A baby girl, not yet one year old, weighing just 5.3 kilograms, has overcome extraordinary odds after receiving a living-donor liver transplant at Vinmec Times City International Hospital—the smallest pediatric case the hospital has ever handled.
Truong Thien Di was born with biliary atresia, and although doctors operated early, her condition continued to deteriorate into end-stage liver failure. On her first birthday, she was being closely monitored in intensive care after a 12-hour transplant surgery, made possible by her mother's decision to donate a portion of her liver.
Operating Under Severe Physiological Constraints
Infant liver transplantation is now routine in modern medicine, but cases marked by extreme physiological instability remain a significant clinical challenge.
Di's medical journey began soon after birth, when she was diagnosed at a hospital in Ho Chi Minh City with biliary atresia. This is a condition that, without timely intervention, can swiftly advance to cirrhosis and terminal liver failure. At three months old, she underwent a Kasai surgery.
Despite the early procedure, the disease continued to progress. Fibrosis worsened, jaundice remained unresolved, and severe malnutrition set in, gradually depleting what little physiological reserve she had.
By October 2025, at 11 months of age, Di weighed only 5.3 kilograms. International studies consistently show that infants weighing under 6 kilograms face significantly higher surgical and postoperative risks than other pediatric transplant recipients. With options narrowing, her family turned to Vinmec Times City International Hospital, hoping for a liver transplant - the only life-saving option remaining.
'This is the lowest-weight pediatric patient we have ever performed a liver transplant on at Vinmec', said Associate Professor Dr. Le Van Thanh. With experience from hundreds of complex liver transplant cases, Dr. Thanh, Deputy Chief Medical Officer for Surgery at Vinmec Healthcare System, directly performed the operation on the child.
12 Hours of Escalating Complexity in the OR
After comprehensive multidisciplinary review, Vinmec's transplant team determined that Di's mother would be the donor. The plan demanded precise calculation to provide sufficient liver volume for the child while safeguarding the donor's safety.
'I am simply giving back the life my child deserves', Di's mother shared.
The marathon surgery lasted more than 12 hours. Reconstructing the portal vein, hepatic artery, and bile duct in such a young child demanded exceptional skill and extensive surgical experience. After the operation, the transplanted liver began to function, yet surgery was only the beginning.
According to Dr. Le Van Binh from the Intensive Care Unit, postoperative care extended far beyond advanced medical equipment. Every injection, medication dose, nutritional intake, and therapeutic adjustment was carefully calibrated to the child's fragile physiology.
In the days that followed, recovery depended on an intensely individualized care plan. Gradually, the child stabilized, began to breathe more comfortably, and started to gain weight, showing small but significant signs of progress.
Strengthening National Expertise in Complex Pediatric Transplants
This exceptionally complex case underscores the level of expertise Vinmec has built through years of handling challenging transplant procedures, establishing the hospital as a national referral center for high-risk pediatric liver transplantation.
A driving force behind that standing is Dr. Le Van Thanh, one of Vietnam's pioneers in liver transplantation. Beyond leading some of the country's most demanding surgeries, he has been instrumental in transferring advanced techniques and standardized protocols to other centers across Southeast Asia.
State-of-the-art infrastructure forms another cornerstone of Vinmec's transplant success. The hospital employs advanced laparoscopic systems integrated with ICG fluorescence imaging (Indocyanine Green Imaging), enabling surgeons to clearly visualize biliary and vascular structures without repeated X-ray exposure. Modern anesthesia and intensive care platforms ensure continuous real-time monitoring, allowing timely intervention and reinforcing the highest standards of patient safety.
In addition, Vinmec meets a range of the world's most stringent international standards, including JCI, AABB, UCARE, ADCARE, and CAP, providing a robust foundation for highly accurate and safe organ transplantation practices.
By successfully managing highly complex cases, Vinmec is emerging as a new regional destination, attracting families from India seeking treatment for complex liver transplant cases.
