CHENNAI: First successful cadaver heart transplant surgery was performed at the Government Multi-Super Speciality Hospital, Omandurar, the pet project of former late chief minister J Jayalalithaa, doctors said on Monday.The first beneficiary was C Jayammal (46), native of Gobichettipalayam in Erode district, who was diagnosed with end-stage heart disease. The surgery was performed on April 4, after harvesting a suitable heart from a brain-dead patient from Global Hospital.
“We received a call from Global Hospital on April 3 around 5 pm. We harvested the heart around 11.02 pm. Green corridor was created and reached the hospital with heart at 11.20 pm. We started transplant around 12.02 am, that is, April 4. The six hours surgery was performed by six doctors,” said Dr P Amirthraj, professor, Cardiothoracic Surgery Department of the hospital.
Jayammal, who was admitted in the hospital in December was diagnosed with “dilated cardiomyopathy” in which the heart becomes enlarged and can not pump blood efficiently.
“Normal pumping of the heart should be around 60 per cent, but the patient had less than 20 per cent of pumping. Because of this she had difficulty in breathing and could not take two steps also. She was managed on medication, till we got suitable donor. Earlier two attempts to harvest the heart failed,” said Dr Amirthraj.
Speaking to media, Dr R Narayana Babu, Director of Medical Education (incharge), said that the hospital got licence to perform both heart and lung transplant. “Soon, lung transplant also will be performed in the hospital. The heart transplant which would cost around `30 lakh in private hospitals was performed free of cost under Chief Minister Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme. The patient also will be provided immunosuppressive drugs free of cost, which would cost monthly `20,000 outside,” he added.
C Madesh, son of Jayammal, said “we are from agrarian family and could not afford transplant or treatment in private hospitals. After consulting various hospitals in Mysore, Erode and Coimbatore, finally we were referred to this hospital. She had been suffering from heart problem for the last two years,” he added.
The Multi Super Speciality Hospital, Omandurar is the second government hospital in the state to do heart transplant. So far, five heart transplants were performed at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, said Dr Narayana Babu.
Four patients from the hospital have been waitlisted for heart in the Tamil Nadu organ sharing registry, said Dr V Anand Kumar, Nodal officer, Multi Super Speciality Hospital, Omandurar.