A patient, who underwent a heart transplant surgery early this week at a Government Medical College here, is recuperating fast, hospital authorities said here today.
In a first heart transplant surgery at a government-run Medical College hospital in Kerala, V K Podimon from Pathanamthitta received the heart harvested from a brain dead patient on September 15.
The heart was harvested from Vinay Kumar from Aluva in Ernakulam district and brought here by road and transplanted successfully on Podimon.
The heart transplantation surgery, costing less than Rs two lakh, has created a new milestone for the state's general health sector.
This was carried out at a time when the private hospitals in the state charge between Rs 10 lakh to 20 lakh for a heart transplantation surgery.
Head of the Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic surgery Dr T K Jayakumar, who led the 40-member team, said there was a considerable improvement in the health condition of Podimon who has regained consciousness.
"Podimon is doing well. He had traditional Kerala Kanji (rice soup). The heart has started responding normally to the new situation. He is responding positively to the medicines. He can be removed from the Intensive Care Unit before the stipulated time period," Jayakumar said.
Expressing gratitude to the donor's family and doctors who performed the transplantation surgery, Podimon's wife Omana said the family would visit Vinay Kumar's wife and children once he was discharged from the hospital.
