Doctors at the Kauvery Hospital in Chennai performed a heart transplant on a 63-year-old man with cardiogenic shock and complex medical history. The patient was given a percutaneous left ventricular assist device to support his heart till he underwent a heart transplant.

According to a release, the man had a sudden onset of breathlessness and was admitted to a hospital two weeks after an episode of severe chest pain. He had episodes of ventricular tachycardia and was revived through electrical shocks. Despite multiple medications to improve the pumping function of the heart, his condition was rapidly deteriorating, and he was shifted to Kauvery Hospital.

At the hospital, doctors moved him to the hybrid cath lab for an emergency angiogram and further treatment. Under the “Heart Recovery” programme, they implanted the device to prevent damage to other organs, including the brain, liver and kidneys. The temporary mechanical cardiovascular support system can sustain a patient’s heart for up to seven days or longer, according to R. Anantharaman, senior Interventional Cardiologist and lead for Circulatory Support, Kauvery Hospital.

The Heart and Lung Transplant team assessed him and advised heart transplant or a permanent Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) as a bridge to transplant if no donor heart was available in time. He was put on the transplant waiting list and was scheduled for elective LVAD by day eight. However, he received a donor heart the day prior to LVAD implantation. The transplant surgery was performed by the Heart and Lung transplant team led by Kumud Dhital. He was discharged after two weeks, the release said.