Revolutionary Breakthrough: Delhi Doctors Successfully Restart Blood Circulation Post-Death for Organ Donation - First in Asia

National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation successfully allocated organs for transplantation following a groundbreaking procedure.

A medical team at HCMCT Manipal Hospital in Delhi has achieved a significant milestone by successfully reestablishing blood circulation in a deceased 55-year-old woman to facilitate organ donation, hospital officials announced on Saturday.

This revolutionary procedure conducted at the Dwarka facility represents the first instance in Asia where post-mortem blood circulation was restored specifically for organ retrieval purposes.

Geeta Chawla, who suffered from Motor Neuron Disease leaving her paralyzed and bedridden, was admitted to the hospital on November 5 with severe respiratory distress. As her medical condition deteriorated, her family opted against life support measures. She passed away at 8:43 PM on November 6.

Respecting her expressed desire to donate organs, the medical professionals implemented an innovative and complex technique called Normothermic Regional Perfusion (NRP). Utilizing an Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenator (ECMO), the medical team successfully restarted circulation to her abdominal organs after her heart had stopped functioning and she had been officially declared deceased following five minutes of flat ECG readings.

Dr. Shrikanth Srinivasan, Chairman of Manipal Institute of Critical Care Medicine, stated, "This marks the first instance across Asia where circulation was reestablished after death to preserve organs for donation."

He further explained, "Organ donation in India typically occurs following brain death, when cardiac function persists. In donation after circulatory death (DCD), the heart has already stopped, making timing crucial. By employing NRP, we successfully maintained the viability of the liver and kidneys long enough for safe harvesting and allocation."

Following this pioneering procedure, the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) coordinated the immediate allocation of the harvested organs for transplantation.

Chawla's liver was transplanted into a 48-year-old male patient at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS), while her kidneys benefited two male recipients, aged 63 and 58, at Max Hospital in Saket.

Additionally, her corneas and skin were donated, helping multiple patients in need.

Dr. (Col) Avnish Seth VSM, who serves as Chairman of Manipal Institute of Gastroenterology & Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Sciences and Country Head of Manipal Organ Sharing & Transplant (MOST), highlighted, "India ranked eighth globally for organ donations after brain death in 2024, with 1,128 donors."

Dr. Seth emphasized, "However, we need to expand organ donations after circulatory death. This pioneering implementation of NRP in Asia demonstrates that it is now feasible in India to maintain the viability of abdominal organs post-death - and potentially even the heart and lungs in the future."