NEW DELHI: In a rare first for India's premier medical institute, doctors at AIIMS have transplanted the heart of a 26-year-old man into a 10-year-old girl suffering from end-stage heart failure.
Cardiologists said the adult heart measured 53mm (end-diastolic dimension), nearly double the size of a child's heart. However, surgeons could still fit the organ into the girl's chest cavity because her diseased heart had swollen and was occupying a similar space.
"The operating surgeon removed the recipient's heart after matching the cavity to the donor heart," said Dr Sandeep Seth, professor of cardiology at AIIMS. He said the girl has recovering well.
Doctors said the 10-year-old from Kolkata was admitted in AIIMS in December last year with complete heart failure. Her heart muscles were weak and she was suffering from jaundice.
Despite all medications, the girl's heart function had not improved and the family had lost all hope of her survival.
"Initially, we did not put her in the main list for transplant because she was too ill to undergo the procedure. Also, it's rare for us to get a child's heart from cadaver donors," said a senior doctor. He said the girl's case was considered for transplant only when the hospital could not identify any matching recipient for a heart from a 26-year-old cadaver donor.
"Finally, we decided to take a chance on her. We are happy that it worked and the girl has survived," said Seth. The transplant team was led by cardiac surgeon Balram Airan.
Cardiologists said the adult heart measured 53mm (end-diastolic dimension), nearly double the size of a child's heart. However, surgeons could still fit the organ into the girl's chest cavity because her diseased heart had swollen and was occupying a similar space."The operating surgeon removed the recipient's heart after matching the cavity to the donor heart," said Dr Sandeep Seth, professor of cardiology at AIIMS. He said the girl has recovering well.
Doctors said the 10-year-old from Kolkata was admitted in AIIMS in December last year with complete heart failure. Her heart muscles were weak and she was suffering from jaundice.
Despite all medications, the girl's heart function had not improved and the family had lost all hope of her survival.
"Initially, we did not put her in the main list for transplant because she was too ill to undergo the procedure. Also, it's rare for us to get a child's heart from cadaver donors," said a senior doctor. He said the girl's case was considered for transplant only when the hospital could not identify any matching recipient for a heart from a 26-year-old cadaver donor.
"Finally, we decided to take a chance on her. We are happy that it worked and the girl has survived," said Seth. The transplant team was led by cardiac surgeon Balram Airan.
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