Woman gets heart from brain dead man

CHENNAI: A 39-year-old woman got a new lease of life after she underwent a heart transplant surgery at a city hospital on Sunday.
The donor was a 52-year-old man who met with a road accident on January 31 and was admitted to Stanley Medical College and Hospital. The patient suffered severe head injuries and was battling for life. he was declared brain dead after a thorough examination on the following day.
While the heart was sent to Frontier Lifeline Hospital, the liver was given to Apollo Hospitals, one kidney was retained at SMCH and the other was sent to K G Hospitals in Coimbatore. The corneas were donated to the Government Hospital Eye Bank.
The recipient of the heart, a woman from Madurai, was admitted to Frontier Lifeline Hospitals with dilated cardiomyopathy, where the heart swells and don't pump blood efficiently. She also suffered end-stage heart failure and a heart transplant was the only solution.
The traffic police created a traffic-free 'green corridor' and the heart was transported from SMCH to Frontier Lifeline Hospital in Mogappair in 15 minutes, said the vice-president of Frontier Lifeline Hospital, Dr Sanjay Cherian.
"In India, approximately 46 lakh patients suffer from heart failure, of which 10% die every year due to the non-availability of donors. More people should pledge their organs for donation, and help patients suffering from heart failure."