Team of 12-doctors ensured that the harvested lungs were transplanted within 6-8 hours (Representational)
Doctors at a Hyderabad hospital have successfully performed three double-lung transplant surgeries within 24 hours.
The transplantation surgery performed at Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) is claimed to be the first-ever in Asia and across the globe.
Three patients, operated over the past 24 hours, were at an advanced stage of lung failure, and in need of lung transplant for weeks and months, the hospital said.
While the first set of lungs was harvested from a brain dead victim in Hyderabad, the second pair was harvested at a hospital in Gujarat's Ahmedabad and transported to the city on a chartered aircraft. Both were done in the second half on Wednesday.
The third pair of lungs were harvested in Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam on Thursday morning and transported to Hyderabad by flight.
Dr Sandeep Attawar, Chief Transplant Surgeon, KIMS Heart & Lung Institute, a division of KIMS Hospitals said, "A team of 12 specialist doctors ably supported by nursing staff made a highly coordinated effort from across three different states, and ensured the harvested lungs were transported and transplanted within 6 to 8 hours time frame."
"Each of the recipients was at an advanced stage of lung failure and required external oxygen support for survival," he added.
"When a patient waits for life saving organ transplant this wait can be excruciatingly long and painful. At this point the availability of the matching donor organ comes as a blessing. As Transplant physicians our responsibility lies in making this happen and being prepared for such situations every single hour of the day," Dr Attawar said.
Dr. Sandeep Attawar is among the most experienced heart and lung transplant surgeons in the country. With more than 25 years' experience, he has performed over 12,000 heart surgeries and more than 350 transplant surgeries for lungs, heart, and artificial heart to his credit.
The 12-member team also included Dr. Vijil Rahulan, Dr Prabhat Dutta, and Dr. Srinivas.