Story of Bimal Karmakar

Bimal Karmakar saved two lives

17 and 18 February, 2012

First successful Cadaver Kidney Transplantation in the Eastern Region after implementation of ‘Transplantation of Organ Donation Act, 1994’ A Milestone in Cadaveric Organ Transplant in Kolkata

Bimal Karmakar

• A Private Security Guard, Belle Vue Clinic, Kolkata
• He was 52 years old man working in Belle Vue Clinic for more than 15 years.
• He was an unmarried jolly natured person fond of eating, with Very helpful attitude

Admission: 12th February, 2012

Bimal was admitted in ITU at 5 a.m.

• CTSCAN was done at 5.45 a.m.
• Massive Intra-cerebral hemorrhage
• He was intubated
• He was put on ventilator

Hospital activities

• Our team examined Bimal at 6 A.M
• Found him very critical
• Referred him to Dr. Phani Mandal
• Dr. Mandal also had the same opinion
• From 12 Noon - severe Hypotension
• Dopamine, Dobutamine drip started
• ECG, ECHO, Blood Count were in the normal limit
• Patient was also consulted with Chief cardiologist Dr. S. K. Biswas
• He also didn’t find any hope
• Unfortunately, by the evening it was clear that Chances of his survival are almost none
• Then the idea of organ transplantation came to my mind
• I consulted Dr. S. Sengupta, senior Registrar, Nephrology Department
• His opinion was affirmative
• He advised me to consult Dr. A. R. Nandy
• He gave the same opinion and asked for kidney profile
• We consulted our CEO Mr. P. Tandon
• I was thinking of arranging the transplant in a Government hospital
• The reason was to help the really needy patients
• I contacted Dr. Rajen Pandey
• He was very enthusiastic.

Receivers and consent process

• A list of receivers was already with Dr. Rajen Pandey
• Initially 20cc blood was necessary for the matching process to be started
• We discussed the matter with the Security chief of Belle Vue Clinic
• Explained the situation to Bimal’s relatives also
• Initially they were hesitating, but promised to try their level best.

Patient deteriorated

• The Patient’s condition was gradually deteriorating
• All the support measures given
• In the mean time Dr. Pandey informed that
• Two kidney receivers aged 37 and 19 are there matching Bimal’s blood profile.

Brain death certification

• The next step was to get the Brain Death Certification
• I contacted Dr. Mitra and Dr. Pandey about the matter
• Mr. T. N. Bhattaharrya & Mr. M Chakraboryt pelped a lot
• It had been decided that a group of doctors were going to come on Friday morning
• Brain Death Certification Team comprising Dr. Gautam Ganguly, Dr. Biman … and Dr. Anupam Goswami reached at Belle Vue Clinic at 11 A.M.
• They started the procedures to confirm brain death.

Counseling for consent

• Bimal’s family members came at around 12 P.M.
• We started counseling them
• Explained the positive and noble aspects of donating his organs
• After a long discussion and persuasion, finally we got their consent.

Brain dead, certified

• The Patient was declared Brain Stem Death
• The process of shifting him to SSKM Hospital started
• He was taken there in an ambulance with ventilator facility
• Finally, after crossing numerous hurdles
• Bimal could be shifted to SSKM Hospital.

Transplantation

• The Transplantation was successful
• Operation done by a group of expert doctors
• Dr. Rajen Pandey, Dr. Uday Chaudhuri, • Dr. Arpita Pal Chaudhuri are among them.

Two Patients, aged 39 years and 19 years, received Bimal’s kidneys

No complications reported till date. A new horizon of Cadaveric Transplantation opened after more than a decade in Eastern region