Malar hospital Chennai

I am visiting Chennai soon, and while there I would like to find out about a heart transplant procedure for my niece.

I believe that Malar hospital in Chennai is a reputed hospital and I would like to know if they have someone I can talk to about the heart transplant procedure and provide them with the condition of my niece.

Please provide the Malar hospital contact details for the relevant person.

 

Hello, @Desu, welcome to the forum!

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Overview

The approval of the Organ Transplant Bill of 1994 in India paved the way for a legalised procedure for various organ transplants in India, including heart transplant. If you can recall, the first ever heart transplant in the country was headed by Doctor Panangipalli Venugopal and it was a successful operation. Fast forward to the present, various health institutions in the country now offer heart transplant procedures. This gives hope to patients suffering from diseases such as cardiomyopathy, valvular heart disease, congenital heart disease and coronary heart disease. One of the best health institutions providing heart transplant surgery to patients is the Fortis Malar Hospital in Chennai. It was formerly known as the Malar Hospital, but was later acquired by Fortis Healthcare Group, which lead to its name change.

The Fortis Malar Hospital

The Malar Hospital was founded in 1991 as a multi-speciality clinic in Chennai. It was in the year 2007 when the Fortis Healthcare Group acquired some stakes of the hospital, under the management of Doctor Parvinder Singh. Since then, the hospital has been renamed as the Fortis Malar Hospital and has been a renown name when it comes to various specialties such as neurology, nephrology and most especially, cardiology, specifically heart transplant procedures. The location of the hospital is very convenient too, under 15 kilometres away from both Chennai Central Railway Station and Chennai Egmore Railway Station. The hospital has a 180-bed facility, not including the ICU bed facilities yet, and has over 150 physicians on call.

Heart Transplant (Cardiology) Department of Fortis Malar Hospital

Just this April 9, 2017, the Fortis Malar Hospital physicians performed the hospital's 150th heart transplant surgery. Yes, in a span of over 20 years, the hospital has performed 150 heart transplant surgeries already. It has even exceeded the AIIMS in Delhi, where the first ever heart transplant surgery in the country was conducted. The department also holds other firsts, like being the first to successfully implant a Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) to a patient being assisted by an Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenator (ECMO). They also succeeded in implanting the first Heart Mate II LVAD (Left Ventricular Assist Device, a semi-permanent device to aid in heart failure patients, to a 58-year old male patient. Thus, they are the only health institution in India with facilities for an implantable artificial heart aid.

✰ Physicians at the Cardiology Department of Fortis Malar Hospital ✰

Position	Physician Name	Qualification	Specialty	Years of Experience
Director and Chief	Dr. KR Balakrishnan	Cardiothoracic Surgeon	Cardiothoracic Surgery	30 Years +
Consultant	Dr. Srinath Vijayashekaran	Cardiothoracic Surgeon	Cardiothoracic Surgery	11 Years +
Consultant	Dr. VK Swamy	Paediatric Cardiologist	Paediatric Cardiology	13 Years +
Consultant	Dr. Arul Narayanan	Paediatric Cardiologist	Paediatric Cardiology	11 Years +
Senior Consultant	Dr. SK Chowdhury	Cardiothoracic Surgeon	Cardiothoracic Surgery	17 Years +
Senior Consultant	Dr. G Manohar	Interventional Cardiologist	Interventional Cardiology	8 Years +
Senior Consultant	Dr. Sanjiv Agrawal	Interventional Cardiologist	Interventional Cardiology	27 Years +
Senior Consultant	Dr. Ravikumar	Interventional Cardiologist	Interventional Cardiology	20 Years +
Senior Consultant	Dr. Madan Mohan	Interventional Cardiologist	Interventional Cardiology	27 Years +

