Transplant pulmonologist in Bangalore

The specialist that a lung transplant patient actually lives with

Ask any lung transplant recipient who they see most often after surgery, and the answer is not the surgeon - it is the transplant pulmonologist. The surgeon performs the operation and hands the patient off. The transplant pulmonologist stays for the decade that follows: prescribing tacrolimus and adjusting it every clinic visit, running surveillance bronchoscopy, catching rejection before it becomes visible on scans, treating airway complications, and coordinating the multi-specialty care that transplant patients need for the rest of their lives.

In Bangalore, that specialist is Dr. Manjunath M Negigoudara. He practices at KIMS Hospital, Electronic City, where he has personally managed 250+ lung transplant cases. His clinical arc spans MBBS (Gold Medalist) at Bangalore Medical College, MD Pulmonary Medicine at JSS Medical College, DNB Respiratory Medicine, and a Fellowship in Interventional Pulmonology at Manipal Hospitals - the interventional training matters because most post-transplant airway problems (stenosis, dehiscence, granulation tissue) are solved with bronchoscopy, not repeat surgery.

What a transplant pulmonologist manages that a general pulmonologist does not

The clinical arc - year by year

Pre-transplant: months to years

The transplant pulmonologist first meets you in clinic - often years before any operation. The goal at this stage is accurate diagnosis of your underlying lung disease, aggressive medical management to slow progression, and a clear timeline for when transplant becomes the next step. Common medications at this phase include antifibrotics (pirfenidone, nintedanib) for IPF, triple-therapy inhalers for COPD, PAH-specific therapy for pulmonary hypertension. Pulmonary rehab starts early - not the week before surgery.

Listing to transplant: weeks to over a year

Once listing is confirmed, the transplant pulmonologist keeps you in optimal condition for the operation. Infections are treated aggressively. Nutrition is optimised. Vaccinations are updated. If your condition deteriorates faster than a donor appears, ECMO may bridge you to transplant - a decision the transplant pulmonologist makes with the surgical team.

First year post-transplant: intensive

The first year has the highest risk of both rejection and infection. Expect frequent visits - weekly then fortnightly then monthly - with bloods, tacrolimus levels, spirometry, and surveillance bronchoscopy at protocol intervals (typically 1, 3, 6 and 12 months). Home spirometry is now standard and lets us catch trouble between visits.

Years 2 onwards: watchful stability

Follow-up spaces out to every three months if stable. Monitoring shifts to chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD), medication side-effect management (renal function, blood pressure, blood sugar, skin cancer screening), and quality of life. Many patients return to full working life, exercise, and travel.

Why the interventional pulmonology training matters

Most people do not realise how many post-transplant problems are solved with a bronchoscope. Anastomotic dehiscence, bronchial stenosis at the surgical join, granulation tissue narrowing the airway, silicone or metallic stent placement and exchange, cryotherapy for mucus plugs, EBUS for mediastinal nodes - all of this is bronchoscopic work.

Dr. Manjunath M Negigoudara\'s Fellowship in Interventional Pulmonology at Manipal Hospitals means these procedures happen in-house at KIMS Electronic City with the same specialist who manages the rest of your care. No handoff to a separate interventional service. No delay while a visiting specialist is scheduled. If a stent needs to be repositioned or a granulation cleared, it is done the same week.

Read more about post-transplant airway management here: Post lung transplant airway interventions.

Related clinical explainers

• Who needs a lung transplant?
• Pulmonary fibrosis in India - causes, diagnosis, treatment and transplant timing
• Life after lung transplant - the first year, recovery and long-term care
• Lung transplant cost in India - a clinician\'s guide
• ECMO as bridge to recovery vs transplant