Heart from Thanjavur Flown by Chopper to Chennai, Saving 33-Year-Old Transplant Patient

Taking organ donation and transplantation to a new high, a harvested heart from a brain-dead donor in Thanjavur was airlifted by a special chopper and successfully transplanted into a critically ill patient in Chennai, highlighting Tamil Nadu’s leadership in life-saving organ transplants.

In a rare and meticulously coordinated effort, the helicopter carrying the donor heart landed on the grounds of D.G. Vaishnav College in Aminjikarai, Chennai, today, facilitating rapid transfer to MGM Healthcare. The Chennai Police set up a green corridor, ensuring that the organ was transported from the college to the hospital in just two minutes, a crucial factor in the success of the transplant.

The recipient, a 33-year-old man from Maharashtra, was suffering from end-stage heart failure caused by dilated cardiomyopathy. Doctors said a heart transplant was his only viable option for survival. The patient had earlier been airlifted from Maharashtra to Chennai via Bengaluru and admitted to MGM Healthcare, where he was placed under advanced cardiac care while awaiting a suitable donor.

The donor was a 19-year-old youth who sustained severe traumatic brain injuries in a road accident. Despite medical efforts, he succumbed to his injuries and was declared brain-dead this morning at the Thanjavur Government Hospital. In an act of immense compassion, his family consented to organ donation, enabling the retrieval of his heart and small intestine for transplantation.

Given the narrow time window for heart transplantation, the heart and lung transplant team made a strategic decision to transport the organ by helicopter from Thanjavur to Chennai, bypassing delays associated with road and commercial air travel. The operation was executed with precision, underscoring the growing use of air ambulances and chopper services for critical organ transport.

The transplant surgery was performed successfully by a team led by Dr. K.R. Balakrishnan, Director of the Institute of Heart and Lung Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support at MGM Healthcare. Doctors said the procedure offered the patient a new lease of life.

Tamil Nadu continues to lead the country in organ donation and transplantation. With scheduled passenger flights often posing logistical challenges, hospitals in Chennai are increasingly exploring helicopter options and identifying landing facilities within city limits to ensure faster, life-saving organ transport.