Dr. K. M. Cherian: A trailblazer in cardiac surgery dies

Dubai: India has lost one of its foremost pioneers in cardiac surgery, Dr. K. M. Cherian, who transformed heart care in the country. He was 82.

The eminent surgeon, credited with performing India’s first successful coronary artery bypass surgery and first heart-lung transplant, died in Bengaluru.

According to family sources quoted by the Indian media, Dr. Cherian, who was in Bengaluru to attend a wedding, collapsed late in the evening. His daughter, Sandhya Cherian, said: “We rushed him to Manipal Hospitals, where he was declared dead at 11:55 pm.” His funeral is scheduled for Thursday.

Pioneering achievements in cardiac care

Dr. Cherian’s contributions to cardiac surgery in India were monumental. In 1975, he performed the country’s first successful coronary artery bypass surgery at the Southern Railway Headquarters Hospital in Perambur, Chennai. He also achieved several other firsts, including India’s first heart-lung transplant and the first paediatric heart transplant, according to The Indian Express.

He founded Frontier Lifeline and the Dr. K. M. Cherian Heart Foundation, institutions that remain at the forefront of cardiac care. Additionally, he served as Founder, Vice-President, and Director of the Madras Medical Mission (MMM) in Chennai, which specialises in advanced cardiac treatment.

He was also the founder of the Dr. K. M. Cherian Institute of Medical Sciences Hospital in Chengannur. His life and achievements are chronicled in his biography, Hand of God, authored by Priya K. Menon.

Recognition and legacy

Dr. Cherian’s work gained him national and international acclaim. A recipient of the Padma Shri in 1991 for his contributions to medicine, he was also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine in London and an Honorary Member of the Malaysian Association for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery.

He served as honorary cardiac surgeon to the President of India and treated patients from across the globe. Despite offers to practice in Australia and New Zealand after training in these countries, he returned to India, dedicating over 50 years to his field.

A life of service and dedication

Dr. Cherian pursued medical education at Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, and later taught at Christian Medical College, Vellore. A day before his untimely demise, he participated in the Kerala Literature Festival in Kozhikode. According to The Free Press Journal, he shared insights on ethical medical practices and stressed the importance of treating every patient as family.

Born on March 8, 1942, in Kayamkulam, Kerala, Dr. K. M. Cherian leaves behind his wife, Celine Cherian, and two children, Sanjay Cherian and Sandhya Cherian.

Tributes pour in

His passing has left the nation in shock. Dr. Vivek Javali, Chairman of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Fortis, said: “The doyen of heart surgery and an institution by himself, Dr. K. M. Cherian, passed away in Bengaluru. We, as Indian heart surgeons, held him in the highest regard.”

As India mourns the loss of this extraordinary legend, his legacy endures in the lives he saved and the countless hearts that beat because of him — a lasting testament to his unparalleled contributions to cardiac care.