Sushma Swaraj Shifted Out of ICU. Condition Better than Before

Sushma Swaraj, the External Affairs minister, who had undergone a kidney transplant surgery has shown considerable improvement and has thus, been shifted from the ICU, here at AIIMS.

The 64-year-old minister is likely to be discharged in another seven to ten days, senior hospital officials said. “The minister has been shifted out of the ICU to a private ward of the Cardio-Neuro Centre. Her post-surgery recovery is on the expected lines,” AIIMS Director Dr M C Mishra said.

He said her recovery is being closely monitored by a team of transplant surgeons, physicians (endocrinologist, nephrologist, cardiologist and pulmonologist) and anaesthesist besides critical care expert, physiotherapist and transplant specialists.

“She is likely to be discharged in another seven or 10 days,” Mishra added. According to Mishra, the woman who donated her kidney to the minister is also in the process of being discharged. “During transplant surgeries, the recipient is put on Immuno suppressants in order to lower the body’s ability to reject a transplanted organ.”

“That is the reason why the minister, after the transplant, was shifted to ICU and kept in isolation to avoid any infection,” a senior doctor at AIIMS said. Swaraj’s almost six-hour long surgery was performed by a team of 50 personnel led by Dr Mukut Minz, former head of the department of renal transplant surgery at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) and Dr V K Bansal from AIIMS. Minz is currently with Fortis, Mohali. A team of transplant anesthesiologists, nurses, technicians and other support staff assisted them.

“The Minister was shifted to the ICU after the transplant and kept in isolation to avoid any infection,” a senior doctor at AIIMS said.