Vietnam Accelerates Organ Transplantation: Six Organs, Nearly 10,000 Procedures and Legal Reform
November 11, 2025 — by Transplant News
WORLD NEWS – VIETNAM: Vietnam’s transplant program has matured into a national system that has carried out nearly 10,000 procedures across six types of organ and tissue transplants, officials report. The portfolio of operations now includes kidney, liver, heart, lung, limb and intestinal transplantation, marking two decades of work to build surgical capacity and patient care for complex grafting procedures.
Medical leaders describe organ transplantation as among the most technically demanding areas of medicine, requiring tightly synchronized teams spanning intensive care, anesthesia, surgical specialties, pharmacology and post‑operative rehabilitation. That multidisciplinary coordination underpins the growing volume of operations and the ability to manage high‑risk patients before, during and after transplantation.
The last 15 years have seen particularly rapid advancement, moving Vietnam from the earlier stage of developing‑country practice toward techniques that approach those of more advanced health systems. Major referral centers — including Việt Đức, Chợ Rẫy and Central Huế Hospital, which began transplant activity in 2008 — remain central hubs, but the capability has also spread to provincial and remote hospitals. Surgeons and transplant units outside the biggest cities are increasingly performing the procedures once limited to metropolitan centers.
To bolster organ availability, the Ministry of Health is preparing a revised organ and tissue donation law to establish clearer legal frameworks and additional regulations. The draft legislation aims to expand the donor pool and create pathways to save more patients awaiting transplantation. The efforts reflect a coordinated national push to scale services, standardize practice and translate two decades of technical progress into broader access for patients in need.
