Global Hospitals Mumbai started India’s Most Successful Heart and Lung Transplant Program

by Priya Jadhav

Mumbai,July 2019: Doctors from Global Hospital, Mumbai, the latest addition to the geographical footprint of Gleneagles Global Hospitals, India informed that their Hospital is now equipped and capable to deal with very complex and chronic heart and lung ailments and has started a robust Heart and Lung Transplantation program. Global Hospital, Mumbai which is a part of Gleneagles Global Hospital’s Integrated Heart and Lung Transplant Program has successfully completed three transplants and the flagship program nationally has performed 63 heart, 74 lungs and combined 16 heart and lung transplants, which is the highest in the country in the past two and half years.

Briefing on the program’s vision, doctors from Global Hospital informed that the focus of the program is to stabilize patients as they await transplantation and provide medically the most suitable options for patients who are not transplant candidates. The program has developed a customized approach towards treating congestive heart failure that is reducing hospital admissions, improving the quality of life for patients and lowering mortality rates. The program is rooted in a rounded medical approach that emphasizes on intensive education and lifestyle counseling.

"Every program of such complex nature needs a right ecosystem of a wide range of medical professionals, high end technology and a very responsive team-work culture. We have been evidently able to overcome this challenge in Mumbai. We are fully ready to scale the program in a full-fledged manner now across Western India and offer patients, continuity of care in all major cities in this part of the country,” said Dr Sandeep Attawar, Director and Chair of the Heart and Lung Program, Gleneagles Global Hospitals.

Dr Attawar informed, that in India preservation of heart and lungs in a deceased patient is quite challenging. He added, “The heart and the lungs are the first organs to suffer damage in a brain dead person, if they are not managed well. It requires a high level of monitoring, medication and expertise. As a result, in every 10 donations, liver or kidneys may be viable in 7 or 8 cases, because they tend to be fairly well preserved. Unfortunately, the lungs are viable 1 or 2 times out of 10 donations. Lungs tend to be easily damaged either due to poor ventilator support or improper care of the lung or due to unavailability of the right expertise or incorrect antibiotics used. When a lung is considered for transplantation, there has to be 8 or 10 parameters that have to be met before deeming its suitability for a recipient.”

Speaking on this occasion Dr K. Ravindranath, Chairman of Gleneagles Global Hospitals group expressed great satisfaction in the progress of the program and its stability in Mumbai. He stated therefore, "I would like to compliment the pioneering efforts by the clinical team and thank them for pursuing this challenging work, bringing a multi-disciplinary team together and training them to work on this singular goal. I am sure this program in Mumbai will offer a safe and caring atmosphere for all patients like all our other organ transplant programs running for decades across India.”

Speaking on this occasion Dr Vivek Talaulikar, CEO- Global Hospital, Mumbai said, “With the introduction of the Heart and Lung transplant program at Global Hospital, Mumbai we now offer the services of the most successful and robust Heart and Lung transplant team to the people of Mumbai and Western India. I would also like to compliment the efforts taken by the ZTCC and appreciate the hospitals in Maharashtra who have taken the lead in ensuring awareness towards organ donation. A special mention goes to the families who even in their moment of grief display great courage and motivation to serve humanity by consenting for organ donation. As per data shared by ZTCC, organ donation in Mumbai city alone, within the first six months of the calendar year has already crossed the last year’s total annual figure. The need of the hour is to raise awareness about the importance of organ donation. Our goal is to educate the masses through sustained awareness programs and help save precious lives and families”.

Heart and Lung transplant recipients are living longer than ever before, thanks to rapid advances in technology, medications and surgical procedures. With advances in surgical techniques and immunosuppressive drugs, more than 80% of heart recipients survive more than 3 years after the operation. Lung transplantation is a relatively new procedure that continues to see improvement. Currently, more than 65% of lung recipients survive at least 3 years after a transplant. The success rate of our program is at 85% and this has been published in ISHLT, bringing our Heart and Lung transplant program racing ahead of many of its world competitors.

A few transplant recipients from Maharashtra attended the conference and shared their story. All of them thanked and expressed gratitude to the donors and their family, program and the doctors who gave them a new lease of life.