Amrita Hospital, Faridabad, in collaboration with the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO), successfully conducted the First Cadaveric Multi-Organ and Tissue Retrieval Workshop on June 28, 2025. This hands-on training initiative marks a major step forward in building national surgical capacity for deceased donor organ transplantation in India. 

The workshop brought together leading transplant surgeons, trainees, and experts for a day-long, high-fidelity training experience focused on standardizing organ retrieval procedures and improving surgical outcomes. Held within the state-of-the-art simulation and anatomy facility at Amrita Hospital, the workshop featured three cadavers used for both live demonstration and participant-led hands-on retrieval under expert guidance. 

The academic session was inaugurated by Dr. Anil Kumar, Director, NOTTO, and Dr. Ashutosh Sharma, Medical Superintendent, Amrita Hospital. In his keynote, Dr. Shaleen Agrawal, Chief Transplant Surgeon, emphasized the need for structured surgical training in the context of India’s growing deceased donation landscape. 

“This is not just a skills workshop—it’s a national capacity-building initiative. The ability to retrieve multiple organs safely, efficiently, and in an anatomically sound manner is key to expanding the deceased donor program in India,” said Dr. Agrawal. 

The first cadaver was used for a comprehensive live demonstration of multi-organ  retrieval. In the subsequent sessions, participants were  divided into groups and given the rare opportunity to independently perform abdominal organ retrieval on two separate cadavers, guided by transplant faculty. 

A total of nine participants from across specialties attended the workshop. Feedback was unanimously positive, with participants expressing satisfaction over the clarity of instruction, anatomical orientation, and hands-on autonomy provided during the training. 

The workshop concluded with certificate distribution and a strong consensus on the need to scale up this training initiative at regional and national levels. Plans are already underway to institutionalize the Amrita–NOTTO Cadaveric Retrieval Workshop as a recurring national academic event, with structured modules and certification pathways.