A Kashmiri woman, Shahzadi Fathima (33) from Srinagar has undergone a successful heart transplant surgery here in Chennai on Wednesday. The donor for the heart is an 18-year-old boy from Tiruchi who was brain dead after meeting with an accident.
The heart transplantation was done by cardiologist K.R. Balakrishnan, Director – Institute of Heart and Lung Transplant & Mechanical Circulatory Support of MGM Healthcare.
Ms. Fathima was showing worsening signs of heart failure and was referred to MGM Healthcare some time ago. Aishwarya Trust, a non-governmental organization that finances cardiac surgeries and heart transplants raised funds for Ms. Fatima’s transplant and called her to Chennai.
Ms. Fathima took a train to reach Chennai and was admitted to the MGM hospital on Dec. 31. At the time of admission, she showed worsening heart failure symptoms due to Restrictive Cardiomyopathy or RCM, a condition where the chambers of the heart become stiff over time.
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When she came, she couldn’t walk into her room” said cardiologist K.R. Balakrishnan who performed the surgery.
The family of an 18-year-old boy from Tiruchi who lost his life in a road accident was willing to donate his organs and his heart was transported to Chennai through a green corridor and a high-risk heart transplant was carried out on Ms. Fathima.
Post-surgery, she was shifted to Transplant ICU in a stable condition. She was removed from the ventilator and at present recovering from the surgery, doctors at MGM Healthcare said.
Dr. KR Balakrishnan, who led the surgery, lauded the efforts of the donor’s family in generously agreeing for organ donation in the face of great personal tragedy.
Ms. Fatima, who is unmarried and lives with her brother, a daily wage earner in Srinagar is full of praise of Aishwarya Trust that came forward to support the entire cost of the transplant. ‘All that begins well, ends well,’ she added.
Ms. Fathima now has to visit the MGM hospital after six months for a review. She would receive her supply of medications for a certain period when she leaves Chennai. The doctors would monitor her health virtually through medical reports and blood tests that she would be advised to take periodically.
