Kerala’s Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute performs life-saving pediatric heart transplant

A five-hour surgery by dedicated doctors gives new life to a 13-year-old girl suffering from severe cardiomyopathy

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New Delhi: The Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) in Kerala has successfully performed a complex Orthotopic Heart Transplantation procedure, providing a new lease on life to a 13-year-old girl suffering from severe cardiomyopathy who had been on a ventilator due to her critical condition.
The five-hour operation was conducted by a dedicated team of doctors and is a significant milestone for the institute, an autonomous body under the Department of Science and Technology (DST).
Pediatric heart transplants are particularly rare due to the limited availability of donor hearts for children, making this successful operation even more noteworthy. SCTIMST’s achievement places it among the select government hospitals capable of offering such advanced treatments, making life-saving procedures more accessible to patients in need. 
The institute’s comprehensive heart failure program, established with the support of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), played a crucial role in obtaining the necessary license for heart transplants last year.
The donor heart, essential for this life-saving surgery, came from a 47-year-old school teacher who was declared brain dead following a sustained brain hemorrhage. The Kerala State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (K-SOTTO) facilitated the allocation of the organ to SCTIMST in line with the state’s organ allocation policy. The Kerala Police arranged a green corridor to ensure the swift transport of the organ, demonstrating exceptional coordination and support.
The successful operation was performed by a skilled team led by Dr. Baiju S Dharan, Dr. Vivek V Pillai, Dr. Soumya Remanan, Dr. Renjith S, and Dr. Veena Vasudev from the Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery. They were supported by experts from the Department of Cardiology, including Dr. Harikrishnan S, Dr. Krishnamoorthy K M, Dr. Deepa S Kumar, Dr. Arun Gopalakrishnan, and Dr. Jyothi Vijay. Dr. Shrinivas V G from the Department of Cardiac Anaesthesia also played a vital role, along with their respective teams.
Additional support was provided by transplant coordinator Beena Pillai, senior residents, staff from the Division of Perfusion Technology, the Department of Transfusion Medicine, and the blood bank, as well as nursing and technical staff, transport personnel, security, and the biomedical technology wing.