Sri Lanka’s first ever heart transplant completed
by Maneshka Borham and Asela Kuruluwansa
The operation in progress
Sri Lanka’s first ever heart transplant have been completed successfully at the Kandy Teaching Hospital according to hospital sources. The complex surgery was carried out by an expert team of three heart surgeons, a transplant surgeon, a cardiologist, Transplant Coordinators, Anaesthesiologists and other supportive staff.
The surgery which took place on July 7 has now been declared as a success.
According to the the Director of the Kandy Teaching Hospital Dr. R.M.S.K Ratnayake the recipient has recovered fast and is being monitored closely.
“The patient’s progress will be closely montitored during the possible rejection period” he said, adding that the transplanted heart is functioning as normal post surgery.
The surgery had commenced at 7 pm on the day with the heart being harvested by Dr.Anil Abeywickrama, the Consultant Cardiac Surgeon of Teaching Hospital, Kandy while the transplant was conducted by Cardiac surgeons Muditha Lansakara and Dr. K. Gnanakanthan.
Cardiologist Dr. Sunethra Irugalbandara had been in charge of organ care while Dr. Jagathi Perera provided anaesthesia for the pioneering operation. It had taken the medical team eight hours to complete the surgery.
According to hospital sources,the transplanted heart had begun to beat as normal three hours after the surgery was performed.
The heart was harvested from a 25-year-old youth who was declared brain dead due to a serious head injury following a road traffic accident. The parents of the donor had agreed to donate the heart of the the youth along with his liver and kidneys.
The heart was received by a female patient in her mid thirties from Anuradhapura.
According to Dr.Ratnayake the patient was suffering from cardiomyopathy.
“The condition would have eventually resulted in her death,” he said adding that however she has now been given a lease on life as the donor heart had been an ideal match for the recipient.
The recipients of the other organs too are doing well Dr.Ratnayake confirmed. Meanwhile, Dr.Ratnayake said that a special unit will be established at the Kandy hospital in the future for deceased-donor transplant surgeries.
The Transplant Surgical Team had included Consultant Cardiothoracic Anaesthetist Dr. Jagathi Perera, Consultant Cardiac Surgeon Dr. Anil Abeywickrama, Cardiac surgeons Dr. Muditha Lansakara and Dr.K.Gnanakanthan, Cardiologist Dr.Sunethra Irugalbandara and Transplant Surgeon Dr.P.K.Harischandra.
