Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): All India Institute of Medical Sciences Bhopal organised a special symposium titled “Lung Transplant – The Road Ahead” on Saturday in Bhopal.
The programme was held as part of preparations to start lung transplant services at the institute, which will be a first-of-its-kind facility in Madhya Pradesh.
During the symposium, expert doctors from across the country trained and guided the AIIMS Bhopal team on different aspects of lung transplantation. The training focused on complex surgical techniques, selection of patients, precautions during surgery and the care required after the transplant. Specialists including Dr. Gyanesh Thakkar, Dr. Sharanya Kumar, Dr. Sharda Nagoti and Dr. Apar Jindal shared their experience and knowledge on modern transplant techniques and challenges.
The event also helped prepare a multi-disciplinary medical team involving experts from surgery, anaesthesia, pulmonology and critical care departments. Doctors from AIIMS Bhopal such as Dr. Alkesh Khurana, Dr. Yogesh Niwadia, Dr. Abhinav Chaube, Dr. Nishant Srivastava, Dr. S.R.A.N. Bhushan, Dr. Lokendra Dave, Dr. Vaishali Walke and Dr. Ashwini Malhotra took part in the programme.
The institute is also preparing the necessary infrastructure and advanced medical equipment required for the procedure. This includes ECMO machines, heart-lung machines and IABP support systems.
Doctors from the hospital have also received special training in Chennai to prepare for the service.
So far, AIIMS Bhopal has successfully performed 18 kidney transplants and three heart transplants. Starting lung transplant services will be another major step for the institute and will greatly benefit patients in the state.
A lung transplant is a complex surgery in which damaged lungs are removed and replaced with healthy lungs from a donor. 🫁
This procedure is usually done for patients suffering from serious conditions such as pulmonary fibrosis, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, end-stage lung disease, or severe lung infections when other treatments no longer work.
The surgery can take around 6 to 12 hours, and patients often need long monitoring in the ICU after the operation.
After a transplant, patients must take immunosuppressive medicines for life to prevent organ rejection.
In India, lung transplant services are still available only at a limited number of hospitals.
