Jose Chacko Periappuram

Jose Chacko Periappuram
Born	April 28, 1958 South Paravur, Kerala, India
Education	St. Thomas College, Pala Government Medical College, Kottayam
Known for	First successful human-to-human Heart transplant in Kerala. First successful Beating Heart Surgery in Kerala. First successful TAR (Total Arterial Revascularization). First Awake Bypass Surgery in Kerala.
Profession	Surgeon
Institutions	University Hospital of Wales Manchester Royal Infirmary
Specialism	Cardiothoracic surgery Heart transplantation

"Periappuram" often misspelled as "Periapuram", "Periyapuram" or "Periyappuram".

Padmashri Dr. Jose Chacko Periappuram (born April 28, 1958) MBBS, FRCS (Glasgow), FRCS (Edinburgh), FRCS (CTh)(UK) is an Indian Cardiac Surgeon at Mar Augustine Memorial Lisie Hospital, Kerala who performed the first successful human-to-human Heart Transplant in the state of Kerala, India. He worked at Medical Trust Hospital before this where he performed many of his historic achievements such as the first Heart Transplant, Beating heart, Awake Bypass and Total Arterial Revascularization surgeries. He is also the Chairman of the charitable trust called "Heart Care Foundation" that monetarily assists and provides moral support to poor heart patients. A heart surgeon by profession, and a philanthropist by nature, Dr. Chacko along with his core team of professionals and generous donors, have dedicated their time, skills and resources in reaching out to those in need.

Early life

Jose Chacko Periappuram^[1] was born in South Paravur, a small village in the Indian state of Kerala. His father, late Prof. P.M. Chacko was a renowned botanist who discovered two plants that he named Nitella Minor and Oedognium Palaiense. He retired as the principal of St. Thomas College, Pala, Kottayam, Kerala after a long 40 years of teaching experience. His mother, late Mrs. Mary Chacko was a very dedicated mother who brought up and looked over the children so very well to make them reach their current positions. She was a very religious person and spent most of her life praying and attending religious functions.

Fr. Abel CMI, founder chairman of Kalabhavan, Kochi, Kerala was his uncle.

Jose is married to Mrs. Jaimy Jose, Kuruvithadam B.Com and blessed with three sons - John, Joseph and Jacob. John is in playschool, Joseph is a student at Toc-H Public School, Vytilla, Kerala and Jacob is a student at SRM University, Kattankulathur, Chennai, Kerala.

Jose is the fourth child and has 5 siblings - two brothers and three sisters.

Siblings

1. Dr. Mathew Periappuram, Consultant Paediatrician in Great Britain.

2. Mrs. Annie Antony, Housewife, South Africa

3. Mrs. Lilly Thomaskutty, professor(zoology), Alphonsa college, Palai, Kerala

4. Mrs. Rose Koshy George, Housewife, Nashik

5. Dr. Cyril Periappuram, M.Sc PhD, USA.

Education

His primary school education was at St. Johns School, South Parur. The family moved to Ettumanur in 1964 and so he continued his Upper Primary education at St. Paul’s School, Vettimukal, Kottayam. His High School education was at St. Ephraim’s High School, Mannanam and passed the SSLC in 1973 with First Class. After his schooling, he joined the St. Thomas College, Palai from where he graduated in B.Sc. Botany in 1978. He was the First rank holder in B.Sc. Botany from the University of Kerala in 1978. He passed MBBS from Govt. Medical College, Kottayam in 1985. He also underwent one year of Senior House Surgeons Course at the Kottayam Medical College and went to the United Kingdom for Post-graduate education and training.

Higher studies and surgical training

He passed his FRCS part 1 from the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland in Dublin in 1986 and completed his general surgical training from various hospitals in the Republic of Ireland. His General Surgery training was in the Republic of Ireland. This included the County Hospital, Roscommon, Our Lady’s Hospital, Drogheda, and the Mater Misericordiae Hospital at Dublin. He had his FRCS from the Royal College of Surgeons of Glasgow and Edinburgh in the year 1992. His higher Cardiac Surgical training was mainly at the University Hospital of Wales Cardiff and Manchester Royal Infirmary and passed the FRCS in Cardiac Surgery in 1994, one of the first successful cardiac surgeons from India to secure this degree at that time. His mentor was Dr I.M.Breckenridge who was a member of the team which led the first Heart surgery in England in 1960's. During his tenure in England, he obtained extensive experience in cardiac surgery especially bypass surgery and heart transplantation. After coming to Kerala also he used to visit centers abroad to keep himself updated with the recent advancements in the field. He visited and further underwent training in Cardiac Transplantation at the famous Papworth Hospital at Cambridgeshire twice.

Return to India

He happened to be an exception in coming back to India to set up the first heart surgery unit in Mid-Kerala at Ernakulum Medical Trust Hospital in 1995. Those were the times when all the patients who needed advanced care in heart diseases had to travel outside the Kerala state to have their treatment done. A large number of patients could not afford to travel either due to financial restraints or bad health (the illness itself). He helped in saving a large number of heart patients especially the poorest of the lot who could not have their surgery done outside the state at that time. Also his results were near 100%, an enviable achievement at that time which was applauded by the Cardiologists and Surgeons alike.

First Heart Transplant

In 2003, he created history by performing the first ever Heart transplantation^[2][3][4][5] in the state of Kerala, making it the third state in India to achieve this feat. Mr. Abraham, a 34 year old Gulf returnee who was suffering from an end-stage heart failure received the heart from 42 year old donor from north of Kerala who sustained brain death in a road traffic accident.

