Gleneagles Global Hospital in Bangalore made headlines as it performed four successful lung transplant surgeries, which is amongst the most complex and rare procedure of all.

Lung transplants are rarely performed in compared to other organs like heart, liver, and kidneys because of the low survival risk associated with its recipients, post-surgery.

Dr Julius Punnen, the lung & heart surgeon at Narayana Health Centre, said that it requires well-trained doctors to perform a lung transplant. He added that “In a lung transplant, unlike the heart, kidney, or liver, the organs come directly in touch with the air in the atmosphere and it might become difficult for the patient to breathe. In other transplants, the organ needs to adjust to the new body.”

One of the first patients who underwent lung transplant was a 42-year-old US resident, who was only able to live for a little over one and a half year after his surgery, said the surgeon.

Dr Sandeep Attawar, the program director & chairman of thoracic organ transplant, cardiac surgery, said that “It is very important to inform the patient and the family about the complexities of the lung transplant and to address the anticipation and temperament. It is not just the procedure, but the care and follow-up to be carried out systematically, post-transplant by the patient, for longer survival.”

Source: https://goo.gl/RGmbK9