Kochi doctors perform heart transplant after organ airlifted from Thiruvananthapuram

Kochi, Sep 11 (PTI) Doctors at a private hospital successfully performed a heart transplant after the organ was airlifted from Thiruvananthapuram with the support of the Kerala government, hospital authorities said here on Thursday.

The heart of Kottarakara native Isaac, who was declared brain-dead following an accident, was transplanted into 28-year-old Ajin from Angamaly at Lisie Hospital here.

Ajin was suffering from Kawasaki disease, a rare condition that causes inflammation of the coronary arteries.

Isaac had been admitted to KIMS Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram after the accident, where doctors later declared him brain-dead. Despite their grief, his family decided to donate his organs, a hospital statement said.

On Wednesday night, Lisie Hospital received an alert from the state-run organ donation network, Mrithasanjeevani-KSOTTO about the availability of the organ. Preparations for retrieval began immediately.

Hospital director Fr Paul Karedan contacted Industries Minister P Rajeev, who in turn reached out to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The state government arranged for a helicopter, originally hired by the police, to be made available free of cost for transportation.

A medical team led by Dr Jacob Abraham, including Dr Jeevesh Thomas, Dr Jo Joseph and Dr Sreeshankar, conducted the retrieval surgery at KIMS Hospital at 8 am. By 12.35 pm, the helicopter carrying the heart took off from Thiruvananthapuram and landed at a Kochi hotel helipad by 1.30 pm. Within four minutes, through a police-prepared green corridor, the organ was transported to Lisie Hospital.

A transplant team led by Dr Jose Chacko Periyappuram began the surgery immediately and successfully completed it by 7 pm. "The next 48 hours are as critical as the operation itself," Dr Periyappuram said.

Chief Minister Vijayan praised Isaac’s family for their decision to donate his organs.

"It is inspiring that Isaac had already expressed his willingness for organ donation. By donating his liver, kidneys, and corneas, he gifted sight to two people and new life to four others, making himself immortal," the CM said. PTI TBA TBA KH