Doctors successfully perform heart transplant on Nashik man with multi-organ failure

The patient, who hails from a family of farmers, suffered from heart-related issues for over two years due to a condition called ischemic cardiomyopathy.

Pune-based Dr Sanjeev Jadhav who is the director of the heart and lung transplant programme at Apollo Hospital, Navi Mumbai told The Indian Express that they decided to treat the patient in Navi Mumbai. (Express)

In a challenging case, doctors in Maharashtra successfully performed a heart transplant on a Nashik-based man suffering from heart, lung, liver and kidney failure. Multiple organ failure indicated minimal chances of survival in the 40-year-old patient who was in a critical condition.

Referring to his brother’s second shot at life as a Diwali gift, the patient’s older brother Bhagwat Jarhad said, “Everyone said my brother was dying, but I decided we were not ready to quit yet.”

A heart transplant surgery, in which a failing heart is replaced with a healthier donor heart, is usually reserved for people whose condition has not improved enough with medications or other surgeries.

The patient, who hails from a family of farmers, had been admitted to a Nashik hospital and had suffered from heart failure for over two years due to a condition called ischemic cardiomyopathy, which reduces the heart’s ability to pump blood, doctors said. In January 2022, he underwent triple vessel angioplasty, but his condition deteriorated. Soon, his doctors decided to contact experts in Mumbai and Pune.

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Pune-based Dr Sanjeev Jadhav who is the director of the heart and lung transplant programme at Apollo Hospital, Navi Mumbai told The Indian Express that they decided to treat the patient in Navi Mumbai. “Due to end-stage heart failure, other organs like liver, kidney and lungs were failing,” he said.

“The patient could no longer walk more than 100 metres and had sleepless nights. He also suffered symptoms like severe shortness of breath, swelling in both legs and face, accumulation of large amount of water in the belly (ascites), and build-up of excess fluid around both lungs (pleural effusion),” said Dr Jadhav who is a noted cardiovascular thoracic surgeon.

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Bhagwat’s parents originally hail from Rahuri tehsil in Ahmednagar district. “My parents are illiterate and along with my uncle and aunt stay together as a joint family. While my two brothers work at the farm, my younger (cousin) brother and I work at a private firm. We are extremely close and it felt terrible to see him in pain since he suffered a heart condition towards the end of last year,” Bhagwat recalled.

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“Bhagwat’s optimism was contagious,” said Dr Jadhav, adding that it was truly a miracle that the patient got a matching donor heart within four days of being admitted to Apollo Hospital. The donor was a deceased 22-year-old man who had been admitted to Kokilaben Hospital.

The team involving experts like Dr Gunadhar Padhi (consultant, ICU), Dr Saurabh Tiwari (consultant, anaesthesia) and others worked towards ensuring that the heart transplant was successful. “His lungs, liver, and kidney have begun to function normally. He has significantly improved after the operation and quality of life has dramatically improved,” Dr Jadhav said.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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