Critically ill lung patients in the State will no longer have to rush to metros like Chennai, Delhi, or Hyderabad for transplants. Lung transplant facilities are soon to be available at AIIMS Bhopal, making it the first hospital in the State to be equipped with this capability and infrastructure. Speaking to ‘The Hitavada’ team in this regard, Dr Vikram Watti, Assistant Professor in the Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery (CTVS) at AIIMS Bhopal, stated that while this surgery costs a whopping Rs 70 lakh to Rs 1 crore in private hospitals, AIIMS Bhopal aims to perform it for around Rs 20 lakh. However, the final cost may vary depending on the patient’s health condition. Dr Watti further added that the State Government has also agreed to provide financial grants to patients for this healthcare facility. Currently, numerous patients from the State visit hospitals in other states every year for lung transplants, as this surgery is not yet included under the Ayushman Bharat scheme.

 

Operation Theatre is ready: Further interacting with ‘The Hitavada’, Dr Vikram Watti shared that the registration of two critically ill patients for lung transplantation has already been completed at the institute. The names of both these patients are registered on the waiting list of SOTO (State Organ Donation Society). The transplant process will be initiated as soon as a suitable brain-dead donor is available at the institute, and doctors estimate that the state’s first lung transplant could be successfully performed by the end of the year. For this, machines and all necessary medical equipment have already been installed in the operation theatre of AIIMS. To systematically launch this surgery, Dr Vikram Watti has returned after undergoing specialised training at the prestigious Vanderbilt University Medical Centre in Tennessee, USA. He completed this international training under the guidance of Dr Konrad Hoetzenecker, Professor of Thoracic Surgery and Surgical Director of the Vanderbilt Lung Transplant Program.

 

During the experience gained from this prestigious institution, Dr Watti carried out an in-depth practical study of highly critical and technical aspects such as organ procurement, in-depth patient evaluation and selection, advanced surgical techniques, multidisciplinary team co-ordination, and post-transplant patient care. Prof. (Dr) Madhabananda Kar, Executive Director and CEO of AIIMS Bhopal, congratulated Dr Vikram Watti on this achievement. He stated that the expertise gained from this international training program will play a vital role in systematically developing lung transplant services at AIIMS Bhopal. This will further strengthen the institute’s capabilities in treating complex and serious diseases, ensuring that critical patients receive modern, co-ordinated, and specialised treatment systems within the institute in a timely manner.