Brain dead patient’s organs, bones donated in Mangaluru

Mangaluru: The organs and tissues of a 49-year-old man who was declared brain dead, were retrieved and donated at Justice K S Hegde Charitable Hospital.

The deceased Subraya Venkataram Bhat, a resident of Ankola Taluk, Uttara Kannada district was admitted to the hospital with a bleeding within the brain and was declared brain dead on August 24 as per standard medical protocol.

Following detailed counselling by the Jeevasarthaka team, and with the coordinated efforts of the treating physicians Dr Sudheendra U and Dr Suresh G, Medical Superintendent Dr Sumalatha Shetty, and Transplant Coordinator Akshatha Shetty, the patient’s brother and family members came forward to donate his organs.

A team of doctors consisting of anesthesiologists, gastro surgeons, urologists, nephrologists, intensivists, neurosurgeons, ophthalmologists, and orthopaedic surgeons coordinated and helped in retrieving the organs.

Both kidneys and corneas were retrieved. One kidney was initially planned for transplantation at KS Hegde Hospital but, due to unforeseen medical reasons in the recipient, the procedure could not be carried out.

Later, the two kidneys were allocated to AJ Institute of Medical Sciences (AJIMS) and KMC Mangaluru for patients waiting to get kidney transplant.

The corneas (eyes) were also retrieved and preserved for future transplantation. In addition, the family also consented to donate bones and tendons, benefitting few more patients.

Both thigh bones (femur) and both arm bones (humerus) were retrieved and stored at Prof M Shantharam Shetty Tissue Bank of Justice KS Hegde Hospital, a constituent unit of Nitte (Deemed to be University), at –80°C for future use, particularly in bone cancer patients.

Both Achilles tendons, along with a small piece of bone, were also harvested. These can potentially help up to four patients, especially sports people with ACL ligament injuries. The donated bones can be stored for over 20 years, extending their impact across generations.