India’s preeminent cardiac surgeon K.M. Cherian passes away
India’s preeminent cardiac surgeon K.M. Cherian passes away
India’s preeminent cardiac surgeon K.M. Cherian, who performed India’s first coronary bypass surgery, died in Bengaluru on Saturday (January 25, 2025). Only a couple of days ago his biography Just an Instrument was launched virtually at the Kerala Literary Fest. He collapsed suddenly when attending a wedding in Bengaluru.
His son, Sanjay Cherian, shared a note that said, “It is with profound grief that I inform you all that my beloved father, Dr. K.M. Cherian, passed away around 11:55 p.m. last night [January 25]. Dad and I had attended a wedding reception in Bengaluru and as we were leaving, he suddenly collapsed…” He also said that Dr. Cherian was rushed to Manipal Hospital where he was declared dead. The funeral will be held on January 30.
Born on March 8, 1942, Dr. Cherian worked for over 50 years in the field of cardiology, training under some world-renowned leaders in the field. He is credited with performing the first heart–lung transplant in India, the second cardiac transplant, and strangely, for his profession where people stick to their chosen specialisation, he was also a pioneer in paediatric cardiac surgery. He also set up Frontier Lifeline Hospital in Chennai and Frontier Mediville, a large medical science park on the outskirts of Chennai, to help spur research into indigenous cardiac valves, among other technology. Sources said he was attending a wedding in Bengaluru, when he suddenly collapsed.
During the book launch in Kerala, Dr. Cherian had said each surgeon should consider the patient as part of his own family. Some of the experiences he shared on the occasion include how he performed heart surgeries on 20 Iraqi children and how he played the role of a diplomat in the release of four Indian drivers who were imprisoned in Iraq. He went on to explain his association with Mother Teresa, upon whose request he carried out surgery on a poor boy in Kolkata at minimal cost.
After having completed his medical education in Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, he went on to teach in Christian Medical College, Vellore, before heading to the far shores of Australia and New Zealand to train further in cardiac surgery. He chose to come back to India to serve the people and the country, though he had several offers in these nations also. In the 50 plus years he served in the field, he also had a term as honorary cardiac surgeon to the President, and worked extensively with patients who came from foreign nations for treatment.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a post in X said: “Pained by the passing of Dr. K.M. Cherian, one of the most distinguished doctors of our country. His contribution to cardiology will always be monumental, not only saving many lives but also mentoring doctors of the future. His emphasis on technology and innovation always stood out. My thoughts are with his family and friends in this hour of grief.”
In his autobiography Dr. Cherian recalled his simple childhood, from walking barefoot to school to playing marbles on the street with friends, and a love to don paint to participate in the tiger dance during Onam. He confessed to getting zero in mathematics in Class 5 but the school managed to give grace marks to all students as the exam was unusually tough. Yet, he said, he “always flunked in maths.”
His associates and younger colleagues, who have since earned reputation in their respective fields, recall him as a visionary who pushed them to excellence.
K.R. Balakrishnan, chairman – cardiac sciences, and director of the Institue of Heart and Lung Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support in MGM Healthcare, recalled coming to Chennai in November 1984 “fresh from training in Bombay”. Dr. Cherian was a mentor, with whom he conducted experiments during his stint at the Railway Hospital. “We did exciting stuff at that time,” he said, of conducting experiments beyond hospital hours.
“We used to go to look at land (plots) in Anna Nagar and on weekends he used to operate in Vijaya Hospital. He has travelled all over the world, planning for Madras Medical Mission (MMM). When I was working in Auckland in New Zealand, he stayed with me almost a week, visiting hospitals. I was the first cardiac surgeon to work with him. This is before he became famous. He was instrumental in me getting a fellowship in the United States. He was very generous to young people who worked with him. His contributions to cardiac surgery in India are legendary.”
Ajit Mullasari, director of cardiology at the Institute of Cardio-vascular diseases at the MMM, said his association with Dr. Cherian began in 1995 when he joined the hospital. “The first bypass surgery, coronary artery bypass surgery, the heart transplantation in the private sector, a lot of paediatric surgeries were pioneering efforts in this country. He had a great vision of the future. There is testimony in the hospital itself,” he said. Dr. Cherian “believed standalone centres will have no dilution of cardiac care. Subsequently a lot of people followed. But he was always one step ahead,” Dr. Mullasari added.
To Dr. Cherian, paediatric cardiac surgery “sort of separated men from the boys,” Dr. Mullasari recalled, adding: ”He believed in setting up a good paediatric surgical unit and then the others will follow.”
“He put effort into research, which usually doesn’t happen in a private centre. He was pushing you to research, be it stem cell or lab work. He would push us to write and encourage us to present in international congresses. He made us all feel that we had to do very well. He wanted people to excel and was pretty much clear that if you do not excel you may very well leave.”
V.V. Bashi, director Institute of Cardiac and Advanced Aortic Diseases at SIMS, Vadapalani, joined Dr. Cherian in 1992, and worked with him till 1996, at Vijaya hospital. “I consider it a privilege to have worked with a legend of cardiac surgery in India. Even after I left his unit in 1996, I was in constant touch with him, both personally and professionally,” he said. “At the time, there were only very few centres in India doing open heart surgeries. We worked almost 18 hours a day and operated on patients from all over India, Asia and Africa. The first and second heart transplant in the private sector in India was done during my stint there,” he said.
Many surgeons used to visit the unit at MMM to observe and learn complex heart surgeries. Apart from international live surgery conferences Dr. Cherian would introduce new ideas and execute them with perfection. Dr. Cherian launched training programmes for cardiac surgeons and the work was presented at international meetings and published.
Dr. Cherian “realised the big void in cardiac care in India on his return from Australia and set about addressing this. The multitude of adults and children who owe their lives to him and the numerous cardiothoracic surgeons he has trained in his field of expertise stand testimony to this,” says Prem Sekar, consultant paediatric cardiologist in Chennai and erstwhile colleague of Dr. Cherian.
“His zeal for life and a keenly inquisitive mind helped him bring to fruition all his grandiose ideas despite all the trials and tribulations in his life,” Dr. Prem adds.
Sowmya Swaminathan, former chief scientist of World Health Organisation and chairperson of M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation in her post on X said, “Deeply saddened to hear of Dr. KM Cherian’s passing. His memoir was just released and we had long conversations recently – about the future of innovation and health technology development in India. Certainly a source of inspiration to many, apart from the countless lives he saved! RIP.”
