Three transplants in night-long procedures

KOLKATA: Doctors and counsellors spent the whole night at Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals to facilitate the retrieval, harvesting and transplant of three organs from 59-year-old Aditi Sinha on Thursday. Sinha, a Paikpara resident, was declared brain-dead at the hospital on Tuesday. While her liver was transplanted to a 59-year-old man, her kidneys went to a 58-year-old woman and a 36-year-old man.

“There was an attempt to utilize the donor’s heart and lungs too. But doctors found two blocks in the heart and we could not afford to wait longer to locate a prospective recipient for the lungs,” said Dr Aditi Kishor Sarkar, state nodal officer on organ transplant.




The liver and one kidney were allocated to SSKM Hospital while Apollo was allowed to retain the other kidney. So far, conditions of the three recipients are stable. Sinha, the donor, had suffered intracranial haemorrhage and was being treated in Apollo under Dr B K Singhania. Her corneas, too, were retrieved and banked.

“My mother was very giving by nature. So when the doctors at the critical care unit (CCU) broached the topic of organ donation, I thought this would be the best parting gift to my mother who always wanted to help others. In fact, more families should agree to this noble cause,” said Sinha’s daughter Jayita.

The fact that CCU team at AGH got families of two brain deaths agree to donate organs on one single day is no less than a feat in the city where organ donations is still at its infancy. Unfortunately Mira Dey’s, (the donor) organs could not be used as they were not in good condition.

“We need to approach more families of the brain dead telling them what it is. With a little bit of empathy and explanation on how organs from their loved ones can provide a ray of life to the dying. many families are giving a positive response, And this is great sign,” said Dr Dr Lawni Goswami of the CCU.

The CCU team had swung into action as soon as the two donors were found brain dead on Tuesday. While some got into counselling the patients’ families for brain death declaration and then organ donation, the other group busied themselves with maintaining of the organs. Most of them stayed back in the hospital till the wee hours on Thursday.

“There were two separate sets of tests before the brain dead declaration. Then came the grief counselling. But it was worth it as both organ donation and the transplants happened,” said Dr Chadrashish Chakravarty.

By the time organ allocation was finalized, it was already midnight. The retrieval surgeries started around 2am. One kidney and the liver was transported to SSKM Hospital via a green corridor. The transplant surgeries were over by 8am.

“This is the second transplant at Apollo this month and it is a positive sign that the efforts of the government in promoting and facilitating organ transplants is bearing fruit. We look forward to working with the government to make Kolkata a leading centre for organ transplant,” said Apollo CEO Rana Dasgupta.