In a landmark medical achievement, Gleneagles Hospital, Chennai, a leading centre for thoracic and transplant surgeries, successfully performed a bilateral lobar lung transplant on a 148-cm- tall woman, making her one of the shortest female recipients of such a complex procedure in the country. The groundbreaking surgery was performed by a team of doctors headed by Dr Govini Balasubramani, Director of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, and Dr Vivek Vij, Head of HPB & Liver Transplant Surgery, Gleneagles Hospital Chennai. The surgery lasted for over 8 hours.
The patient from Delhi was suffering from interstitial lung disease and pulmonary fibrosis for a few years, and she was dependant on oxygen support to the extent of 10 kg of oxygen per minute. The patient was waiting for a suitable donor for a lung transplant for over 10 months. Since the patient's condition was deteriorating, the doctors decided to perform a lobar lung transplant with the help of the lungs harvested from a deceased donor from Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital. Bilateral lobar lung transplant was performed on May 26th in which the doctors removed the lower portion of both lobes of a donor lung and fixed it into the small chest cavity of the patient successfully.
“This surgery was challenging due to the patient’s small chest volume. Performing a lobar transplant required precise donor-recipient matching and intricate surgical technique. said Dr Govini Balasubramani, Director of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, Gleneagles Hospital Chennai “The success of this case demonstrates our team’s commitment to delivering cutting-edge care tailored to individual patient needs. “added Dr Govini
The patient has made a remarkable recovery post-surgery. After 22 hours of surgery, she was taken off ventilator support and breathed independently for the first time in years, without oxygen support. She was discharged from the hospital in a week’s time.
“We are proud to achieve another milestone in complex transplant care. This case showcases not just our surgical excellence but also our patient-first approach, where even the most delicate and rare cases are handled with utmost precision. This successful procedure reinforces Gleneagles Hospital Chennai as a national leader in lung transplantation and advanced thoracic surgeries”, said Dr Nageshwar Rao, CEO, Gleneagles Hospital Chennai.