Kottayam: Subramanya Bhatt, who had been struggling due to heart ailments for over 14 years, has got a new lease of life. As Bhatt slowly springs back to health, his family has only one person to thank – 24-year-old Atul Pawar, a navy officer from Haryana who lost his life in an accident.
The heart of the young navy officer was successfully transplanted onto the Ernakulam native's body in a complex 4-hour surgery led by the head of the cardiology department Dr T.K. Jayakumar at the Medical College Hospital in Kottayam Thursday.
Atul was declared brain dead while undergoing treatment at Aster Medicity Hospital in Kochi following the car accident. Though the young navy officer lost his life, he leaves this world as a proud human being, granting a second shot at life to many people. While Atul's heart was being transplanted to Bhatt at Kottayam Medical College, his one kidney was sent to the Command Hospital in Bengaluru in an air ambulance. Meanwhile, his second kidney and liver were being transplanted onto a patient at Aster Medicity in Kochi.
Green corridor
The doctors at Aster Medicity had declared Atul brain dead around the midnight of Wednesday; and the procedures to harvest his organs began soon after as his relatives had already given the consent. At 11.30 am Thursday, a group of doctors and health workers reached Kottayam Medical College in an ambulance with the harvested heart. Meanwhile, Bhatt’s open heart surgery had already begun; and it was successfully completed by 3.30 pm. Dr Jayakumar said that Bhatt’s body has started to respond positively to the newly transplanted heart.
Anxious moments
While Bhatt was lying unconscious on the surgical table, his wife P.R. Maya, who is visually impaired, and daughters Bhavyasree and Sasikala were eagerly waiting outside with their hearts full of prayers for the safe return of the head of the family. Maya is a telephone operator at the Indian Bank, Menaka in Ernakulam.
Maya could see the colorful world only until she turned six. But life did not turn bleak for her as Bhatt came into her life, bringing back joy and happiness. As the couple was leading a happily married life with two young daughters, heart ailment struck Bhatt. Blood could not be pumped properly from the heart due to the weak muscles; and this made walking and climbing stairs extremely difficult. Though a pacemaker was attached, his health continued to deteriorate and doctors suggested a heart transplant.
Bhatt, who drove kids to school and back for a living, had not been working for the past one year. He had been waiting for a matching heart for the past six months after registering in an organ-donation project.
Fourth successful transplant
Thursday’s surgery was the fourth successful heart transplantation conducted at the Medical College Hospital in Kottayam.
September 15, 2015
Podimon, 50, of Pathanamthitta received the heart of Kochi native Vinaya Kumar, 45, who was declared brain dead while undergoing treatment at Lourdes Hospital, Ernakulam.
April 26, 2016
The heart of a 22-year-old youngster from Ernakulam was transplanted onto Basheer, 45, who also hails from Ernakulam.
22 June 2016
K.K. Balan, 51, of Pulpally in Wayanad received the heart of Erali Francis, 48, a native of Manjapra, Ernakulam.
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