R ARIVANANTHAM
CHENNAI, JAN 22
Apollo Hospitals, Chennai has once again reinforced its position as India’s undisputed leader in advanced heart and lung failure management, powered by the country’s most comprehensive heart, lung and ECMO-supported transplant program. With over 600 heart and lung transplants, 1,000+ ECMO cases, management of 2,000+ transplant patients, along with 250+ LVAD procedures and 250+ CTEPH interventions, Apollo has crossed a landmark that few centres globally can match.
- National Milestone in Critical Care: 600+ heart & lung transplants, 1,000+ ECMO cases signal India’s most comprehensive program
- From Last Resort to Lifeline: ECMO, LVADs and precision surgery offer personalised pathways to recovery
- Lives Rewritten, Not Just Saved: Patients across age groups testify to second chances at life
- Leadership Through Outcomes: High survival rates cement Apollo Chennai as the country’s advanced transplant hub
Backed by a highly experienced multidisciplinary team with national and international expertise, the program delivers end-to-end solutions for patients with end-stage heart and/or lung disease who no longer respond to maximal medical therapy. From stabilisation and bridging strategies using ECMO to definitive solutions such as heart and lung transplantation or durable mechanical cardiac pumps, patients are supported through a continuum of evidence-based, highly personalised care.
Apollo Chennai also offers advanced surgical solutions for complex cardiopulmonary disorders, including the gold standard Pulmonary Endarterectomy (PEA) for selected patients with Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension (CTEPH), where chronic clots obstructing lung arteries are surgically removed to restore circulation and function.
A press conference marking this milestone brought together patients whose lives were transformed by the program. Among them was Mr. Raja Sivagurunathan (59), who survived a prolonged critical illness on ECMO for 48 days before undergoing an emergency double-lung transplant; Mr. B. Saravanan (45), who developed sudden and severe lung failure and was sustained on life-support for two weeks before a successful lung transplant; and Mr. Radhae Shyam Raghuvanshi (72), who was airlifted to Chennai as his condition deteriorated rapidly and later received a double-lung transplant after advanced support.
Commenting on the role of ECMO and transplantation, Dr. Srinivas Rajagopala, Senior Consultant & Clinical Lead – Pulmonology, Sleep Medicine and Lung Transplant, Apollo Hospitals Chennai, said, “These outcomes demonstrate how early and appropriate use of ECMO can fundamentally alter the course of severe lung failure. It provides a vital bridge allowing time for stabilisation, informed decision-making, and preparation for lung transplantation. Success lies in constant vigilance, multidisciplinary teamwork, and highly personalized care. Our goal is always meaningful recovery, not merely short-term survival.”
As India witnesses a growing burden of advanced heart and lung disease, Apollo Hospitals continues to lead from the front, integrating innovation, clinical excellence and compassionate care. Its 360-degree multidisciplinary model brings together cardiology, pulmonology, cardiothoracic surgery, anaesthesia, critical care, transplant coordination and rehabilitation, seamlessly extending into long-term follow-up and family support. At the core of this ecosystem is ECMO, a life-support technology that temporarily takes over heart and/or lung function when conventional therapies fail. By oxygenating blood outside the body, ECMO allows organs to rest and recover or serves as a critical bridge to transplantation. The program deploys VV-ECMO for lung failure, VA-ECMO for cardiac or combined heart-lung failure, and LVADs as durable solutions or bridges to heart transplantation. By focusing not just on survival but on restoring functional independence and quality of life, Apollo Hospitals, Chennai continues to prove that even the most critical organ failure can be transformed into a second chance at life.
Highlighting the importance of timely referral, Dr. Kumud Kumar Dhital, Head of Heart and Lung Transplantation at Apollo Hospitals, Chennai, emphasized, “Patients suffering from advancing heart and lung failure, with escalating medical therapy and declining quality of life, deserve to be informed of the transplant options at a far earlier stage. Outcomes improve significantly when patients are referred early and managed with strong, protocol-driven hospital care. Age itself is not a limitation – what matters is careful evaluation, optimization, meticulous surgery, expert after-care in the ICU, and life-long post-discharge continuity of care so as to maximize chances of long-term survivorship.”
Dr. Ilankumaran Kaliamoorthy, CEO – Chennai Region, Apollo Hospitals has moderated the panel discussion on the Apollo Hospital’s Heart Lung Transplant programme.
While moderating the panel discussion Dr Ilankumaran Kaliamoorthy lauded the yoemen services of Transplant Authority of Tamil Nadu (TRANSTAN) in regulating ethical organ transplantation and was a role model for entire nation.
