Telangana man with pulmonary fibrosis undergoes India's first double lung transplant at Yashoda Hospital

The patient was admitted in Yashoda Hospital in Secunderabad after consuming pesticide a month ago. His lungs, kidneys and liver were damaged and he had developed pulmonary fibrosis, a condition where the survival rate is very low. The doctors saved his life by conducting a double lung transplantation, which was done for the fourth time in the world.

Hyderabad: In the first such case in India, doctors of Yashoda Hospital in Secunderabad conducted a double lung transplantation, a rare and complicated procedure, thereby successfully saving the life of a 23-year-old patient, suffering from pulmonary fibrosis. This was the fourth time that a double lung transplant was performed in the world.

According to doctors, Rohit, a resident of Murraygudem from Telangana's Mahabubabad district consumed a poisonous pesticide last month. Since then he has been battling for his life as his kidneys, liver and lungs were severely damaged. He developed pulmonary fibrosis, a condition that could have led to his death.

Director, Yashoda Group Dr Pawan Gorukanti said that the survival rate of such patients is extremely low. "He was placed on mechanical ventilator and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for more than 15 days. When his condition did not improve, we decided to go for double lung transplant. So, after ensuring that there was no poison in his body we went ahead with the procedure," he said.

The lungs were transplanted from a brain dead donor under the state-sponsored Jeevandan scheme. A team of doctors led by senior interventional pulmonologist Dr Hari Kishan carried out the complex procedure that took around six hours. "Till now, only four persons have undergone such a surgery and this is the first case in India," Hari Krishan said.

The patient was discharged recently and is going well, doctors said. Rohit thanked the doctors for saving his life. He said that he has been given a re-birth by the team of doctors.