Mumbai: The Twelfth heart transplant patient was discharged from Fortis Hospital, Mulund, on Monday after a successful surgery that took place on 5th March on the 22-year old recipient. This marks the 4th successful interstate heart transplant conducted at Fortis Hospital, Mulund. This transplant was made possible when the patient from Orissa received the heart from a 20-year old donor from Indore, Madhya Pradesh. Recovering after the transplant, the patient left for home with a new heart and a lot of hope.

On the occasion of the patient’s discharge, Dr Anvay Mulay, Head of Cardiac Transplant Team, Fortis Hospital, Mulund who conducted the transplant, said, “We are happy to see our twelfth heart transplant patient heading home after a successful surgery. The young man from Orissa was fortunate to get a heart from a donor in Madhya Pradesh. We have instructed the family on necessary care and will monitor his progress to ensure that he reaches normalcy soon. Given the time-sensitive equation of requirement and availability of donor hearts, we have witnessing a number of successful interstate transplants. Family members’ consent is critical in heart transplant procedures. We are thankful to all parties who made this transplant possible”.

The recipient was suffering from Dilated Cardiomyopathy. Waitlisted for over two months, the recipient was critical and a heart transplant was his only hope. The donor heart was received from a 20 year old male from Indore, who had suffered a head injury during a road traffic accident. The donor heart was retrieved by Dr Anvay Mulay of Fortis Hospital, Mulund, from Choitaram Hospital at Indore and the heart was transported to Fortis Hospital, Mulund in 1hr 56mins.

The transport of the donor heart between the two states covering a distance of 546km, began from MGM Medical College and Hospital, Indore, where the donor was declared brain dead. The donor was shifted to Choitaram Hospital in Indore, for further evaluation and assessment. The donor’s family consented to donate his Heart, Liver and Kidneys that went on to save four precious lives. Dr Anvay Mulay flew from Mumbai to Indore, to Choitaram Hospital, to harvest the donor heart. The harvested heart was taken to Indore Airport and was immediately moved to a Jet Airways flight to Mumbai. A standby ambulance enabled swift transfer of the heart to Fortis Hospital, Mulund, via a Green Corridor created from the Domestic Airport to Fortis Hospital in Mulund. The heart was taken straight into the OT where Dr Anvay Mulay conducted the transplant procedure. The patient was then moved to the ICU and his condition was monitored round the clock. The patient progressively recuperated and is ready to leave home after a little over two weeks at Fortis Hospital.

This transplant was made possible with support from Airport & Traffic Authorities at both cities, Jet Airways, Muskaan Trust, who helped counsel the donor’s family, Medical Social Workers and the Medical Teams at all three hospitals who worked relentlessly to make this transplant happen.

The much-relieved young patient said, “Suffering from the heart problem, I felt helpless for a long time, but the doctors at Fortis Hospital, Mulund, encouraged me not to lose hope. Today, I am a different person; I am looking forward to live with a lot of optimism. It’s a miracle! I’m indebted to Dr Anvay Mulay who gave me a new lease of life. I can’t thank the donor’s family enough. I will take it upon myself to educate and encourage others to consider organ donation of brain-dead family members, for a noble cause of saving lives".

Talking about the successful transplantation, Dr S Narayani, Zonal Director, Fortis Hospital, Mulund said, “We are elated to see our 12th successful heart transplant patient head home today. Such inspirational stories of young hearts saving young lives will definitely encourage families of brain dead kin to join hand with us. This transplant was possible only with support from Dr Sujata Patwardhan, General Secretary of the ZTCC, Mumbai, and Hon. Sanjay Dubey IAS, District Commissioner, Indore, who played an instrumental role in the process. Medical teams at Choitaram Hospital, MGM Medical College and Hospital, Indore and Fortis Hospital, Mulund joined hands for transplant coordination”.