MGM Healthcare, a 400-bedded quaternary care hospital in the heart of the city, proudly introduces its Institute of Heart and Lung Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support. Spearheaded by India’s leading heart and lung transplant surgeon Dr K R Balakrishnan as its Director, the institute has been set-up with the vision to utilise the latest in technology, innovation and medical protocols to give people in heart failure a new lease of life.

With over 30 years of interest, experience and continued research in end-stage heart failure management (heart transplant & mechanical circulatory support devices), paediatric cardiac surgery, congestive heart failure and lung transplant, India’s heart and lung transplant programme has been pioneered by Dr Balakrishnan. The advanced technology, infrastructure and equipment available at MGM Healthcare, combined with skilled physicians and surgeons, provides improved diagnosis, care, treatment and outcomes.

From the successful use of ECMO, a machine that provides cardiac and pulmonary support to a person in end-stage heart and lung failure, as a bridge to heart transplant in 2012 to India’s first successful HVAD implant surgery performed on a 42-year-old with end-stage heart failure to the first paediatric heart transplant on a 2-year-old, Dr K R Balakrishnan and his team of highly skilled physicians and surgeons have performed many ‘firsts’ for India.

In an integrated manner, MGM Healthcare’s expert team of cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, cardiac anaesthesiologists, critical care physicians and rehab specialists care for patients with advanced heart failure, congenital heart disease, cardiomyopathy and other conditions at our Institute of Heart and Lung Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support.

Exceptional outcomes: With exceptional skills, advanced technology, state-of-the-art equipment and futuristic facilities, we assure improved patient care and outcomes.

Highly skilled, multi-organ transplant expertise: With an impressive record of nearly 400 heart, lung and heart-lung transplants (the most number of such transplants in the country) and over 25,000 cardiac procedures, our team of doctors are the authorities in this field of medicine.

Comprehensive care: Our centre is the one-stop solution for heart care. From diet and lifestyle advice to pharmacological management of one’s heart condition to mechanical circulatory support and ECMO as a bridge to transplant to transplant and finally, to rehabilitation — ours is a comprehensive care plan, ensuring the best for our patients.

Latest treatments: MGM Healthcare is a dynamic environment for innovation and research. With both adult and paediatric transplant services and implantation of artificial hearts and mechanical circulatory support devices, our centre performs the latest procedures to give patients better care and outcomes. We go beyond the typical ‘one-size-fits-all’ method of care, providing personalised care to all our patients.

Mechanical Circulatory Support: A mechanical circulatory support device is used when the heart is not working at its best.
Some patients require artificial hearts or ventricular assist devices (VADs) as a bridge to transplant (while they are awaiting a suitable donor heart) or as destination therapy (if they are not a candidate for transplant). Others move directly to total heart transplant (TAH) or a permanent artificial heart.

Ventricular devices include Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD), Right Ventricular Assist Device (RVAD), Bilateral Ventricular Assist Device (BiVAD) and HeartWave HVAD, the smallest VAD device available today.