Lung Transplantation at KIMS Electronic City, Bengaluru

The full transplant journey - not just the surgery

A successful lung transplant is one hour of surgery followed by a decade of clinical management. The surgeon performs the operation. The transplant pulmonologist owns everything else: pre-operative evaluation, transplant listing, ICU-level peri-operative care, tacrolimus titration, rejection surveillance bronchoscopy, airway complication management, and follow-up visits for the rest of the patient’s life.

Dr. Manjunath M Negigoudara is the transplant pulmonologist at KIMS Hospital, Electronic City, Bengaluru, and the medical arm of this transplant programme. His credentials: MBBS (Gold Medalist) - Bangalore Medical College, MD Pulmonary Medicine - JSS Medical College, DNB Respiratory Medicine, FIP (Fellowship in Interventional Pulmonology) - Manipal Hospitals. Karnataka Medical Council Reg. No. 116911.

Programme volume

250+ lung transplant cases personally managed within the KIMS Institute of Heart and Lung Transplant, which has completed 780+ thoracic transplants - one of Asia’s largest thoracic transplant programmes. International faculty at ISHLT, ESOT, INSHLT and NAPCON.

The procedures performed

Single lung transplantation - one lung replaced. Typically offered for older patients with IPF or COPD where the contralateral native lung is acceptable and the patient is not fit for a longer bilateral operation.
Bilateral (double) lung transplantation - both lungs replaced in one operation. Standard for cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis, pulmonary hypertension, and most younger patients (better long-term outcomes than single).
Re-do double lung transplantation - re-transplant for patients with Chronic Lung Allograft Dysfunction (CLAD) of a prior graft. Dr. Manjunath M Negigoudara presented India’s first successful Redo Double Lung Transplantation at ESOT 2025 London.
ECMO-bridged transplantation - for patients too unstable to wait conventionally. See our ECMO service page and the clinical guide ECMO as bridge to recovery vs transplant.

When lung transplant is considered

Transplant is the treatment of last resort for end-stage lung disease. It is considered when medical therapy is exhausted AND life expectancy without transplant is short (typically 2-3 years). The most common indications, in descending order of global frequency:

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) - especially idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), the single largest indication globally and at KIMS Electronic City
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) - severe emphysema, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency
Pulmonary hypertension (PAH), including Eisenmenger physiology
Cystic fibrosis and non-CF bronchiectasis with end-stage lung destruction
Post-COVID pulmonary fibrosis - a growing indication in the Indian context
Post-tuberculosis lung destruction - India-specific, significant volume
Re-transplantation for chronic rejection of a prior graft

Not every patient with these conditions qualifies. Candidacy is decided against ISHLT 2021 selection criteria - covering age, other organ function, cancer history, psychosocial fitness, and disease-specific severity scores (BODE for COPD, GAP for IPF). See our clinician-written referral guide with disease-specific triggers for the full detail, and the pulmonary fibrosis guide for GAP staging and antifibrotic therapy.

The evaluation - what happens in your first 1-3 weeks

The pre-transplant workup has four goals:

Confirm the underlying diagnosis and disease stage
Establish that there are no contraindications
Match the patient to the right type of transplant (single vs bilateral vs combined heart-lung)
Build the donor compatibility profile (blood group, HLA typing, anti-HLA antibodies, viral status)

Typical investigations: PFT with DLCO, HRCT chest, echocardiogram with right ventricular function assessment, right heart catheterisation where indicated, six-minute walk test with oximetry, full-body imaging (CT abdomen/pelvis, mammography where relevant, PSA in men), dental and ENT clearance, viral serology (HIV, HBV, HCV, CMV, EBV, VDRL), TB screen (Mantoux, IGRA), nutritional and psychosocial review, dietitian consultation.

For patients on ECMO or acutely deteriorating, the workup is compressed into days. For most ambulatory patients, evaluation completes in 1-3 weeks. Cost: approximately ₹4.5-6 lakh, separate from the surgical package.

What listing looks like

Once evaluation clears the patient, Dr. Manjunath M Negigoudara presents the case at a multi-disciplinary team meeting. If accepted, the patient is added to the national organ allocation list maintained by NOTTO and the regional ROTTO. In Karnataka, this runs through the Jeevasarthakathe programme.

Allocation is based on blood group, body size, time on the list, and medical urgency. Realistic waits in India: a few weeks (AB blood group, small donor, urgent) to several months (O blood group, large recipient, stable). Patients on ECMO are prioritised as high-urgency.

Cost and financing

The KIMS Electronic City lung transplant package is approximately ₹36 lakh covering the surgery + 14 days ICU isolation + 7 days private A/C room + 8 surveillance bronchoscopies + defined sub-limits for blood products, investigations and drugs. This does NOT include: ECMO bridging (+₹5-15 lakh), donor aviation transport (+₹4-15 lakh), or lifelong immunosuppression (₹15,000-35,000 per month year 1, dropping to ₹8,000-18,000 after stabilisation).

Financial clearance from KIMS Finance is required BEFORE listing on the organ allocation programme. Most families assemble the total from a stack of 4-6 sources: comprehensive health insurance (₹8-25 lakh realised), personal loan or loan against fixed deposit (₹15-20 lakh), healthcare EMI card for the admission deposit (₹2-5 lakh), employer emergency advance (variable), personal savings + family contribution (₹3-8 lakh), and crowdfunding via Ketto/ImpactGuru/Milaap (₹3-10 lakh).

