India’s leading heart transplant surgeon joins Jaslok hospital

Dr K Balakrishnan

Country's leading heart transplant surgeon joins Mumbai hospital to strengthen the heart transplant programme in the city. Dr K Balakrishnan, who has so far performed 329 heart transplants and 65 lung transplants, joined Jaslok Hospital along with his team as the director of heart and lung transplant programme. The announcement to this effect was done on Sunday. Mumbai has had 18 heart transplants so far in 2021. It was after a gap of 47 years that Fortis Hospital in Mumbai started heart transplants in the city in August 2015. Dr Balakrishnan was part of the first few heart transplants in Mumbai's Fortis Hospital.

Presently, apart from Fortis Hospital, Jaslok, Global Hospital, HN Hospital, Masina Hospital, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital also have the heart transplant programme.

"Our focus will be on artificial heart transplants using LVADs, heart and lung transplants, and paediatric heart transplants. The current generation LVADs are promising, with good results. It is a better option for heart failure patients as they don't need to be on immunosuppressants and keep waiting for cadaver organs in such uncertain times," said Dr Balakrishnan, who has done 60 LVAD implantations till date.

Dr Hemant Pathare, heart and lung transplant surgeon at Jaslok Hospital, said Dr Balakrishnan coming to Mumbai will give a boost to paediatric heart transplants. "He has done nearly 67 paediatric heart transplants including on a four-month-old child. Paediatric heart cases are much more complicated, and him being in the city will bring relief to many. We will get to do paediatric lung transplant cases too," he said. "With his expertise, we expect to do a lot of post COVID lung surgeries in Mumbai," said Dr Pathare. Dr Balakrishnan, who has done 19 COVID-related lung transplants, said he prays there is no third wave, so that they don't have to see patients requiring lung transplantation post COVID-19.

MGM Healthcare CEO, Harish Manian said, "MGM Healthcare Chennai is very happy to associate with Jaslok Hospital Mumbai to provide Heart & Lung Transplant service under the leadership of Dr. K R Balakrishnan and team. The association with Jaslok is strategic in nature, which will help knowledge sharing and on-site transplant support from the team of experts from MGM Healthcare Chennai.