City-based Brindavan Colony resident Mulakala Padmavathi, 39, went into coma after she suffered a sever brain haemorrhage on January 16. She was subsequently declared brain dead. Her family decided to donate her organs. Four patients in need of organ donation benefited immensely from the donated kidneys and liver.
It was a touching moment for all present, particularly the surgeons who performed the kidney transplantation. Consulting Nephrologists N. Ammanna, K. Prasanth Kumar and G. Srinivasa Rao and Indian Medical Association Vijayawada chapter president Indla Ramasubba Reddy gathered to show their appreciation to the family of an organ donor.
Pat for family The doctors invited the media to a small function in which they presented a flower bouquet to a representative of Padmavathi’s family, her younger bother Suresh Kumar, to show their appreciation. Another objective of the function was to publicise the generosity of the family so that more come forward to donate organs, said Dr. Ramasubba Reddy.
Several kidney transplantations have been performed in Vijayawada earlier, but this was the first ‘cadaver transplantation’ performed in the city said Dr. Ammanna. An 18-year-old youth from Vanakuru was the recipient.
A 17-year-old girl was the recipient of the second kidney in an operation conducted in NRI Hospital in Chinnakakani across the Krishna river. Two patients in Hyderabad benefited from the liver.
In all eight persons can receive the organs, kidneys, liver, heart, lungs and eyes, the doctor said. But the organs of only those who have been declared brain dead can be harvested. Transferred into the proper solution a kidney could be preserved for a maximum of 36 hours, they said.
The first kidney was transferred to the youth at the Arun Kidney Centre right from the body. The second kidney was put in a solution and transported to NRI Hospital. Sharing his experience Dr. Prasanth Kumar said, “I have done many kidney transplantations where both the persons are living. But this was altogether a different experience. As we removed the organs the blood pressure fell and every thing came to an end.”
A lot of courage is needed for family members to come forward and donate the organs of those who are dear to them, the doctors said.
