Pioneer of heart surgery Dr KM Cherian passes away at 82

He performed India's first heart-lung transplant and the first pediatric heart transplant.

India lost one of its greatest heart surgeons Dr KM Cherian who passed away at the age of 82. He was in Bengaluru to attend a wedding when he collapsed. Despite rushing him to the hospital, doctors at Manipal Hospital declared him dead.

His funeral will be held on Thursday. He is survived by his wife Celine Cherian and two children Sanjay and Sandhya.

Heart surgery hero

Dr Cherian changed heart care in India. Born on March 8, 1942, in Kayamkulam, Kerala, he performed India’s first coronary artery bypass surgery in 1975. He also conducted the first heart-lung transplant and the first pediatric heart transplant.

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He started hospitals like Frontier Lifeline and the Dr KM Cherian Heart Foundation where many lives are saved every day. He also helped set up the Madras Medical Mission in Chennai and the Dr KM Cherian Institute of Medical Sciences Hospital in Chengannur, Kerala.

Dr Cherian received many awards for his work, including the Padma Shri in 1991. He was also honoured internationally becoming a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine in London and an honorary member of the Malaysian Association for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery.

Although he had offers to work in countries like Australia and New Zealand, he chose to stay in India and serve his country for over 50 years.

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