Delhi: Doctors Arrange Swift 25-Km Transport of Human Heart for Transplant

A 51-year-old man received a new lease on life thanks to a swift green corridor established between Aakash Hospital in Dwarka and Fortis Escorts Heart Institute in Okhla, which facilitated the successful transportation of a live heart to the recipient in just 26 minutes.

The rapid transportation made the transplant operation possible, which was conducted on Wednesday. The patient had been suffering from a severe heart condition for a long time, and in recent months, his condition had worsened, necessitating a heart transplant.

The recipient had been on the waiting list for a heart transplant for a year. However, the family of an 18-year-old who tragically passed away in a road accident chose to donate their loved one’s organs, including the heart, to save the life of the 51-year-old recipient.

The hospital issued a statement saying, “In critical condition due to patient suffered from a heart attack in 2021, subsequently underwent stenting to the left anterior descending artery (LAD) that since his ejection fraction was 30 percent. He was kept on optimal medical management but being on osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT), his condition started deteriorating and his hospitalization was frequent due to heart failure. During his last hospitalization, he had gross pedal edema. Ascites his kidney function test (KFT) also deranged. He was put on Ionotropic support for decongestion. He responded well to ionotropic treatment. The family was then counselled about the transplant and he was listed for the transplant 1 year ago. During his last hospitalisation in February this year, again he required ionotropic support and waiting for a heart. He was discharged with the hope of heart as this was the only treatment which could have saved his life.”

The transplant was performed by a team of doctors led by Dr. ZS Meharwal, Executive Director and Head of Adult Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, Heart Transplant, and Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) Program. Dr. Vishal Rastogi, Director of Cardiology and Head of the Heart Failure Program, had been overseeing the patient’s care for an extended period.

Dr. ZS Meharwal of Fortis Escorts Heart Institute expressed gratitude, stating, “The 51-yr-old recipient had been suffering from a severe heart condition for a long time. Over the past few months, his heart condition continued to deteriorate, and a heart transplant became essential. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the donor’s family for choosing to donate, despite their immense grief. Such lifesaving and enriching surgeries would not have been possible without the tireless cooperation from NOTTO, local traffic and police authorities and most importantly, the donor families.”