Designation of Dr. K R Balakrishnan
Dr. K R Balakrishnan
Cardiothoracic and Heart Transplant Surgeon
Director – Cardiac Sciences | Chief Cardiothoracic & Transplant Surgeon
Fortis Malar Hospital, Chennai
Chairman – Cardiac Sciences Director – Institute of Heart and Lung Transplant & Mechanical Circulatory Support
MGM Healthcare, Chennai
Profile Snapshot of Dr. K R Balakrishnan
- Dr. K R Balakrishnan is a highly coveted cardiac surgeon in India and is probably one of the best heart transplant surgeons in the country.
- He has performed the largest number of heart transplants in the country including 180+ heart transplants, 23 lung transplants, and 9 heart & lung transplant procedures. He performed the first permanent artificial heart transplant in India with HeartMate II LVAD.
- Dr. K R Balakrishnan has over 40 years of experience in the field and has the expertise to perform cardiac surgeries on patients of all ages. He has performed over 16000 cardiac surgeries for various types of heart diseases and disorders till date.
- He has performed several first cardiac surgeries in India including the first pediatric heart transplant on a 2-year-old from Russia. He also did the first LVAD and HVAD pump transplants in India in 2012 and 2013 respectively.
- Dr. Balakrishnan made headlines when he revived a man with a heart transplant after his heart stopped beating for almost 45 minutes. He has performed several such complex and high-risk surgeries in his career.
- He has played a pioneering role in starting the Center for Heart Failure Management in Fortis Malar, Chennai which is the very first center in the country for Comprehensive Cardiac care.
- Dr. K R Balakrishnan’s expertise lies in the management and treatment of patients with end-stage heart failure and also finds interest in other cardiac procedures such as CABG, heart transplant, beating heart bypass surgery, and surgery for complex heart diseases.
- He is actively involved in research activities and works towards developing better techniques in cardiac surgery to make recovery faster. He has been involved with various institutions in order to develop continuous flow LVADs and Pulsatile.
- Dr. Balakrishnan is associated with academics and has over 30 publications to his name in renowned national and international medical journals. He has contributed chapters in various medical textbooks as well.
Dr. K R Balakrishnan’s Expertise
- Heart Transplant surgery
- Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG)
- Off-Pump CABG
- Beating heart CABG
- LVAD and HVAD Pump implants
- Management of end-stage heart failure
- Surgical treatment of congenital heart diseases
- Aortic root repair and replacement
- Lung Transplant surgery
- Pediatric cardiac surgery
- Coronary angioplasty
- Mitral valve replacement
- Ross Procedure
- TAPVR repair
- Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery
- Robotic Cardiac Surgery
Work Experience of Dr. K R Balakrishnan
- Director – Cardiac Sciences | Chief Cardiothoracic & Transplant Surgeon at Fortis Malar Hospital, Chennai (from Dec 2008 – Present)
- Chairman – Cardiac Sciences Director – Institute of Heart and Lung Transplant & Mechanical Circulatory Support, MGM Healthcare, Chennai
- Director of Cardiac Sciences and Chief Consultant of Cardio-Thoracic and Transplant Surgery at Fortis Malar Hospital, Chennai Professor and Head of Cardio-Thoracic and Vascular Surgery at Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Research Centre, Chennai from 1994 to 2008
- Specialist of Cardiac Surgery at the Railway Hospital, Perambur, Chennai from 1990 to 1994
- Senior Registrar of Cardio-Thoracic Unit at the Green Lane Hospital, Auckland from 1987 to 1988
Dr. K R Balakrishnan’s Qualifications
- MBBS from Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Pondicherry
- MS in General Surgery from All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi
- MCh in Cardio-Thoracic Surgery from K E M Hospital and Seth G S Medical College, Mumbai
- Fellowship training in Cardiac Surgery from the Oregon Health Sciences University and St. Vincent Hospital, Portland
Memberships of Dr. K R Balakrishnan
- Indian Medical Association
Awards & Recognitions received by Dr. K R Balakrishnan
- Patent for Low-Cost Ventricular Assist Device
- Patent for Flexible Polyurethane Membrane
- Received the Double Helical National Health Award in 2017
- Honored with the Best Doctor Award by the Tamil Nadu Government in 2017
- Received the Special Jury Award from FICCI in 2017