Heroic: Cardiothoracic surgeon performs lung transplant in Chennai despite ambulance accident in Pune

Mumbai: In an awe-inspiring display of dedication, cardiothoracic surgeon Dr Sanjeev Jadhav, from Navi Mumbai's Apollo Hospitals, braved the time constraints and traffic to perform a life-saving lung transplant. Despite a serious accident, Dr Jadhav and his medical team went on to perform surgery on the critical patient saving his life.

According to a recent report by PTI, an ambulance carrying harvested lungs from a hospital near Pune met with an accident on its way to the city airport, but quick action by Dr Jadhav and his medical team saved the life of a patient in Chennai, where the lung transplant surgery was successfully performed hours later.

The mission to harvest lungs for a transplant faced unexpected challenges when the ambulance, carrying the medical team and the harvested organ, collided with two vehicles on the Harris Bridge in Pimpri Chinchwad, ultimately crashing into the bridge's wall en route to Lohegaon airport. After the suspected tire burst on the Harris Bridge, he wasted no time and transitioned to another vehicle trailing the ambulance. Despite the setback, the medical team remained steadfast in their mission to save a patient's life. The injured doctor carried the organ right on time and even conducted the surgery on the patient and saved his life. 

“After harvesting the lung, we left the D Y Patil Hospital for the Pune airport, where a chartered plane was waiting to go to Chennai. While we were on the way, our ambulance met with an accident around 5 pm on Monday, possibly due to a tyre burst. The impact of the accident was very high as the front part of the ambulance got badly mangled after it hit a bridge railing and the oxygen cylinder got flung outside,” Dr Jadhav said.

Dr. Jadhav, who sustained injuries on his head, hands, and knee in the accident, displayed quick thinking and resilience. The harvested organ, retrieved from a 19-year-old individual who tragically died by suicide at D Y Patil Hospital in Pimpri Chinchwad, faced a critical timeline. The viability of the organ was limited to six hours, necessitating swift transportation for the scheduled lung transplant procedure at Apollo Hospital in Chennai.

“We first rushed the driver to D Y Patil Hospital as he was also injured and engaged another vehicle of the hospital which was trailing us and reached the airport by 6 pm as transporting the organ in stipulated time was important. When we reached Apollo Hospital in Chennai, the surgery was already undergoing and by late evening, the lung transplant surgery was also performed successfully. We are happy that the patient got a new lease of life due to the lung transplant,” he added.

This extraordinary journey underscores the dedication of medical professionals in the face of adversity, emphasizing the urgency and significance of organ transplantation. Dr. Jadhav's commitment, despite personal injuries, reflects the human side of healthcare—a compassionate effort to extend a lifeline to those in need.