K. M. Cherian

K. M. Cherian is a leading Indian heart surgeon who has pioneered new treatments, founded new hospitals and earned an international reputation. He is the founding chairman of Frontier Lifeline in Chennai, and the Dr K M Cherian Heart Foundation.

He started his career in Christian Medical College Hospital, in Vellore as lecturer in Surgery. He did his FRACS in Cardiothoracic Surgeryin 1973, while being a migrant labour in Australia. He worked in New Zealand and was also a migrant labourer to The United States. He worked as a Special Fellow in Paediatric Cardiac Surgery in Birmingham, Alabama under John W. Kirklin and in the University of Oregon under Albert Starr. He is an honorary professor at the Yangzhou University, China. He performed India’s first successful Coronary Artery bypass surgery in 1975. He also performed the country’s first heart transplant after legalization of brain death. The first Heart- Lung Transplant, the first Paediatric Transplant and the first TMR (Laser Heart Surgery) were also performed by him. He has an honorary Doctor of Science from King George's Medical University, Lucknow. He was awarded Padma Shri by the Government of India in 1991. Cherian was honorary surgeon to the President of India from 1990 to 1993. He received a Wockhardt Medical Excellence Award in 2005, through a panel organised by Harvard Medical School. He is the first Indian to become the President of the World Congress of Thoracic Cardiac Surgeon and the first member of the American Association of Thoracic Surgery from India. He was the Founding Vice President and Director of Madras Medical Mission (MMM). He is the Founder Chairman of Frontier Mediville, the first Medical SEZ and Medical Science Park in India. His Charitable Trust has built the St Gregorios Cardio Vascular Centre, at Parumala, in Kerala and his Educational Trust runs the International CBSE School named “The Study - L'/ecole International” at Puducherry.

Cherian performed the first coronary artery bypass surgery in India in 1975. He also performed the country's first heart transplant, first infant cardiac surgery and the first heart and lung transplant (1999).^[1]

Pioneering pediatric cardiac surgery in India, Cherian has performed more than 27,000 operations. Cherian has pioneered the first coronary artery bypass surgery in India^[2] as well as the first heart transplant after the legislation of Brain Death in India; the first bilateral lung transplant; the first Pediatric Heart transplant; the first Auto transplant; and the first Heart and Lung transplant.(1999)[1]. He is the first Indian member of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery, as well as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine, London, and an honorary member of the Malaysian Association for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, just to mention a few of his affiliations.

Recognition

Cherian was honorary surgeon to the President of India from 1990 to 1993. He was awarded Padma Shri by the Government of India in 1991. He received a Wockhardt Medical Excellence Award in 2005, through a panel organized by Harvard Medical School.^[3] He has also received honorary professorships from universities in China.^[4] Honors and awards have been bestowed upon him, notably the Padmashri Award by the Govt. of India in 1991 and the honor of having been the Honorary Surgeon to the President of India from 1990 to 1993.^[5]

He received a Wockhardt Medical Excellence Award in 2005, through a panel organized by Harvard Medical School. Cherian has authored more than 285 national and international publications, co-authored books on Pediatric Cardiac Surgery and is the only Asian author to contribute to the Textbook of Cardiac Surgery, an essential bible to all cardiac surgeons.

His name is engraved in one of the stones at Kos Island, Greece along with three other Indian surgeons,^[6] the birthplace of the medical profession and Hippocrates, the “Father of Medicine”, on the occasion of the 18th World Congress held by the World Society of Cardio Thoracic Surgeons held between 30 April – 3 May 2008.^[7]

Cherian is also an advocate for organ donation and is the leading authority in heart transplant procedures in the country. His philosophy is summed up as “Health care is an industry.” ^[8]

References