A few months ago, when Thane resident Sudhir Chand Mishra was admitted to a hospital with a heart condition, his family was told he was critical. The family immediately sought another opinion and this time doctors suggested a heart transplant. Mr. Mishra underwent the procedure on June 21. About 45 days later, he says life, as he knew it, is gradually coming back on track.
“It did appear like a major procedure initially, but I was aware of it because of the media coverage of heart transplants,” Mr. Mishra told The Hindu last week, at a function organised by Fortis Hospital, Mulund, to felicitate families of heart donors.
Fortis, Mulund, has performed 23 of the 24 heart transplant surgeries carried out in Mumbai since August 3, 2015, and the awareness of the procedure has led to more people registering for a transplant.
Currently, 17 people are waitlisted for a heart, of which five registered in the last two months, according to the Zonal Transplant Coordination Committee.
The people who have undergone the procedure, have gone on to become the ideal before-and-after case studies. Indian Oil official Rajan Desai (59) had gone for a trek four years ago when he suffered a heart attack. “It took me 12 hours to reach the hospital. The delay resulted in the weakening of my heart muscles,” he said.
Mr. Desai, a compulsive trekker, said he didn’t want to lead a life where he had to be cautious of every step he took. He had read about heart transplants in various developed nations and visited five hospitals in Mumbai to seek medical advice whether he could undergo the procedure. “I was told nothing can be done,” he said. Last December, Mr. Desai underwent the procedure at Fortis Hospital. He has resumed work and commutes a 20-km distance from his residence at Kandivli to the Indian Oil office at Bandra every day. He has set a new goal for himself – to participate in the mini-marathon after two years.
Chennai remains the first choice for a heart transplant, but awareness around Mumbai is picking up.
Surat-based Sanket Modi (27) had almost decided to take his 54-year-old father to Chennai for a heart transplant when he heard that the procedure was being performed in Mumbai. “It was easier to come to Mumbai,” he said.
His father underwent the transplant in May at Fortis and is now doing well, said Mr. Modi said.
Dr. Anvay Mulay, consultant and head of cardiac surgery at Fortis Hospital, said, “Many patients go to Chennai simply because the donor rate is high.” He said if his patient in Mumbai gets a heart after a one-month waiting period, the average waiting period in Chennai is just seven days. More the number of donors, higher the possibility of finding a blood group match.
Madhavi Vishwakarma (8) is among those who doctors had given up on, when she underwent a heart transplant in January. She is now leading a normal life and is only waiting to hit the playground with her friends.
