UAE boy in city hospital gets heart from Hyderabad

The boy, who was suffering from familial cardiomyopathy (a genetic life threatening heart condition) with symptoms of advanced heart failure and shock liver (function affected due to circulation issues), was undergoing treatment at Gleneagles Global Health City, Chennai. His older twin had died due to the same heart condition a few months ago. 

Dr Sandeep Attawar, programme director and Chair Institute of Heart, Lung and Transplantation, Gleneagles Global Health City, said, “A rare condition, it affects kidneys and the liver. His older twin had waited for a heart in the US for almost nine months. The younger brother who was undergoing treatment at Abu Dhabi and was on a pacemaker, came here hoping to find a donor. Thankfully we received a call on March 9 from a hospital in Hyderabad about the availability of a heart. Since there were no domestic requirements, we had approached the TRANSTAN (Transplant Authority of Tamil Nadu), who cleared the procedure and the heart was allotted to him.” 

A green corridor was created and the heart was transported on Friday. The surgery took about four hours. 

“LVAD (left ventricular assist device) is another option, but it is also expensive,” said Dr Attawar. The boy’s younger brother who is suffering from a similar condition is awaiting a donor for transplant.