KGMU in Lucknow is prepping to conduct UP's first heart transplant surgery

Alt title: DMET licenses/allows KGMU Lucknow for conducting heart transplant procedures

Work on the infrastructure and post-operative system for new heart transplant facility is currently underway at KGMU in Lucknow. The healthcare facility had recently recieved persmissions to conduct heart transplants by Directorate of Medical Education and Training (DMET) Uttar Pradesh. DMET is a state level body that works towards directing and strengthening the medical facilities of the state.

KGMU has initiated the necessary spadework including the creation of a registry of patients who require heart transplant surgery and are searching for suitable donors.

A heart transplant is a complex surgical procedure done on patients with various heart complications where the organ fails to pump enough blood into the body. In such cases, when no other surgical or medical treatment can save a patient's life, a heart transplant surgery is conducted.

Apart from state-of-the-art facilities, suitable equipment and trained manpower with expertise in cardiovascular procedures, several other factors are necessary for conducting a heart transplant surgery.

For conducting an HT operation, it is not only essential that the donor's heart is free from ailments and infections but the blood group and the size of the heart should also match that of the receiver. Furthermore, among all the organs the heart has the shortest shelf life. Once procured, it needs to be transplanted within four hours.

KGMU departments concerned with heart transplant procedures including the department of Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery (CVTC) and the department of organ transplant have geared up for the initiation of HT operations. Since HT surgery is similar to open heart surgery, the medical facility already has suitable equipment, facilities and a team of experts.

Currently, the departments are creating a registry of patients requiring HT surgery in with records of blood groups and heart sizes. After the availability of a donor, the organ transplant team will conduct tests to determine the blood group and heart size and the organ will be procured for HT surgery after verifying the suitability.

Notably, KGMU is the second government facility of the state after SGPGI which has received the license for conducting heart transplant procedures.