Pune man’s heart gives new lease of life to city teen

A 14-year-old boy suffering from dilated cardiomyopathy got a fresh lease of life in what was the 17th heart transplant surgery at Fortis Hospital, Mulund. A surface-intensive green corridor created by traffic authorities in Pune, Raigad, Thane and Mumbai helped ferry the heart of a 28-year-old man from Vai, Satara, across 188km in 1 hour and 35 minutes.

Surgeons at the hospital performed heart transplant surgery on the teenager from Borivali in the early hours of Friday. He was on the waitlist for over four months, during which time his condition was deteriorating rapidly and the surgery was absolutely essential to save his life.

The transplant was possible only because a 28-year-old man from Vai was declared brain dead at Ruby Hall Clinic, Pune, after he suffered a head injury during a road accident. His family consented to donate his heart, kidneys and liver to save the lives of four needy recipients. Retrieved by Dr Sanjeev Jadhav, Consultant CVTS Surgeon, Fortis Hospital, the donor heart was transported to Fortis Hospital, Mulund, in 1hr and 35min, covering a distance of 188km by road.

Traffic and police teams across Pune, Raigad, Thane and Mumbai came together to plan and execute the green corridor between Pune and Mumbai, and over 150 personnel along the route ensured that the ambulance ferrying the preserved heart reached Mumbai in record break time. A first for traffic and police teams as well, coordination for the green corridor was done by Pune’s traffic police, Navi Mumbai’s traffic police, Mumbai’s traffic police and highway police led by API Kamble.

On successful completion of the heart transplant surgery, the surgeon who carried out the transplant, Dr Anvay Mulay, Head, Cardiac Transplant Team, Fortis Hospital, Mulund, said, “Gradual and steady progression of mindsets towards organ donation is a great sign and we are happy to be instrumental in bringing about this change. The donor’s family deserves the highest appreciation for having saved so many lives through their noble gesture. Our young patient is now stable and has been moved to the intensive care unit. The next 48 to 72 hours however will be critical, and we will be closely monitoring him”.