Chennai: Apollo Hospitals has announced that it had performed the first double lung transplant during the Covid pandemic in India.
The patient was a 39-year-old whose lung condition deteriorated significantly in the months before the transplant when the country was in lockdown due to the pandemic.
He was put on ECMO or Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation to support his heart and lungs till donor lungs were made available.
The double lung transplant surgery took place successfully on 29 July, 2020 at Apollo Hospitals, Chennai, and after a robust recovery, the transplant recipient was discharged on 27 August, Dr Prathap C Reddy, Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group told reporters.
He said, “this double lung transplant during Covid times is an exemplary achievement and has only been possible due to our relentless focus on adopting the latest medical advances and technology to reinforce our leadership position in theĀ healthcare space.”