Lucknow, Oct 31 (IANS): The King George's Medical University (KGMU) is preparing for the first heart transplant in Uttar Pradesh.

The department already has permission for conducting organ transplant operations and now work is being done on the infrastructure and post-operative support.

The KGMU has already conducted several liver and kidney transplants.

Although the KGMU's cardiovascular and thoracic surgery department has registered four patients who require a heart transplant, it will take time before the transplant is done, doctors said.

Prof S.K Singh from the department, said: "The process is lengthy and shall take time before we conduct the transplant. Once started, the process will become a routine and people in need will get the facility here without having to go out of the state."

The department will also look for donors. Once the recipient and donor are both prepared and the necessary matching (blood etc) is done, the transplant will be possible.

"Heart transplant is done only via donation from a brain-dead patient. The procedure is complex and takes long time with a post-operative care as one of the major areas to work on," Prof Singh said.

A heart transplant is done if the heart cannot be treated medically or even surgically.

"We are conducting tests to know the possibility of a heart transplant and also medication is being provided to keep their (patients') body fit for a transplant," Prof Singh said.