New Delhi: In a remarkable feat of medical expertise and coordination, doctors at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital successfully performed a life-saving heart transplant on a 39-year-old man from Meerut, after a donor heart was transported from Chandigarh to New Delhi in just 1 hour and 55 minutes through multiple green corridors.
The patient, a known case of dilated cardiomyopathy with severe mitral valve leakage, had been struggling with worsening breathing difficulties for the past four years. In the last six months alone, he required intensive care unit (ICU) treatment twice in Meerut. When his condition deteriorated further in August, he was shifted to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.
Initially stabilised in the ICU with advanced medications to support his heart, blood pressure, and kidney function. He was registered with the National Organ & Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) on August 9, 2025, for a heart transplant. A previous organ offered in Delhi was deemed unsuitable by the transplant team.
On the night of August 26, NOTTO informed Sir Ganga Ram Hospital of a suitable donor heart available in Chandigarh. The hospital’s retrieval team promptly left for Chandigarh, secured the organ, and returned with it on a commercial flight. Green corridors were created in Chandigarh city, at both Chandigarh and Delhi airports, and across Delhi city. Ensuring that the heart reached Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in optimal condition within just 1 hour and 55 minutes.
At Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, a team led by Dr. Sujay Shad, Senior Consultant & Director of Cardiothoracic & Vascular Surgery. Along with Dr. Himanshu Goel (Cardiac Surgeon), Dr. Maheshwari (Anaesthetist), and Dr. Aman Makhija (Cardiologist), was already prepared to receive the organ.
The patient, who was on a heart-lung machine at the time. Underwent the complex procedure where his diseased heart removed and replaced with the donor heart. The transplant was successful, and the new heart began functioning satisfactorily.
Following surgery, the patient’s recovery has been smooth. Within four days, he weaned off the ventilator, resumed normal meals, and even began light exercise. Doctors are optimistic about his long-term recovery and overall prognosis.
Quote from Dr. Sujay Shad:
“This transplant made possible by the combined efforts of NOTTO, the retrieval and transplant teams, and the creation of seamless green corridors across two states. The fact that the heart reached us in under two hours played a pivotal role in the success of this surgery.”
