Doctors of the Hanoi-based 108 Military Central Hospital have become the first in the country and Southeast Asia to successfully perform a concurrent forearm transplant.

The doctors marked a new milestone in Vietnamese medicine when successfully transplanting two forearms simultaneously for an 18-year-old male patient.

The patient’s wounds are being healed. Photo: 108 Military Hospital

Three years ago, the patient lost his two forearms in an explosive accident. Since then, his life was an ordeal and he had to give up his dream of going to school.

Professor Mai Hong Bang, director of 108 Military Central Hospital, said that the surgery was performed after a brain dead donor donated a pair of forearms.

All of the patient’s surgical wounds are healed, while the transplanted limbs are adapting well, Dr. Bang added.

This is another outstanding success in the field of limb transplantation in Vietnam in general and also of the medical team at 108 Military Central Hospital in particular, after the world's first hand transplant was successfully performed at the hospital in January.

After the operation, the patient was isolated and placed in intensive care under a special regimen around the clock. His health is stable and he is recovering well. The patient’s wounds are being healed. He continues to practice rehabilitation and physical therapy, said Professor Bang.

After three years of implementing a science and technology project named "Strengthening research capacity to develop techniques for transplanting human tissue and organs," 108 Military Central Hospital has successfully performed 240 transplants and achieved excellent results in the field of organ transplantation, especially in multi-organ transplantation.