Combined heart-lung transplantation done in Telangana

The surgeons at Yashoda Hospital have done the first ever Combined Heart-Lung Transplantation in Telangana and AP. It is for the first time that Heart and Lungs were transplanted to a single person simultaneously by the hospital.

A 13-year-old girl who came to the Yashoda Hospital, Secunderabad with both heart and lung damaged because of Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (PPH) was saved by transplanting both the key organs. The family of a 27-years-old brain dead lady had agreed to donate her organs which had paved the way for this rare Combined Organ Transplant.

This complicated transplant surgery involves very costly and completely imported medicines. But the financial help given by the Telangana State Government and humanitarian support of the hospital management helped the girl from lower middle-class farmer’s family to afford highly expensive life-saving Combined Organ Transplant.

“Nitisha came with chest discomfort and palpitations. On further investigations, PPH was confirmed and she was decided for Combined Heart - Lung Transplantation,” Said Dr PV Naresh Kumar Senior Cardiothoracic and Transplant surgeon.

She was registered under Jeevandan Scheme in the third week of January and was waiting for a donor. On March 25, Dr Naresh Kumar received information from Jeevandan, that there was a brain dead patient in Aware Global Hospital in Hyderabad willing to donate her organs to Nitisha.

Soon after donor heart and lung reached Yashoda Hospitals the surgery was done. “Having highly experienced surgeons, specially trained supporting staff, state of the art medical facilities at Yashoda Hospitals has made us confident of taking up the challenge and complete it successfully,” said Dr Naresh Kumar.

After 75 days, Nitisha was discharged from hospital and doing well. Ch Ramulu the father of the patient thanked the doctors and management of Yashoda Hospitals for giving his daughter a second lease of life.

The financial support of Rs 25 lakhs by TS Government and Rs 25 lakhs from Yashoda Hospitals Groups initiative made Nitisha's Combined Heart and Lung Ttransplantation, a leap forward for the medical history of the state practically possible.

“This is an extremely complicated organ transplant operation. It needs highly skilled and experienced team of Surgeons, theaters staff with state of the art medical equipment,” said Dr GS Rao, Managing Director Yashoda Hospitals Group.