Heart from Jaipur gives new lease of life to UP man

Three hours post-harvesting on Monday, the heart of a 30-year-old from Jaipur was successfully transplanted in a 56-year-old at B.L.K. Super Speciality Hospital here in the small hours of Tuesday morning, a release issued by the hospital said.

“The availability of a heart by a Jaipur donor led to a successful life-saving transplant on a government employee from Kanauni village of Ghaziabad district in Uttar Pradesh. The patient was suffering from dilated cardiomyopathy, an incurable condition. He was unable to perform routine day-to-day activities without getting breathless and had multiple episodes of sudden loss of consciousness,” added the release.

The donor was declared brain-dead at S.M.S. Hospital in Jaipur after he met with an accident a few days ago. His kidneys and eyes were transplanted at the Jaipur Hospital, while the liver and heart were sent to Delhi.

“As soon as we were informed about the availability of a heart, a team of doctors from the hospital left for Jaipur by an early morning flight on Monday and harvested the heart that night in Jaipur,” said the release.

The harvested heart was flown to Delhi by a 10.05 p.m. flight on Monday from Jaipur. The flight landed before time — at 10.47 p.m. — at Terminal 3 of Indira Gandhi International Airport here as a special case. A green corridor was created from the airport to the hospital, allowing the ambulance to cover a distance of 15 km in about 18 minutes on Monday. The heart was then transplanted on Tuesday morning.

“The patient suffered from heart complications since the past few years. A pacemaker was implanted at the hospital last July but four to five months later he started suffering from bouts of blackouts and fainting episodes. Heart transplant was the ideal option for a better quality of life,” said Ajay Kaul, chairman and HoD, CTVS, BLK Super Speciality Hospital.

The transplant was done on humanitarian grounds as the patient belongs to the lower income group. The hospital said the patient is doing well since the transplant.