Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 25 (PTI) Dr Jose Chacko Periyappuram, who was bestowed with the third highest civilian honour of Padma Bhushan, is a renowned cardiac surgeon who had performed the first successful heart transplant in Kerala.

Expressing surprise and happiness, he said it is a recognition for the healthcare system of the state.

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A prolific thoracic surgeon and a medical writer, Periyappuram has decades-long experience in his specialised area.

He has performed over 20,000 open-heart surgeries and penned several articles in well-known cardio thoracic journals.

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Periyappuram has the rare distinction of performing the first successful heart transplant in the state in the year 2003 and the first successful heart re-transplant in the country later.

A fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, Glasgow and London, the 66-year-old doctor is also the founder of Heart Care Foundation, a charitable trust which helps financially backward people suffering from heart issues.

He was conferred with Padma Shri in 2011.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)