Mumbai's first successful heart transplant during the outbreak of Covid-19 has been performed at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital (KDAH).
The recipient was a 53-year-old female from Nanded with severe heart failure and irreversible damage to the heart, which required a heart transplant.
She was on the transplant list from the past eight months, and while her condition worsened, the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic reduced her chances of receiving a new heart, as there was a steep decline in number of organ donations and organ transplants.
However, a donor heart became available on 18 July and overcoming the challenges of the pandemic situation, the transplant surgery was successfully carried out by the heart transplant team led by Dr Nandkishore Kapadia at KDAH.
Speaking about the patient’s condition, Dr Kapadia, Director, Heart & Lung Transplant Centre, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital said: “The patient had previously undergone an open heart valve replacement surgery in 2009. In 2012, her condition started to worsen. Last year, she was diagnosed with irreversible damage to her heart that ultimately led to failure and she was bedridden from the past six months. As she was on blood thinners due to the valve replacement, there was massive bleeding during the surgery and this added to the complexity of the transplant. Also, these patients are immuno-compromised and given the current Covid-19 situation, additional care had to be taken. All necessary tests were carried out and all parameters followed that were essential for the success of the surgery. The transplant was successful and the patient is recuperating well.”
The successful transplant was possible with the support of the traffic police and authorities who did a commendable job in facilitating the green corridor that ensured quick and safe transport of the harvested heart.
It was also a humane gesture by the donor family who even during the testing times of a pandemic agreed to the selfless act of organ donation and saved the patient’s life.
Dr Santosh Shetty, CEO & Executive Director said: "We are proud to have successfully performed the first heart transplant in Mumbai amidst the pandemic. All infection control protocols were followed for a successful transplant to ensure that the lady received a second lease of life. It is an example of the highest standard of care that we provide at KDAH and we look forward to offering this and other high end super speciality care to more patients at this difficult time.”