Heart Transplant at Fortis Escorts gives 23 year old a new life

Fortis Escorts Heart Institute bids adieu post the recovery period to 23 year old patient, Oshin Goyal who has just received a new lease of life with a heart transplant. The transplant was performed by Dr. Z S Meharwal, Director & Coordinator, Cardiovascular Surgery Fortis Escorts Heart Institute. 

The donor, a 58 year old man, suffered a brain hemorrhage and was rushed to a local hospital. The patient was referred to Fortis Memorial Research Institute (FMRI) when the doctors at a nearby hospital failed to revive him. The heart reached the recipient in just 27 minutes 56 seconds and the surgical procedure for the transplant took four hours for completion.

Oshin Goyal is a young girl at 23 years of age and had been suffering from restrictive cardio myopathy since the last nine years. She initially had swelling of her feet and legs and gradually developed worsening breathlessness, abdomen and face. she was diagnosed with a rare cardiac condition called Restrictive Cardiomyopathy and was treated at our heart failure centre.

Restrictive cardiomyopathy is a rarest form of cardiomyopathy, a condition in which the walls of the lower chambers of the heart (the ventricles) are abnormally rigid and lack the flexibility to expand as the ventricles fill with blood. The heart is, therefore, restricted from stretching and filling with blood properly, eventually, leading to heart failure. As a consequence of poor pumping of the heart, adequate amount of oxygen does not reach the various body parts and the body begins retaining high levels of water. Organs like the lungs, abdomen and veins fill up with water that leads to an swelling of the body. There are no drugs that can reverse or control this condition. Even temporary devices are not available for Restrictive Cardiomyopathy. So she was kept on our transplant recipient list.

 Dr. Z S Meharwal, Director & Coordinator, Cardiovascular Surgery Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, said, “Even with the huge challenge we had on our hands as she had been bed-ridden for the last four months and an extremely weak heart we were determined to make her live. She was at death’s door and pulling her back from the brink put a big responsibility in our hands. She has recovered well and continuing to recover further. We are really happy to see her on her feet and enjoy the life again. We are ready to help more and more transplant patients who are suffering from end stage heart failure and have no hope. "

Heart transplantation has made great strides over the years. Today, more than 85 percent of heart recipients will live at least an additional year and more than 70 percent will live five more years. However, patients continue to face a lengthy waiting list to receive a donor heart.

Dr. Somesh Mittal, Zonal Director, Fortis Escorts Heart Institute said, “India is witnessing over 3 million deaths in a year due to cardiovascular diseases making India a likely ‘Heart Disease Capital of the World’. We are proud to be ranked as India’s best private healthcare hospital in Cardiac care, performing more than 25,000 procedures annually. With the success we have achieved with this heart transplant we have again set an example of the highest levels of skills and expertise our doctors possess.”