Apollo Hospitals Chennai Runs India’s Most Comprehensive Heart and Lung Transplant Programme
Chennai: Apollo Hospitals, Chennai continues to set national benchmarks in the management of advanced heart and lung disease through one of India’s most comprehensive heart, lung and ECMO-supported transplant programmes, offering critically ill patients a renewed chance at life.
The programme has performed over 600 heart and lung transplants, managed 2,000+ transplant patients, handled 1,000+ ECMO cases, completed 250+ Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) procedures, and carried out 250+ Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension (CTEPH) interventions, Apollo Hospitals said.
The multidisciplinary heart-lung transplant and mechanical circulatory support (MCS) team treats patients with end-stage heart and lung failure who no longer respond to maximal medical therapy. Care includes advanced life support, ECMO stabilisation, durable mechanical pumps, and definitive heart or lung transplantation.
The programme also offers Pulmonary Endarterectomy (PEA), the gold standard surgical treatment for eligible CTEPH patients.
At a press conference marking the milestone, several transplant survivors shared their experiences, including patients who were supported on ECMO for prolonged periods before undergoing successful double-lung transplants.
Dr. Srinivas Rajagopala, Senior Consultant and Clinical Lead – Pulmonology and Lung Transplant, said early and appropriate use of ECMO can significantly alter outcomes in severe lung failure by serving as a bridge to recovery or transplantation.
Dr. Kumud Kumar Dhital, Head of Heart and Lung Transplantation, highlighted the importance of early referral and protocol-driven care, noting that age alone is not a limiting factor for transplantation.
Apollo Hospitals said the programme integrates cardiology, pulmonology, cardiothoracic surgery, critical care, rehabilitation and long-term follow-up, focusing not only on survival but also on restoring quality of life.
