Medica Superspecialty Hospital, the largest private hospital chain in Eastern India achieved a momentous feat through Bengal’s and Eastern India’s first successful lung transplant surgery performed on Swapnil Biswas, a 16-year-old patient who suffered from respiratory distress due to accidental paraquat ingestion. The very high case fatality of paraquat is due to inherent toxicity and lack of effective treatments. The operation took place at the hospital on the night of June 24th, under the guidance of Dr. Kunal Sarkar, Senior Vice Chairman & Senior Consultant of the department of Cardiac Surgery, Medica Institute of Cardiac Sciences (MICS) and Dr. Dipanjan Chatterjee, Director ECMO and Thoracic Organ transplant program, Physician, Head Cardiopulmonary Care Specialist Medica Superspecialty Hospital along with the entire team comprising of Dr. Soumyajit Ghosh, Dr. Saptarshi Roy, Dr. M.B. Das, Dr. Tangyanika Koley, Dr. Hirak Majumdar, Dr. Writuparna Das, Dr. Saibal Tripathi, and Mr. Deblal Pandit. The surgery lasted throughout the night and was completed in the early morning hours of June 25th.

16-year-old Swapnil Biswas from Barasat, West Bengal, was initially admitted to a local hospital on 27th April after accidentally ingesting paraquat, a highly toxic herbicide. After being discharged on 4th May, he experienced shortness of breath on 14th May, prompting his admission to Medica Superspecialty Hospital. His respiratory distress continued to worsen, leading to intubation on 18th May. Due to refractory hypoxia, he was placed on veno-venous ECMO support on the same day. A chest CT scan revealed extensive lung consolidation with fibrotic changes, indicating severe damage to Swapnil’s lungs. Given the severity of his condition and lack of improvement despite veno-venous ECMO support for 37 days, the medical team made the critical decision to pursue a lung transplant as the only viable option to save his life.

For the lung transplant, the hospital issued a nationwide request for a matching organ and ROTTO (East) took immediate action. They played a proactive role in the organ allocation process. On 23^rd June, Medica Superspecialty Hospital received a notification from ROTTO and NOTTO that in Bhubaneshwar’s SUM Ultimate Hospital a 41-year-old patient Shri Prasenjit Mohanty had been declared brain-dead and was a suitable candidate for lung donation. Without wasting any time, the lung retrieval team from Medica Superspecialty Hospital swiftly traveled to Bhubaneshwar on 23^rd June to retrieve the organ, ensuring its safe and prompt arrival back at the hospital on 24^th June.

At present, Swapnil is in a stable condition following the lung transplant. The ECMO support has been discontinued, and he is gradually being weaned off ventilatory support. The medical team is closely monitoring his progress and providing the necessary care to ensure a smooth recovery.

About the operation, Dr. Kunar Sarkar stated, “Against all odds, this life-saving lung transplant was the ultimate beacon of hope for our 16-year-old patient from Barasat. Given his critical condition and unresponsiveness to ECMO, it emerged as the sole viable option. We are thrilled to share that the procedure was a success, and he is now out of danger, embarking on a remarkable recovery journey.”

Dr. Dipanjan Chatterjee commented, “After an arduous 37-day preparation period, we achieved a significant milestone with the successful completion of the first-ever lung transplant at Medica Superspecialty Hospital. Grateful beyond words, we were able to secure a compatible lung just in time. Witnessing the remarkable progress of our patient fills us with immense joy and reinforces our commitment to pioneering life-saving procedures.”

Mr. R. Udayan Lahiry, Co-founder & Director, Medica Group of Hospitals, stated, “This momentous accomplishment stands as a testament to our unwavering commitment to delivering unparalleled medical care. Through the synergistic collaboration of our skilled medical professionals, cutting-edge technology, and the indomitable spirit of our patient, we have achieved an extraordinary outcome that fills us with immense pride. We are thankful to the family of late Shri Prasenjit Mohanty. He shall live withing Swapnil and one needs to acknowledge and value such organ donations. More such pledges to organ donations shall be required to save more lives. We are extremely thankful to Odisha Police, West Bengal Police and Kolkata Police for creating the green corridor and helping in the timely transportation of the lungs from Bhubaneswar to Kolkata. We extend our sincere gratitude to the Government of West Bengal for creating a scheme like Swasthya Sathi that has played a pivotal role in funding a part of this expensive treatment.”

Mr. Ayanabh DebGupta, Co-founder, and Jt. Managing Director of Medica Hospitals, stated, “At our hospital, we strive to push boundaries, embrace innovation, and deliver exceptional care. This successful lung transplant is a testament to our unwavering dedication to transforming lives and offering hope to those in need. Special thanks to Government of West Bengal for the Swasthya Sathi scheme which helped the family of the patient to collect the fund for the operation. While the road to full recovery may still lie ahead, we remain hopeful that, with time and proper care, the patient will be able to resume a normal life in the coming months.’’

Medica Superspecialty Hospital is immensely proud of this groundbreaking achievement and remains committed to delivering the highest standards of medical care to its patients. The success of this lung transplant highlights the hospital’s unwavering dedication to advancing medical excellence in Eastern India.