Woman from Gujarat undergoes lung transplant to treat condition caused by exposure to pigeon droppings

Woman from Gujarat undergoes lung transplant at Rela Hospital; recovers quickly due to low blood loss. Cough caused by pigeon droppings led to condition. Crowdfunding enabled transplant. Clean environment urged.

A 42-year-old woman from Jarod village in Vadodara district of Gujarat underwent a lung transplant at a city hospital for a condition caused by pigeon droppings. She will soon be back home with her family.

Dimpal Shah said she began experiencing frequent bouts of coughing in 2015, which worsened progressively. She became breathless, and three years ago, she was put on oxygen support. The mother of two daughters could not leave home. Her husband Nirav Shah works at a private company. Specialists they consulted in various cities recommended a bilateral lung transplant.

She was referred to Rela Hospital, where again pulmonologists confirmed the diagnosis and listed her for a transplant. After an excruciating wait of eight months, she finally received a donor organ on September 5, when a 19-year-old girl, a road accident victim, was declared brain-dead at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital. The surgery last for eight hours and was done by a team of 14 medical experts, including surgeons, anaesthetists, and perfusionists.

Two days following the procedure, Ms. Shah was taken off ventilator support. A couple of days later, she was moved to the intensive care unit, where she began physiotherapy and improved quickly.

Speaking to mediaperons on Thursday, R. Mohan, senior consultant and clinical lead, heart and lung transplantation in the hospital, said: “Her recovery was unlike any other thoracic surgery patient. Her lung muscles functioned well, and such recovery in a short time is a rare feat.”

Doctors said they adopted a method in which blood loss was low. External assistance to Ms. Shah’s heart and lungs were provided during the treatment, they added. However, Ms. Shah would be on immunosuppressive drugs for life.

Rela Hospital’s Chairman and Managing Director Mohamed Rela called for maintaining a clean environment. “Individuals exposed to droppings, dust, and feathers over many years can suffer irreversible lung damage, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, and chronic respiratory failure,” he added.