New Delhi, Dec 22,2021: A 950-kilometre-long green corridor was created to transport lungs from an Ahmedabad hospital Gujarat to Max Super Speciality Hospital in Delhi in three hours to save the life of a 54-year-old man suffering from Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), statement from Max healthcare said.
The green corridor was created between the Civil Hospital of Ahmedabad and the city’s airport, and then between the IGI International Airport and Max Saket in Delhi, it added.
“Given the criticality of an early transplant for success, safe passage was facilitated by authorities. Swift action by the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO), Gujarat Police and Delhi Police ensured that the lungs reached the hospital in a timely manner. This ensured the retrieved lungs to be transplanted within the critical eight-hour chest to chest period,” the hospital said.
According to the hospital, the donated lungs were harvested from a 44-year-old man from Ahmedabad who was declared brain dead after brain haemorrhage.
“The harvested lungs were flown down to Delhi in clockwork precision. The patient has a known case of COPD and he urgently required lung transplant. We welcome this decision by the donor family to have stepped forward and agreed to donate several vital organs which will provide a new lease of life to critically ill patients,” Dr Rahul Chandola, Associate Director, Max Saket, said.
The critical surgery involved a team of 15 doctors and the operation was done for over 9 hours to successfully carry out the bilateral lung (both lungs) transplant, Chandola added.
The senior surgeon also expressed gratitude to the donor family and emphasised the need for more organ donations. “We remain indebted to the family of the donor who decided to serve critical patients even in their time of loss. Organ donation can save so many precious lives and I really hope that everyone embraces this cause,” he added.
Pair of Lungs travel 950 km in 3 hrs to save 54-yr-old chronic patient
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