Jose Chacko Periappuram
Cardiac Surgeon, Healthcare Leader
Jose Chacko Periappuram is one of Kerala’s best-known cardiac surgeons, recognised for bringing advanced heart surgery and transplantation to the state. His name became closely associated with a historic medical milestone in 2003, when a team led by him performed Kerala’s first successful heart transplant. Over the years, his work has extended beyond surgery, with a strong focus on making cardiac care more accessible to people who may not be able to afford it.
Key Facts
Born: 28 April 1958
Place: South Paravur, Ernakulam, Kerala, India
Profession: Cardiac Surgeon, Medical Writer
Specialisation: Cardiothoracic Surgery and Heart Transplantation
Known For: Kerala’s first successful heart transplant
Major Achievement: India’s first successful heart re-transplant
Padma Shri: 2011
Padma Bhushan: 2025
Founder and Chairman: Heart Care Foundation
A Journey Into Cardiac Surgery
Jose Chacko Periappuram was born in South Paravur in Ernakulam district. His early education eventually led him to St. Thomas College, Palai, followed by medical studies at Government Medical College, Kottayam, where he completed his MBBS.
After gaining initial experience in India, he travelled to the United Kingdom for advanced surgical training. He completed his surgical qualifications through the Royal College of Surgeons and underwent higher training in cardiac surgery at institutions including the University Hospital of Wales and Manchester Royal Infirmary.
He also received specialised training in cardiac transplantation at Papworth Hospital, an important centre for heart and lung transplantation in the UK.
This international training would later become particularly significant when he returned to Kerala and began applying his experience to a healthcare system where advanced cardiac procedures were still developing.
Bringing Heart Transplantation to Kerala
One of the defining moments of Periappuram’s career came on 13 May 2003.
At Medical Trust Hospital in Kochi, a team led by him performed the first successful heart transplant in Kerala. The achievement placed Kerala among the Indian states capable of carrying out one of the most complex procedures in cardiac medicine.
For patients with severe heart disease, transplantation can offer a chance of survival when conventional treatments are no longer sufficient. At the time, establishing such a programme required not only a highly skilled surgical team but also expertise in organ donation, transplantation protocols, intensive care and post-operative management.
Periappuram and his team helped establish that capability in Kerala.
The success was followed by another heart transplant the following year, further strengthening the state’s experience in transplant surgery.
A Landmark Heart Re-Transplant
More than a decade after Kerala’s first heart transplant, Periappuram was involved in another major milestone.
On 6 March 2014, at Lisie Hospital in Kochi, he performed what is recognised as India’s first successful heart re-transplant. The patient had previously undergone a heart transplant but later developed a serious heart valve infection.
A re-transplant presents an additional layer of complexity because the patient has already undergone major surgery and has been living with a transplanted organ. Successfully carrying out such a procedure requires considerable surgical and medical expertise.
The operation became another significant chapter in Periappuram’s career and in the development of advanced cardiac care in Kerala.
Pushing the Boundaries of Heart Surgery
Heart transplantation is only one part of Periappuram’s contribution to cardiac surgery.
He has also been associated with the development of beating-heart surgery in Kerala, also known as off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery. Unlike conventional bypass surgery, the procedure can be performed while the heart continues to beat, avoiding the use of a heart-lung machine in appropriate cases.
He also introduced techniques involving arterial grafts and total arterial revascularisation in Kerala.
Another area of his work was awake bypass surgery. The technique was developed for selected patients who faced difficulties with conventional surgery because of serious lung-related conditions.
These approaches reflected a broader philosophy in his work: cardiac surgery should continue to evolve according to the needs and conditions of individual patients.
A Doctor With a Larger Social Mission
For Periappuram, medicine has not been limited to the operating theatre.
He founded the Heart Care Foundation, a charitable organisation that works to support patients who cannot afford heart surgery. The foundation has supported cardiac treatment for economically disadvantaged patients through government medical colleges in Kerala.
The organisation has also worked on public awareness around heart disease, organ donation and emergency response.
One of its initiatives, “Save a Heart, Save a Life”, focuses on educating people about Basic Life Support and CPR. The aim is simple but important: when a cardiac emergency happens, knowing what to do in the first few minutes can make a difference before professional medical help arrives.
The foundation has also supported initiatives related to organ donation and has conducted awareness programmes, charity events and heart-health campaigns.
Recognition for a Lifetime of Service
Periappuram’s contribution to medicine has earned him several honours.
He received the Padma Shri, one of India’s major civilian honours, in 2011. In 2025, the Government of India honoured him with the Padma Bhushan, recognising his contribution to medicine.
The recognition came after decades of work in cardiac surgery, transplantation and public service.
Beyond the awards, his career has been marked by several firsts and pioneering procedures in Kerala. These achievements helped expand the possibilities available to patients with serious heart conditions within the state.
A Surgeon Who Also Writes
Periappuram has also used writing as another way of communicating medical knowledge and personal experiences.
He has written articles and presented clinical studies at professional conferences. His Malayalam book Hrudayam focuses on heart health, while his later work Hrudayam Thottu, published in 2021 by Malayala Manorama Publications, brings together experiences from his long career treating critically ill patients.
For a medical professional, writing can serve a different purpose from surgery. It allows complex medical subjects and real-life experiences to reach a wider audience.
Making Heart Care More Accessible
One of the recurring themes in Periappuram’s career has been accessibility.
Advanced cardiac surgery can be expensive, and the availability of specialised treatment does not automatically mean that every patient can afford it. Through the Heart Care Foundation and related initiatives, he has attempted to address that gap.
His work has included supporting treatment for financially disadvantaged patients, promoting awareness about heart disease and encouraging people to learn basic emergency procedures such as CPR.
This combination of medical expertise and social commitment has become an important part of his public identity.
A Legacy Beyond the Operating Room
Jose Chacko Periappuram’s career can be measured through the operations he performed and the milestones he helped achieve. But his larger legacy lies in the development of cardiac care in Kerala.
From Kerala’s first successful heart transplant in 2003 to India’s first successful heart re-transplant in 2014, his career has been connected with procedures that expanded what was possible for patients in the state and the country.
At the same time, his work through the Heart Care Foundation reflects another side of medicine — the responsibility to ensure that advanced treatment reaches people beyond those who can easily afford it.
With decades of experience in cardiac surgery, transplantation, medical education and charitable work, Periappuram represents a generation of Indian doctors who helped bring highly specialised medical treatment closer to home.
His journey is ultimately not only about pioneering heart operations. It is about building confidence in Kerala’s medical capabilities and using that expertise to give more patients a chance at life.
