Stories of Hope: Kauvery Hospital Alwarpet’s Heart and Lung Transplants are a testament to Lives Saved by Organ Donation

In a heart-warming thanksgiving to families and organ donors on “Organ donation day” Kauvery Hospital Alwarpet showcased the profound transformations brought about by their recent series of successful heart and lung transplants, made possible by the life-saving impact of altruistic deceased-donor organ donation. These compelling stories underscore the vital role of organ donation in bestowing renewed life to individuals grappling with critical heart and lung conditions.

Dr Srinivas Rajagopala and Dr Ram Duvuru with Heart and Lung Transplant team and transplant survivors

The hospital brought together their last five transplant recipients this year to highlight the impact of both the generosity of organ donation and the expertise of medical professionals on the lives of five individuals:

• A 63-year- aged businessman suffered a massive heart attack, had an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and was revived by the timely intervention of paramedics. Subsequently he underwent advanced treatments, including revascularisation while on ECMO support. As he had persistent non-viability of his heart muscles due to the massive heart attack, he was listed for a heart transplant, and continued on ECMO. He received a matched organ within 2 weeks of being on the list. Today, he is not only living independently, but is also back to his work and reclaiming his active life.

• A 52 year old homemaker who has been battling scleroderma, lung fibrosis and severe pulmonary hypertension since 2014 was seen by us because of worsening despite being on 8 litres of oxygen and BIPAP support. She received a matched bilateral lung transplantation at Kauvery Hospital Alwarpet and has now overcome these challenges. She is now enjoying her independence and taking charge of her familys responsibilities, including planning her sons wedding.

• A 36-year old IT professional who was unable to go to work due to severe heart failure caused by dilated cardiomyopathy; he needed home-based Milrinone infusion for preserving his kidney and liver functions. Thanks to our dedicated team, he underwent a heart transplant and made a remarkable recovery. He has resumed work and moved back to his native place and is eagerly looking forward to expand his family.

• A 52 year-old mother and homemaker with familial interstitial lung disease (ILD), was battling admissions for worsening lung disease, severe pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular dysfunction. She had lost her elder sister to ILD. After a bilateral lung transplant she regained her health through meticulous care and is now joyfully looking forward to going to Ooty and meeting her extended family during her sons wedding.

• A young mother was battling worsening lung failure due to lung fibrosis for the last five years was seen by us. She had high-level antibodies against donor lungs, severe pulmonary hypertension and economic constraints, being a single mother who was now unable to work. Kauvery Hospitals actively raised funds for her transplant. Kalaipuli Thanu was generous with a grant of 5 lakhs for her care. She has recovered well from her transplant and is now back to caring for her 8-year-old daughter, embracing life with newfound energy and vigour.

Dr. Srinivas Rajagopala, Director, Transplant Pulmonology & Lung Recovery Unit at Kauvery Hospital Alwarpet, emphasizes the paramount role of organ donation, stating, “Our success stories in heart and lung transplants underscore the remarkable impact of organ donation on individual lives. We have highlighted our recent human stories but certainly, we have a large number of patients now doing well years after their heart and lung transplant. It is a modern miracle that depends on the selflessness of donors and their families and the expertise of medical teams. A transplant journey involves a close partnership between patients and their families and our multidisciplinary team at every step of the way. Apart from our surgical and medical specialists, our highly-trained dedicated transplant nurses, rehabilitation team, nutritionists, coordinators and allied support staff play a vital role in the success of any transplant. Our team, helped by the state-of-the-art infrastructure, provides comprehensive and life-long support to our transplant patients, answering their queries every day and nudging them to do their follow tests.”

Dr Aravindan Selvaraj, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Kauvery Hospital, reinforces the importance of organ donation, saying, “These heart-warming stories reflect the lifesaving potential of organ donation. The act of organ donation gives a second chance to live, and transforms lives significantly. The Heart and Lung Transplant team at Kauvery Hospital led by Dr Kumud Kumar Dhital, Program Director Heart & Lung Transplantation, comprises highly qualified transplant surgeons, cardiologists, pulmonologists, anaesthetists and intensivists, transplant nurses, perfusionists, coordinators, physician assistants and other multi-disciplinary colleagues right from pre-operative to post-operative care. Transplants saves lives.”