MGM Healthcare Hosts CME in Guwahati on advances in heart & lung transplantation and ECMO

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaAugust 18, 2025

MGM Healthcare, a leading quaternary care hospital based in Chennai, organised a Continuing Medical Education (CME) program in Guwahati for doctors and healthcare professionals. The focus of the session was on recent advancements in Heart & Lung Transplantation, Mechanical Circulatory Support, and Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO).

The CME brought together India’s foremost experts in cardiac and pulmonary care, including: Dr. K R Balakrishnan, Chairman – Cardiac Sciences, Director – Institute of Heart and Lung Transplant & Mechanical Circulatory Support; Dr. Suresh Rao KG, Co-Director – Heart & Lung Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support and Dr. Soumitra Sinha Roy, Senior Consultant – Lung Transplant & Interventional Pulmonology/Respiratory Medicine.

Experts highlighted groundbreaking surgical and critical care techniques that have transformed the treatment of end-stage heart and lung disease. Heart and lung transplants, often the last hope for patients suffering from advanced conditions such as dilated cardiomyopathy, ischemic cardiomyopathy, congenital heart disease, cystic fibrosis, COPD, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and pulmonary hypertension, now offer significantly improved survival and quality of life.

In addition to transplantation, Left Ventricular Assist Devices (LVADs) and ECMO were spotlighted as life-saving interventions. ECMO, an advanced life-support system that temporarily takes over the functions of the heart and lungs, plays a crucial role as a bridge for patients awaiting donor organs or recovering after a transplant.

“ECMO has revolutionised outcomes in patients with severe heart and lung failure,” experts emphasised. By stabilising patients during critical phases and reducing wait-list mortality, ECMO allows for safer transplants and improved recovery. MGM Healthcare has developed a specialised ECMO program that supports patients through such high-risk conditions.

Dr. K R Balakrishnan explained: “When a patient’s heart or lung disease reaches its latter stages, transplantation is often the only option. End-stage disease means the organ’s function is critically threatened. With timely intervention through transplant or ECMO, many patients get a second chance at life.”

The Institute of Heart and Lung Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support at MGM Healthcare has performed more than 750 heart and lung transplants to date, managing India’s largest adult and pediatric transplant program. The team continues to pioneer complex interventions that are shaping the future of critical care in India.