Jose Chacko

Even though Kerala is the most affordable state to have a heart transplant, it has not gained momentum here.

In a rare case involving a unique blood group, Bombay Blood, a 57-year-old resident from Thrissur was operated for valve replacement on Friday morning in a city hospital.

A 26-year-old woman's life was saved after the heart harvested from a 15-year-old youth, declared brain dead, was transported from Thiruvananthapuram to Kochi in 45 minutes in a naval aircraft.

While Kochi was sleeping, the cardiology experts at Lisie Hospital transplanted a heart, the fourth in the state.

Ten years ago when Dr jose chacko Periappuram did the first heart transplant using the heart of Sukumaran, the state's first donor, he had hoped the decision would trigger a wave of organ donations for needy patients. .

Girish Kumar, an IT professional with Wipro who had undergone second heart transplant five years ago at a private hospital in Kochi, visited the hospital again on Wednesday.

Friends are in a race against time to save Jithesh, who is battling for his life at Li sie Hospital. Two we eks ago, he under went a Centrimag surgery that exten ded his life mechani cally for 20-30 days and he is yet to receive a compatible heart for transplant.The only possible choice is an artificial heart. Jithesh is being treated by Dr jose chacko Periappuram ever since he had multiple heart attacks Since it is difficult to find a compatible donor within a week, Hridayasangamam--an online community created by his colleagues and friends--has boosted their fundraising ca paign further to meet the expenses for an artificial-heart transplant which costs around Rs 65-70 lakhs.

The man behind the first successful heart retransplantation in the country, Dr jose chacko Periappuram, calls it a miracle as the patient goes home on the 38th day after his surgery.

More paramedical institutions should come up in the state as they provide employment to many persons: Chandy.

The Kalamassery police on Wednesday arrested three local goons who were involved in the abduction of a Mundakkayam native. The police said that the three accused had abducted Mundakkayam native Maneesh on the direction of his wife, a native of Pala.

KOCHI: Heart disease had become a major epidemic world over, especially in the developing countries, and it had become the number one killer all over the world, said Dr jose chacko Periappuram, consultant cardiac surgeon, Medical Trust Hospital (MTH), on Tuesday.