Hyderabad, May 29 (IANS): Doctors at a hospital in Hyderabad have successfully performed what is claimed to be the first-ever heart transplant on a polio survivor.

Doctors of Kamineni Hospital, LB Nagar, performed the transplant on Bhaskar, a 45-year-old tailor from Khammam district of Telangana.

He had been suffering from severe heart disease which got aggravated in the past three years due to his partial polio condition.

The transplant team included, Vishal V. Khante, Head of the Heart Transplant Department and Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon and Rajesh Deshmukh, Consultant Heart Transplant and Cardiothoracic Surgeon, achieved this significant milestone.

According to doctors, Bhaskar's condition led to irregular heartbeats and insufficient blood supply, causing a range of health complications.

The five-hour surgery involved the meticulous removal of Bhaskar's old heart, implanting the new one donated by a brain-dead individual, and reconnecting all blood vessels and valves with utmost precision.

"Following the successful surgery, Bhaskar is on the path to recovery, and is gradually regaining his ability to engage in daily activities. Previously confined to bed due to extreme fatigue, he can now walk significant distances and looks forward to resuming his normal life. However, post-surgery, Bhaskar requires intensive monitoring and ongoing medication to prevent organ rejection, and our team is constantly monitoring his condition," said Khante.