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PGIMER | Organs of road mishap victim lend new lease of life to five
The family of a young man, in his early twenties, who was declared brain dead at PGIMER after a road mishap on June 14, donated his liver, kidneys, heart and corneas
The family of a young man, in his early twenties, who was declared brain dead at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) after an accident on June 14, donated his organs and gave a new lease of life to five terminally-ill organ failure patients.
The retrieved heart was transplanted to a matching recipient in New Delhi, whereas the kidneys, liver and two corneas were transplanted to matching recipients here at PGIMER.
The young man was hit by a speeding two-wheeler while he was on his way to work on June 4. After the mishap, he was rushed to a local civil hospital in Faridkot and was referred to PGIMER on June 6.
The patient’s condition worsened and he was put on life support. He was declared brain-dead on June 14 after following the protocols of THOA here at PGIMER.
Medical superintendent PGIMER and nodal officer, Regional Organ & Tissue Transplant Organisation ROTTO (North), Dr Vipin Koushal said, “After the family’s consent, heart, liver, kidneys and corneas were retrieved from the donor. Once the donor organs became available, it was time to act fast to ensure that the donor’s legacy continues.”
“As the cross-matching indicated no matching recipient for heart here in PGIMER, options for matching recipients were explored with other transplant hospitals, and finally, heart was allocated to a matching recipient admitted in R&R New Delhi with the intervention of National Organ & Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO),” he added.
With NOTTO’s proactive intervention, the heart was airlifted and a green corridor was created from PGIMER to the technical airport with active cooperation and liasoning of PGI security, UT administration and police.
The liver and one of the kidneys retrieved from the donor was transplanted to a recipient at PGIMER, while the other kidney lent a lease of life to another PGIMER patient. The former was the second liver-kidney combined transplant at PGIMER, with the first one having been conducted on February 3, 2018. The retrieved corneas of the donor will restore the sight of two patients.