Gleneagles Hospital Chennai Performs India’s First Adult Lung Transplant Using Pediatric Donor Lungs
Chennai: Gleneagles Hospital Chennai, part of the Fortis Healthcare Network, has successfully performed what it says is India’s first adult lung transplant using lungs from a pediatric donor. The procedure was carried out on a 39-year-old woman from West Bengal diagnosed with advanced Rheumatoid Arthritis-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease (RA-ILD).
The patient had been living with RA-ILD for six years. The progressive disease, associated with rheumatoid arthritis, causes severe scarring of the lungs and significantly reduces breathing capacity. Despite continued medical treatment, her condition deteriorated over time, with her oxygen requirement increasing from one litre per minute to eight litres per minute, limiting her ability to carry out everyday activities.
She was evaluated for lung transplantation by Dr. Govini Balasubramani, Director – Heart & Lung Transplant, along with a multidisciplinary pulmonology team comprising Dr. Sindhura Koganti, Dr. Vimi Varghese and Dr. Sushmita Roychowdhury.
Rare Donor Match Enabled Complex Transplant
Finding a suitable donor proved difficult because of the patient’s height, weight and advanced lung disease. As her condition worsened, she required repeated hospital admissions while awaiting a suitable donor.
A suitable opportunity arose when government authorities informed the transplant team about a pediatric brain-dead donor following a road traffic accident. The team conducted detailed clinical evaluations to determine whether the donor lungs could be safely transplanted into an adult recipient despite significant differences in size and anatomy.
Following extensive planning, the transplant team proceeded with the surgery, successfully adapting the donor’s vascular and bronchial structures to the adult recipient. According to the hospital, the procedure was completed without the use of artificial pump support.
Recovery Within 12 Days
Following the transplant, the patient recovered steadily. She was extubated on the first postoperative day, began walking independently without oxygen support by the third day, and was discharged from the hospital on the twelfth postoperative day.
Follow-up assessments indicated that she is now breathing normally and has resumed her routine daily activities independently.
Significance for Lung Transplantation
Dr. Govini Balasubramani said the transplant was particularly challenging because of the significant size mismatch between the donor and recipient lungs. He noted that the successful outcome demonstrates the potential for expanding donor utilisation and increasing transplant opportunities for patients with end-stage lung disease.
The hospital stated that pediatric donor lungs are rarely used for adult recipients due to technical challenges associated with organ size and the complexity of connecting blood vessels and airways. The successful procedure highlights the possibility of expanding the donor pool and reducing waiting times for critically ill patients.
Commenting on the achievement, R. Y. Bharath Kanth Reddy, Chief Executive Officer – Chennai & Hyderabad Cluster, Gleneagles Hospitals, said the procedure reflects the capabilities of the hospital’s multidisciplinary transplant team and advances in organ transplantation techniques.
S. Niranjani, Chief Operating Officer and Hospital Head, said the achievement reflects the institution’s focus on multidisciplinary clinical care and innovation.
Dr. Biswarup Pal, Head of Medical Services, said the successful transplant demonstrates the importance of coordinated multidisciplinary care in managing complex transplant procedures while maintaining high standards of patient safety.
