Hyderabad, Jan. 27 -- India lost one of its greatest heart surgeons Dr KM Cherian who passed away at the age of 82. He was in Bengaluru to attend a wedding when he collapsed. Despite rushing him to the hospital, doctors at Manipal Hospital declared him dead.

His funeral will be held on Thursday. He is survived by his wife Celine Cherian and two children Sanjay and Sandhya.

Heart surgery hero

Dr Cherian changed heart care in India. Born on March 8, 1942, in Kayamkulam, Kerala, he performed India's first coronary artery bypass surgery in 1975. He also conducted the first heart-lung transplant and the first pediatric heart transplant.

He started hospitals like Frontier Lifeline and the Dr KM Cherian Heart Foundation where many lives are ...