For the full breakdown see the cost guide and the financing playbook - both cover insurance pre-authorisation strategy, common claim denials and how to prevent them, and IRDAI/Section 80DDB tax mechanics.

After transplant - the multi-year clinical relationship

Discharge is typically at 14-21 days for a straightforward case (14 days ICU + 7 days private room). Recovery to feeling meaningfully like yourself takes 3-6 months. Most patients return to office work by month 3-4, resume gym-level exercise around month 6, reach steady-state health by month 12.

Post-transplant follow-up is intensive in year one, then spaces out:

First year: surveillance bronchoscopy with transbronchial biopsy at 2-4 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months (4-5 procedures total)
Immunosuppression: triple regimen (tacrolimus + mycophenolate + prednisolone) titrated to target trough levels; steroid taper 20mg -> 10mg -> 5mg before discharge
Infection prophylaxis: CMV (valganciclovir), PJP (co-trimoxazole), Aspergillus (voriconazole or nebulised amphotericin) for 12-18 months
Home spirometry: daily FEV1 recording with cloud upload catches CLAD early
Year 2 onwards: every-3-month visits if stable, annual bronchoscopy or on-demand only

See our detailed guides: Life after lung transplant - the first year and long-term care, and Post-lung-transplant airway interventions (bronchoscopic management of stenosis, dehiscence, malacia, granulation).

Book a lung transplant consultation

If you or a family member are being told a transplant may be needed - or being told one is NOT possible - Dr. Manjunath M Negigoudara offers a first consultation that combines clinical review with a realistic candidacy conversation. Records can be shared via WhatsApp before travelling to Bengaluru.

Call +91 79937 41199 · WhatsApp · Book online. Also see: best lung transplant doctor in Bangalore, transplant pulmonologist in Bangalore.

Frequently asked questions

What lung transplant procedures does Dr. Manjunath M Negigoudara perform at KIMS Electronic City?

Single lung transplantation, bilateral (double) lung transplantation, and re-do double lung transplantation for end-stage lung disease. Dr. Manjunath M Negigoudara manages the full transplant continuum: pre-transplant evaluation, listing on Karnataka's Jeevasarthakathe organ allocation programme, peri-operative ICU care, post-transplant immunosuppression, surveillance bronchoscopy, and lifelong follow-up.

How many lung transplants has Dr. Manjunath managed?

250+ lung transplant cases personally managed - across evaluation, ECMO bridging, surgery and long-term follow-up - within the KIMS Institute of Heart and Lung Transplant, which has completed 780+ thoracic transplants (one of Asia's largest thoracic transplant programmes).

When should I be referred for lung transplant evaluation?

Referral is time-sensitive - early is always better than late. Disease-specific triggers: COPD at BODE score 5-7, IPF at any GAP Stage with decline, PAH in WHO Class III-IV despite maximal therapy, CF/bronchiectasis at FEV1 <30%. The universal red flag: needing supplemental oxygen at rest or on minimal exertion. See Dr. Manjunath's full referral guide for the disease-by-disease criteria.

What does the evaluation involve?

A formal evaluation typically takes 1-3 weeks for ambulatory patients (days on ECMO). It includes pulmonary function tests with DLCO, HRCT chest, echocardiogram, right heart catheterisation in selected cases, full-body cancer screening, six-minute walk test with oximetry, dental/ENT clearance, viral serology (HIV/HBV/HCV/CMV/EBV), nutritional and psychosocial review. Pre-transplant evaluation cost at KIMS Electronic City is approximately ₹4.5-6 lakh.

What does a lung transplant cost at KIMS Electronic City?

The private-ward package is approximately ₹36 lakh covering the surgery + 14 days ICU isolation + 7 days private A/C room + 8 surveillance bronchoscopies + defined sub-limits for blood/investigations/drugs. Add ₹4.5-6 lakh for pre-transplant evaluation and, if needed, ₹5-15 lakh for ECMO bridging + ₹4-15 lakh for donor organ aviation transport. See the full clinician cost guide and financing playbook.

What is the waiting time for a donor lung?

Waiting time depends on blood group (O-negative typically waits longest, AB shortest), body size, and clinical urgency. Realistic waits range from a few weeks to over a year. Patients on ECMO are prioritised as high-urgency on the NOTTO/ROTTO allocation list. During the wait, Dr. Manjunath M Negigoudara manages the patient actively - optimising lung function, treating infections aggressively, and running pulmonary rehab to keep the patient transplant-ready.

What survival rate can a lung transplant patient expect?

Per the ISHLT International Thoracic Organ Transplant Registry, pooled global median survival is approximately: 1-year ~85%, 3-year ~65%, 5-year ~55%, 10-year ~32%. Outcomes vary substantially with age, underlying disease, single vs bilateral procedure, and freedom from Chronic Lung Allograft Dysfunction (CLAD). High-volume programmes typically report at the upper end of these ranges. Full outcomes at KIMS discussed transparently at the evaluation visit.

Can I get a second opinion on my lung transplant candidacy?

Yes. Second opinions on lung transplant candidacy - whether from patients told they don't qualify OR patients being pushed toward listing quickly - are a significant part of Dr. Manjunath M Negigoudara's practice. Share your HRCT, PFT, echo and prior specialist notes via WhatsApp (+91 79937 41199) for a pre-review before travelling to Bengaluru.