Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)-run KEM hospital achieved a historic milestone in July when it became the country’s first municipal hospital to perform a heart transplant surgery. However, following the post-surgery complications, the recipient Mahesh Padav (38) lost his life 40 days after the operation was performed.
Padav is survived by his wife and two daughters. A successful heart transplant surgery was performed on Padav in KEM Hospital on July 12.
Post-discharge infection developed
As per reports, Padav was in KEM hospital for 20 days post-surgery, after which the doctors discharged him. He was taken to his home in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. However, he contracted an infection and it soon developed into high fever. Padav succumbed to his post-discharge infection on August 22, reports say.
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The incident has raised concerns over the post-discharge care for the transplant surgeries.
KEM’s first heart transplant in 56 years
Padav was admitted in KEM hospital for critical heart condition over a month before a transplant surgery was performed. The transplant was made possible through the donation of a heart by a 34-year-old donor, whose circumstances led to the decision of organ donation.
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The surgery was performed successfully on July 12 midnight and the patient was stable post-surgery.
The milestone came after KEM’s initial attempt at heart transplantation in 1963-64, which was unsuccessful, leading to a hiatus in such procedures. The civic-run hospital in October 2023 received a provisional license for heart transplant, which was later fully accredited in December.
