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Laos-Thailand Partnership Achieves Kidney Transplant Milestone

This Week

Laos’s Mittaphab Hospital and Thailand’s Ramathibodi Hospital from Mahidol University achieved a medical milestone by successfully performing their first kidney transplant surgery on 18 November.

Chanmaly Keomany, Head of Mittaphab Hospital’s Kidney Department, spoke to state media on 9 December, detailing the preparation and efforts behind this achievement. She explained the two treatment phases leading up to the surgery.

The first phase, starting in mid-2023, focused on extensive preparation. This included analyzing the health of the donor and recipient, planning medicine usage, and training a joint team of Lao and Thai doctors. Measures to prevent infection and ensure post-surgery care were also emphasized.

The second phase, carried out in early 2024, involved screening the donor and recipient. The patient, a 49-year-old man with kidney failure caused by diabetes and high blood pressure, received a kidney from his 18-year-old daughter. The transplant surgery lasted four hours, and both patients recovered well. The donor was discharged six days after the surgery, while the recipient left the hospital after two weeks.

The success was celebrated on 6 December, with Mittaphab Hospital’s Director, Dr. Sonexay Latsavong, highlighting the technical standards and safety measures that ensured a smooth recovery for both patients.

This collaboration stems from a Memorandum of Understanding signed in October 2023. The agreement aims to improve medical care in Laos, particularly in kidney transplants, through joint workshops, training sessions, and enhanced techniques.

The achievement marks a significant step forward in medical cooperation between Laos and Thailand, paving the way for better healthcare services in the region.

This case, however, is not the first kidney transplant in Laos. Military Hospital 103 performed the country’s first two successful kidney transplants on 31 December 2023, with assistance from Vietnam’s Military Hospital 103.

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