1. Dr. KR Balakrishnan - Dr. KR Balakrishnan graduated from his Bachelor of Medicine in the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research (JIPMER) in Pondicherry. Thereafter, he took his General Surgery in All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) in Delhi and then his Master of Surgery in the University of Bombay, King Edward Memorial Hospital. He then served the local Chennai community by bringing forth his expertise in the Fortis Malar Hospital in Chennai. Dr KR Balakrishnan is the Director of Cardiac Sciences and the Chief of Cardiothoracic and Transplant Surgery in the institute. He has ever 30 years of experience already, headed over 50 heart transplants and thousands of other heart surgeries. In 2016, Dr. KR Balakrishnan headed a team of surgeons who revived the life of Jaisukhabi Thakur, who suffered from sudden cardiac arrest and was attached to an ECPR prior to the arrival of a donor heart. He, along with his team, saved the life of the stationery shop owner that is now recovering quite healthily. There's no doubt that Dr. KR Balakrishnan is a renowned name when it comes to the Cardiothoracic Surgery field, that even patients from abroad reach Chennai to consult with him and have his expertise help in their cases.

• Schedule - Monday to Saturday (9:00 to 16:00)

• Consultation Fee - Rs. 500

2. Dr. Srinath Vijayashekaran - Dr. Srinath Vijayashekaran is a consultant for the Cardiothoracic Surgery area of the department. He graduated from the Medical College of Calicut for both his Bachelor of Medicine and General Surgery. He obtained his Diplomate of National Board for Cardiothoracic Surgery from the Kovai Medical Centre and Hospital in Coimbatore. He specialises in various heart conditions like ischemic mitral regurgitation, left ventricular aneurysm, unstable angina and other high risk cardiac diseases. He also assists in heart transplant procedures due to end-stage heart failure. Although fairly younger than the former physician, he can help simplify many unusual terms and procedures that can actually make the patient more comfortable.

• Schedule - Monday to Saturday (9:00 to 16:00)

• Consultation Fee - Rs. 500

3. Dr. VK Swamy - Dr. VK Swamy graduated from his Bachelor of Medicine degree in the Tirunelveli Medical College. Thereafter, he completed his Diploma in Child Health in the Institute of Child Health & Hospital for Children in the Madras Medical College. He then pursued fellowships in the same field in London. As a physician, Dr. VK Swamy ensures that he is up to date with various medical advances by pursuing trainings and seminars abroad related to his field. He is a consultant for the Paediatric Cardiology area of the department. He is known for his patience in explaining complicated terminologies and surgery procedures to patients. This is why he is a preferred Paediatric Cardiology physician by many patients. He also had his training in London as a Pediatrician with a Special Interest in Cardiology (PEC), giving him much knowledge and experience for cases of heart diseases in infants and children.

• Schedule - Monday to Sunday (10:00 to 12:30)

• Consultation Fee - Rs. 500

4. Dr. Arul Narayanan - Dr. Arul Narayanan graduated from the Madras Medical College for both his Bachelor of Medicine and Paediatrics. After that, he spent over 11 years in the UK, training in his specialty which is Paediatric Interventional Cardiologist, as well as gaining various experiences in the medical field. He worked in the Narayana Hrudayalaya Hospital in Bangalore prior to working for the Fortis Malar Hospital. As of now, he is a consultant for the Paediatric Cardiology area of the department. In the past years, Dr. Arul Narayan has also volunteered for special missions conducted by the The Emirates Airlines. Through this mission, Sky Miles donated by passengers were used to help patients suffering from various heart conditions by treating them surgically. Doctors from the UK, along with Dr. Arul Narayanan, were the ones who conducted this special missions, helping in 11 complicated cardiac operations that saved lives.

• Schedule - Monday to Thursday (9:00 to 15:00)

• Consultation Fee - Rs. 500

5. Dr. SK Chowdhury - Dr. SK Chowdhury is a senior consultant for the Cardiothoracic Surgery area of the department. He graduated from the Silchar Medical College in Gauhati University for both his Bachelor of Medicine and General Surgery degrees. He then completed his Master of Surgery in the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research (JIPMER) in Pondicherry. With over 17 years of experience, as well as various researches on the field of cardiology, Dr. SK Chowdhury is a pioneer in the institution already. He specialises in both heart transplant and Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) implantations.

