Chennai: 44-year-old woman gets relief after double lung transplant

CHENNAI: A 44-year-old mother of two daughters has undergone a high-risk with double lung transplantation at Rela Hospital that lasted nearly eight hours. The surgery was inevitable as her interstitial lung disease a progressive condition that turns lungs fibrous, making them stiff and unable to support breathing, had begun to severely affect her heart.

Kavitha, a Theni resident, was confined to bed and heavily-reliant on oxygen for a few years. Initially diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, her condition rapidly advanced into a serious pulmonary disorder. COVID-19 exacerbated the damage, and lung and heart failure were considered imminent.

Her chest had shrunk due to disease progression over the past six years. She required a long ICU-stay to regain enough muscle strength to sit, stand, and walk.

Her recent biopsy confirmed that the transplanted lungs are functioning well, although she will need to take immunosuppressant drugs for life.

One of the most significant surgical challenges was to find lungs that fit her small chest cavity. “The donor lungs were slightly larger. So we had to keep her chest open for a few days after the transplant,” explained Prof Mohamed Rela, chairman, Rela Hospitals.

The surgery was performed by a 30-member team led by Dr Srinath Vijayasekharan, director and senior consultant, heart and lung transplantation, and Dr Aishwarya Rajkumar, clinical lead, transplant pulmonology.

Dr Aishwarya Rajkumar recalled a critically-ill Kavitha who required 15 litres of oxygen in November 2024. “She was profoundly weak after being bedridden for nearly 2 years. The period leading up to the transplant was challenging, marked by multiple hospital admissions to stabilise her oxygen levels and combat infections. It was a race against time, and it was truly a blessing that compatible lungs became available when they did,” she added.