NIMS Doctors Perform Life-Saving Heart Transplant
A 19-year-old man, suffering from a severe heart condition, has been given a new lease on life, thanks to the successful heart transplant surgery performed by NIMS doctors.
Hyderabad: A 19-year-old man, suffering from a severe heart condition, has been given a new lease on life, thanks to the successful heart transplant surgery performed by NIMS doctors.
The heart of another young man who had recently suffered brain death in a tragic road accident was transplanted into the teen. The surgery was completed on Friday by a team of doctors, nurses, and paramedical staff, led by Dr Amaresh Babu, head of the cardio-thoracic surgery department at NIMS.
Anil Kumar, a resident of Katedan, Rangareddy, had been suffering from dilated cardiomyopathy (DCMP) for the past few years. On medical advice, he registered for a heart transplant under the Jeevandan organ donation programme.
The donor was a 24-year-old from Hyderabad, and was declared brain dead on Friday after a road accident. His family agreed to donate his organs, and his blood group matched Anil Kumar’s. The heart was transported to NIMS, where Dr Amaresh Babu’s team transplanted it into Anil Kumar.
Nims director Dr N. Beerappa mentioned that the patient was stable and recovering. “While a similar procedure in a corporate hospital would cost around ₹40 lakh, the transplant was conducted free of cost under the Aarogyasri scheme and the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund,” he said.
Last year, NIMS performed 62 kidney transplants, four liver transplants, two heart transplants, and one lung transplant. This year, so far, 16 kidney transplants, one liver transplant, and one heart transplant have been carried out, making a total of 87 transplants in 2024 and 2025.
Dr. Beerappa also highlighted that last year, NIMS performed the rare procedure of both heart and lung transplants for one patient, a feat achieved only at NIMS among government hospitals in the country.
Health minister Dr Damodara Rajanarsimha congratulated the doctors and medical staff for their outstanding work. He also expressed the government’s commitment to expanding transplant services at Nims and assured that all necessary infrastructure would be provided. He mentioned that a new advanced organ transplant centre would soon be operational at Gandhi Hospital.
The minister also warned private hospitals against engaging in any malpractices related to organ transplantation and assured that strict actions would be taken against them. He further mentioned that new regulations regarding organ donation would soon be implemented, with strict penalties for illegal organ trade, collection, and transplantation