First ever heart transplant in Kerala government hospital successful

Zee Media Bureau

Kottayam: In a first, a heart transplant was performed successfully at the government-run Kottayam Medical College Hospital in Kottayam.

The medical team lead by the head of the cardio thoracic and vascular surgery department of the hospital Dr T K Jayakumar successfully transplanted the heart of a brain dead patient in the 50-year-old Podiyan hailing from Meenkuzhi in Pathanamthitta District.

The patient's condition was "satisfactory" and the next 48 hours would be very critical, he said, adding, Mr Podiyan would be monitored closely for six weeks.

Podimon has been under the treatment of Jayakumar since three months when he was admitted here with a cardiac arrest. He was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy with mitral regurgitation and the doctors had recommended heart transplant.

The hospital is the first one to get the licence for heart transplant in the Government sector. Hospital got the licence six months back and a medical team was always keeping ready for a cadaver heart transplant.