KOCHI: The first ever windpipe transplantation in India, second such instance in the world, has taken place at the Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre (AIMS) here on Thursday night. The entire transplantation process will take six weeks.
The first phase of the transplantation was successfully completed by the AIMS medical team led by Dr Subramanya Iyer of the Head and Neck Department. The surgery was performed after the family of Renjith V Thomas, who was declared brain dead after suffering Intracranial hemorrhage, agreed to donate his organs.
The kind deed gave ray of hope to a 37-year- old woman from Kochi, who was suffering from cancer in her trachea. The trachea or windpipe is a four-inch hollow tube connecting the voice box to the bronchi in the lungs.
The experts said the transplantation was a highly complicated procedure. In the first phase, the trachea will be implemented in one of the hands of the recipient. After making sure that the beneficiary’s body has accepted it, the trachea will be transplanted in the exact place after six weeks.
The donor, Renjith, Vettikkadu Veedu, Chembumukku, was a project designer of movies including Masala Republic. Renjith’s one kidney and liver will be transplanted on another patient at AIMS, while another kidney will be donated to a patient at Lourdes Hospital. His eyes were donated to Little Flower Hospital, Angamaly.