Two heart transplants done in 48 hours

AGE CORRESPONDENT

Published : Apr 29, 2016, 2:13 am IST

Updated : Apr 29, 2016, 2:13 am IST

In the past 48 hours, two heart transplantations have been conducted in the city that has helped in saving two lives that were in the long list of waiting list for a donor.

In the past 48 hours, two heart transplantations have been conducted in the city that has helped in saving two lives that were in the long list of waiting list for a donor. According to experts, due to rising awareness, more number of people are coming forward to donate heart, giving a huge boost to heart transplantation.

On Thursday, a 62-year-old man from Navi Mumbai received a new lease of life when the family of a 50-year-old female brain dead patient agreed to donate her heart. The receiver had been in the waitlist for a month as he suffered from Dilated Cardiomyopathy. The donor was declared brain dead on Wednesday at MGM Hospital, Vashi, following a collapse at home that caused Subdural acute haemorrhage, a clot of blood that develops between the surface of the brain and the dura mater, the brain’s tough outer covering. The police and traffic immediately swung into action, laying out the green corridor for quick transfer of the preserved heart. The heart was moved out of MGM Hospital, Vashi at 00.20 AM, following the pre-decided route from Thane – Belapur Road – Airoli Junction to reach Fortis Hospital, Mulund at 00.36 AM.

While Thursday saw the 15th instance of heart transplant in the city, it had been only 48 hours since the 14th heart transplant in Mumbai. On Tuesday, Moinnudin Khan, a 43-year-old from Alwar in Rajasthan and undergoing treatment in Mumbai hospital, got a new lease of life following heart transplant from a brain dead 17-year-old teenager from Surat. The heart was transported to Mumbai in 85 minutes from Surat through a green corridor in a chartered flight.

Dr Sujata Patwardhan, general secretary of ZTCC said, “With passing time, more number of people are getting ready to donate organs of their kin. So far, 15 heart transplants have been conducted in Mumbai and four from Surat. I hope with time, we would be able to save more lives.”

Echoing the similar thing, Dr Anvay Mulay, Head of Cardiac Transplant Team, Fortis Hospital, Mulund, said, “Such success stories encourage more end-stage cardiac failure patients to come forth and seek aid.”