City's 2nd lung transplant at PD Hinduja

On Thursday, doctors at PD Hinduja Hospital, Mahim, performed the city's second lung transplant surgery.

On Thursday, doctors at PD Hinduja Hospital, Mahim, performed the city's second lung transplant surgery.

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Lalit Malde, 50, underwent the surgery after relatives of a brain dead patient at BSES Hospital in Andheri donated his lungs and other organs on Wednesday.

"This is the first time that a left lung transplant has been performed in the country," said Dr Jnanesh Thacker, cardio vascular thoracic surgeon, PD Hinduja Hospital.

He added, "The cadaver had donated a pair of lungs, but the right lung was of poor quality hence we decided to transplant the left lung."

According to Thacker, the left lung transplant surgery is extremely challenging because the lung has to be transplanted close to the heart.

"Hence, we did not use a heart lung machine to stop the heart. Instead the whole surgery was performed next to a beating heart," said Thacker.

Dr Zarir Udwadia, chest physician, Hinduja Hospital, said that Malde had been suffering from chronic lung fibrosis and required a transplant.