BENGALURU: Noted cardiac surgeon Dr K M Cherian passed away late Saturday night. He was 82. He passed away at Manipal Hospital at 11.50 pm yesterday. He was in Bengaluru to attend the wedding of his friend's son. Cherian is the doctor who performed the first coronary artery bypass surgery in India.

Cherian started his professional career as a lecturer at the Christian Medical College Hospital in Vellore. He performed India’s first successful coronary artery bypass surgery in 1975. He was the one who performed the first heart and lung transplant, the first paediatric transplant, and the first laser heart surgery. He has also been awarded the honorary doctorate of science from King George's Medical University, Lucknow, Dr MGR Medical University, and Pondicherry Medical University. The country honoured him with the Padma Shri in 1991.

He was the honorary surgeon to the President from 1990 to 1993. Cherian was the first Indian to become the President of the World Congress of Thoracic Cardiac Surgeons and the first member of the American Association of Thoracic Surgery from India. He was the Secretary and President of the Indian Association of Cardiac Thoracic Surgeons. He was the President of the Paediatric Cardiac Society of India. He is the Founder Vice President and Director of the Madras Medical Mission (MMM) and the Founder Chairman of PIMS Pondicherry.

He was born on 8 March 1942 in Kayamkulam. He leaves behind his wife Celine Cherian and has two children, Sanjay Cherian and Sandhya Cherian. He is also the founder of the Dr K M Cherian Institute of Medical Sciences Hospital in Chengannur. The book 'Hand of God', written by writer Priya K Menon, is Cherian's biography.