Asia’s First Lung Transplant On COVID Survivor Performed In Chennai Hospital

Chennai: A 48-year-old Gurugram-based businessman has got a new lease of life, thanks to doctors at a private hospital in Chennai. Not only was he a COVID patient but both his lungs were badly affected due to coronavirus fibrosis.

Doctors at MGM Healthcare performed Asia’s first lung transplant surgery on this COVID-19 survivor, NDTV reported. According to the doctors, his new lungs are working well.

Dr KR Balakrishnan, Chairman and Director of heart and lung transplant programme at the MGM Healthcare, told NDTV that the patient had contracted COVID-19 on June 8 and his lungs were badly affected. In July, he was airlifted to Chennai on ventilatory support and put on ECMO treatment.

“The entire team put their lives at risk for this surgery,” Dr Balakrishnan said, adding that the patient had recovered from COVID before he was operated on, NDTV reported.

“Both his lungs are working well now and we have removed ECMO support. His clinical condition is stable,” MGM Healthcare Co-Director Dr Suresh Rao said.

The lungs for the transplant came from a brain dead donor at Chennai’s Gleneagles Global Hospital. The donor’s heart was also given to another recipient at the same hospital, the report added.