A42-year-old farmer from Beed, Maharashtra, has been given a second chance at life after successfully undergoing a rare and complex small intestine transplant at Nanavati Max Super Speciality Hospital in Mumbai. The life-saving organ, retrieved from a deceased donor in Delhi, was transported over 1,400 kilometers in just four-and-a-half hours, thanks to seamless coordination between air and ground transport teams.
The donor was a 21-year-old woman from Delhi who had been declared brain dead following a road accident. Her family’s decision to donate her organs became a turning point in the life of Siddheshwar Dake, who had been suffering for over two years from unexplained abdominal pain and severe cramps. Despite consulting multiple hospitals in the Marathwada region, Dake remained undiagnosed until he was admitted to a private hospital in Sambhajinagar earlier this year. From there, he was referred to the Liver, Intestine, and Pancreas OPD at Nanavati Max Hospital.
According to Dr. Gaurav Chaubal, Director – HPB Surgery & Liver and Multi-Organ Transplant, imaging revealed that Dake’s small intestine had become gangrenous due to Superior Mesenteric Artery (SMA) thrombosis, a rare complication linked to a hypercoagulable blood condition. While the immediate surgical removal of the necrotic intestine was performed, a transplant was determined to be the only viable long-term solution.
With no suitable living donor, Dake was listed on the national cadaveric transplant registry. After a month-long wait, Nanavati Max Hospital was alerted by the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) about a matching donor in Delhi. A highly specialized retrieval team from Mumbai, in collaboration with Max Hospital Shalimar Bagh and BLK-Max Hospital in Delhi, coordinated the organ extraction and transportation process. Delhi Police ensured a green corridor, facilitating swift movement from the hospital to the airport.
“The intestine arrived at Nanavati Max within 10 minutes of landing. The transplant surgery was completed in eight hours, well within the viability window,” said Dr. Chaubal. Dake was discharged three weeks later in stable condition and continues to recover well.
Dr. Vivek Talaulikar, COO (Western Region), Max Healthcare, highlighted the significance of this achievement: “This rare interstate transplant demonstrates how meticulous planning and inter-agency coordination—from aviation to ambulance to laboratory teams—can result in a life saved.”