In 2009, history was made as reported in the Daily Telegraph Reporter, published 13 Mar 2009, 6:06pm GMT, UK - "Surgeons performed 2 heart transplants in one day in what is thought to be a British-first operation to save 2 babies' lives".
We are pleased and humbled by the opportunity to achieve a similar first, not only in India but in the whole of Australasia, through the successful dual heart transplants which were conducted simultaneously on the same night.
22yr old male, a Food Technology Engineer, had Dilated Cardiomyopathy. He had been put on the organ recipient waiting list for the past 3 months since registration, and was admitted twice on receiving calls from donors, but was found unsuitable for the available heart.
32yr old male, a Sound Engineer, had Coronary Artery Disease, and underwent Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery (CABG). His recovery was not up to the mark, which was further complicated by severe left ventricular failure. He was the organ recipient waiting list for the past 3 months since registration, and had been admitted twice on receiving donor calls. However, he was found unsuitable for the available heart.
Both recipients were suffering from end-stage heart disease with an Ejection-Fraction of less than 15% as opposed to the normal range (50 - 70%). They were breathless with the slightest exertion.
Given the critical need of both the recipients, it was decided by the Convener of Cadaver Transplant that both the available hearts should be offered to the recipients at Dr. K. M. Cherian’s Frontier Lifeline Hospital (FLL).
The call was received at 8.20pm on Thursday, March 18, 2010 at night; and in an extraordinary feat of coordination and precise synchronization, both recipients were mobilized to the hospital for preparation, while the 2 hearts in separate locations were simultaneously harvested by two separate teams and brought to FLL in record time. The team behind the safe and speedy transportation were coordinated by Mr Ravi, Additional Commissioner of Police - GH to FLL: Mr Sreedhar C., Inspector of Police for Traffic, Pulianthorpe, driven by Mr Yuvaraj G. Apollo to FLL: Mr Tharani V, Inspector of Police for Traffic, Nungambakkam, driven by Mr Murugan.
The smooth flow was expertly guided by Dr KM Cherian and executed by Ms Priya Jebakaran, Transplant Coordinator, FLL (Hotline: 98400 44424), with the dedicated efforts of the transplant teams at FLL, who successfully carried out this achievement at the same time that night, in 2 operation theatres next to each other. Both the transplants started at 3.00am and completed at 7.30am. The incomparable teamwork and coordination of the organ donation program in our nation is highly laudable.
This is the first time in the world that such an accomplishment has taken place; a similar precedence can be found in 2001 at New York, when dual heart transplants were carried out on twins, 6 days from one another and again in 2009 as stated above, when 2 heart transplants were carried out on the same day at Newcastle, UK.
