surgeries to remove liver and kidney pieces from living donors to transplant to patients, mastering minimally invasive organ transplant techniques.
The two surgeries were performed at the annual scientific conference of the Vietnam Society of Organ Transplantation (VSOT 2025) on November 7, with images transmitted live from the operating room to the conference hall, in the presence of leading domestic and international organ transplant experts. Both took place in the Hybrid integrated operating room, equipped with a high-resolution imaging system and specialized organ preservation equipment.
In the first case, under the direct support of experts from Central Military Hospital 108, the team from Military Hospital 175 laparoscopically removed a liver graft from a living donor to transplant to a patient with liver cancer. The surgery lasted three hours, requiring exquisite dissection skills and precise vascular and biliary control to ensure optimal graft quality. This is a complex technique, currently only implemented at a few leading centers in the US, Europe, Japan and Korea. In Vietnam, there are three medical facilities that master this method.
Doctors during laparoscopic liver surgery at Military Hospital 175, November 7. Image: Hospital provided
The surgery uses the Kazt Tort endoscopy system with integrated ICG fluorescence to help clearly define the boundaries of the liver parenchyma and biliary structure, supporting the doctor in precise and safe operations. Military Hospital 175 is the first unit in the Southern region to apply this device in liver transplantation.
Next, the team performed laparoscopy to remove a kidney from another living donor to transplant to the second patient, marking the 87th case performed by this method at the unit. The laparoscopic team to remove the kidney, process and preserve the organs and transplant the kidney to the recipient coordinates smoothly, optimizing the cold ischemia time, ensuring the safety of the donor and the ability to restore maximum transplanted kidney function to the recipient.
According to Dr. Nguyen Viet Cuong, Deputy Director of Military Hospital 175, compared to open surgery, laparoscopic surgery is less invasive, less painful, limits complications, shortens recovery time and increases patient satisfaction. The small incision – equivalent to a cesarean section for liver removal and about 6 cm for kidney removal – both ensures aesthetics and maintains optimal graft effectiveness.