KEM Hospital conducts first heart transplant in 56 years

In a landmark achievement, BMC-run KEM Hospital successfully performed its first heart transplant in 56 years, marking a significant milestone as the first municipal hospital in the country to do so

Mumbai: In a landmark achievement, BMC-run KEM Hospital successfully performed its first heart transplant in 56 years, marking a significant milestone as the first municipal hospital in the country to do so.

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The transplant was made possible through the donation of a heart by a 34-year-old donor, whose circumstances led to the decision of organ donation.”My wife, who was seven months pregnant, had a brain hemorrhage and was on a ventilator,” said Deepak, the donor’s husband. “Our baby passed away on Monday. We were given the option to keep her on the ventilator, but with the risk of infection and her eventual death. Instead, the hospital suggested organ donation. After consulting with our families, we chose to let a part of her live on through someone else.”

The donated heart, along with corneas, was successfully transplanted into a patient at KEM Hospital who had been critically ill due to a heart condition. The surgery was done from midnight on Friday, ending in the early hours of the day. It took approximately three hours for retrieval and three hours for the transplant. The patient is reported to be stable post-surgery.

Dr. Praveen Kulkarni led the surgical team through the complex procedure, which typically costs ₹35 lakh in private facilities but was conducted at KEM for ₹8 lakh. This milestone comes after KEM’s initial attempt at heart transplantation in 1963-64, which was unsuccessful, leading to a hiatus in such procedures until now.

The hospital’s efforts to establish a heart transplant programme gained momentum in October 2023 with a provisional license, which was later fully accredited in December. “We had to get the expertise, team, and equipment to prepare for the transplant, and then convince the donor for it,” said AMD Sudhakar Shinde. Overcoming logistical challenges, the hospital equipped itself with the necessary infrastructure, supported by over 40 meetings led by Additional Municipal Commissioner Sudhakar Shinde.

Organ donations in public hospitals remain rare compared to private facilities, with KEM’s achievement underscoring the drive to expand access to life-saving treatments.