• Schedule - Monday to Saturday (9:00 to 16:00)

• Consultation Fee - Rs. 500

6. Dr. G Manohar - Dr. G Manohar is a senior consultant for the area of Interventional Cardiology in the department. He graduated from the Thanjavur Medical College for his Bachelor of Medicine degree. He further continued his studies to pursue his Doctor of Medicine degree from Madras Medical College. Thereafter, he obtained his Doctor of Medicine specialty for Cardiology from the Stanley Medical College. Dr G Manohar has had lots of experience, having served other health institutions like the Madras Medical Hospital, Stanley Medical Hospital and ESI Hospital. Dr G Manohar also specialises in non-surgical closure of ruptured heart vessels, along with other areas like coronary angioplasty, elective PCI and pacemaker implantation.

• Schedule - Monday to Sunday (10:30 to 18:30)

• Consultation Fee - Rs. 500

7. Dr. Sanjiv Agrawal - Dr. Sanjiv Agrawal is a senior consultant for the Interventional Cardiology area of the department. He graduated from his Bachelor of Medicine degree from the Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Medical College in Pune. He pursued is Doctor of Medicine degree in the same university and after that, obtained his Doctor of Medicine specialty for Cardiology from the Christian Medical College in Vellore. He also worked as a lecturer in the same university in Vellore. He had also obtained his fellowships abroad in countries like Australia and the UK. He has over 27 years of experience already, having worked in other institutions like Madras Medical Mission and St. Isabel's Hospital. In 2012, Dr. Sanjiv Agrawal headed the angioplasty operation in Raghuveer Soni. The then 17-year old boy received 5 stents in his hearts, which made him the youngest Asian with such stents in his heart. The procedure was a success, as this is Dr. Sanjiv Agrawal's speciality area and this made him even more renowned in the field.

• Schedule - Monday to Saturday (9:00 to 16:00)

• Consultation Fee - Rs. 500

8. Dr. Ravikumar - Dr. Ravikumar is also a senior consultant for the Interventional Cardiology area of the department. He obtained his Bachelor of Medicine degree from the University of Madras in Chennai. He continued his studies and obtained his Doctor of Medicine degree in Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research (JIPMER) in Pondicherry. And thereafter, he obtained his specialty in Cardiology from the Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences in Lucknow. Before reaching the Fortis Malar Hospital, he was renowned for establishing the first Interventional Cardiology Programme in Dhaka. He has over 20 years of experience and specialises in procedures like angioplasty and ECMO implantation.

• Schedule - Monday to Saturday (9:00 to 17:00)

• Consultation Fee - Rs. 700

9. Dr. Madan Mohan - The last physician is Dr. Madan Mohan, also a senior consultant for the Interventional Cardiology area of the department. He obtained both his Bachelor of Medicine and Doctor of Medicine degrees from the Madras Medical College in Chennai. He specialised in Cardiology from the Sriramachandra Medical College. He had also worked for various health institutions prior to working for Fortis Malar Hospital like the Madras ENT Research Foundation, Ranga Hospital, Harvey Hospital and A. Ramachandran's Diabetes Hospital. In 2016, Dr. Madan Mohan, along with a team of physicians, operated on a rare case of a patient with Eisenmenger’s Syndrome. The patient was diagnosed with Ventricular Septal Defect when she was just a baby but the condition has since then deteriorated which lead to other complications. The operation, though high risk, was very successful, thanks to the expertise of the physicians including Dr. Madan Mohan.

• Schedule - Monday to Sunday (9:00 to 17:00)

• Consultation Fee - Rs. 500

Conclusion

Hopefully, this guide helped you in understanding and knowing which physicians or consultants are best for your niece's case. There are many heart transplant cases that the Fortis Malar Hospital was successful in operation on. However, the number of heart donors, as well as other organ donors, are still low. The Fortis Malar Hospital does have facilities for artificial heart aid implantations though, to lengthen the life of patients suffering from various heart diseases while they're waiting for the donors.