He went on with this mission to perform the second heart transplant in Kerala the very next year. Vipin, 25 years, had a Heart transplant, as a part of the first Multi-organ Transplant in the state of Kerala, including the heart. Dr. Jose has been instrumental in setting up a heart failure clinic as well, for the first time in the state of Kerala.

Abraham and Vipin, who received the donor hearts, visited the families of the donors, Sukumaran and Anoop, at a get-together^[6]

Bypass Surgery

He not only created an impact by achieving enviable results in bypass surgery in Kerala, but also ventured new techniques in Cardiac surgical techniques. He was the first heart surgeon to commence a beating heart surgical program in Kerala. This helped so many patients to have their surgery done which otherwise would not have been possible.

TAR (Total Arterial Revascularization)

He is also the first surgeon in Kerala to perform Bypass surgery using arterial grafts alone which helped a large number of young heart patients to have lifelong benefits from bypass surgery. Dr. Jose Chacko is the pioneer in South India in performing bypass surgery using arteries only. Arteries last much longer than veins when used for bypass surgery and would give additional benefit to the heart. Hitherto, he has done more than 2000 bypass surgeries using this technique.

The rare Awake Bypass Surgery

Yet another group of patients who due to lung diseases could not have their surgeries done were helped by a very novel technique called awake bypass surgery.^[7] This was done for the first time in Kerala by Dr. Jose Chacko on a 73 year old gentleman creating history. Bypass surgery is conventionally done under general anaesthesia, obstructing natural breathing and the patient would require a breathing machine (ventilator).

In this surgery, the patient was kept awake, put under a slight sedation to keep anxiety controlled and only the region of operation was made numb.

Heart surgeries performed

Until now he has participated in more than 15,000 heart surgeries and has independently performed more than 10,000 surgeries. Surgeons trained by him are working as senior consultants in many esteemed institutions in India and abroad. He has also performed a very large number of valvular heart surgeries and has performed the maximum number of tissue root replacements in India. He has not only helped to establish Open heart surgery as a commonly done procedure in Kerala, but has also helped various governmental hospitals in Kerala to establish Heart surgery facilities. His charitable trust called the Heart Care Foundation continues to help government medical colleges in Kerala enabling poor patients to have heart surgeries done, by helping them financially. He also helped the team of Doctors at the Kottayam Medical College perform the first Bypass surgery in 2001.

Heart Care Foundation

A charitable trust - to help poor patients; educate the common people of India about the heart diseases and to do research activities - was founded by Dr. Jose Chacko in 2005, inaugurated by then Governor of Kerala. The Heart Care Foundation^[8][9] has multiple projects in operation.They have donated organs to various Government Medical College Hospitals.^[10] They have also conducted mini-marathons^[11] and have organized the World Heart Day^[12][13] for many consecutive years.

Aim

To commence an institution to rehabilitate patients who have sustained heart attacks and have undergone angioplasty, bypass surgery and so on, to bring them back to the society as viable members. This will also focus on research and data collection to be utilized to modulate the treatment strategy for the patients of India. Also through Heart Care Foundation I would try to propagate the need for organ donation to save lives. A major donor registry will be set up at the national level in association with relevant bodies for the purpose of promoting transplant programs.

1000 Hearts, 1000 Lives, 1000 Families project

This project^[14] is aiming at helping 1000 patients to undergo heart surgeries over 10 years at various Government Hospitals in Kerala. Launched in 2006 by Justice Cyriac Joseph, of the High Court of Kerala, the project has hitherto helped more than 300 poor patients to have their heart surgeries done. 100 heart operations are aimed every year. This project is aimed at helping the poorest of the poor. The project helps patients with heart ailments to be treated at various governmental hospitals in Kerala and SCIMST only. By helping patients only in such institutions would enable the most deserving to avail the help and to promote the surgical departments of state owned institutions.

Save a life, Save a lifetime project

This project is focused on educating people about the importance of Basic Life Support (BLS). Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) will be shown and taught to small groups all around Kerala so that the life support at basic level can be affected in times of need to save lives.

Caring Hearts Magazine

This is a quarterly publication of the Heart Care Foundation called 'Caring Hearts'. It carries extensive information about heart diseases, its prevention, causes and tips to common people about how to prevent it etc. It also covers the progress of the activities of Heart Care foundation on a regular basis.

Positions Held

Consultant and Head of Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery Lisie Heart Institute,^[15] Kochi, Kerala, India Chairman, Heart Care Foundation

Joint Secretary, Heart Failure Society of India

President, Quality Forum Kerala

Director, Kalabhavan Studios Ltd, Ernakulam

Trustee, Kalabhavan Talent Residential School, Kochi

Secretary of the Kerala Medical Association in 1981

National Organizing Secretary of the Indian Association of Cardiovascular Conference in 2005^{[16][17][18][19]}

An executive Committee Member of the Indian Cardio-Vascular Association for three years from 2005 to 2008

Conferred Awards

Mother Teresa Award, 2003

Lions Club Recognition Award 2003-2004

Karathur Markaz recognition Award

Lions Club Award Lifetime Achievement,^[20] 2004

Vocational Excellence Award, Rotary Club of Cochin West, 2005

Vocational Excellence Award, Rotary Club Cochin Harbor, 2003�2004

Vocational Excellence Award, Rotary Club of Alleppey, 2008

Vocational Excellence Award, Rotary Club of Aroor, 2008

Vocational Excellence Award, Rotary Club of Shertallay Town, 2009

Vocational Excellence Award, Rotary Club of Cochin Global, 2010

Indira Gandhi Award, Kuwait, 2006

Lion's International Merit Award, 2009

Alumni Association St. Thomas College Palai Award, 2009

Padmashri award 2011

Books

Besides numerous medical and non-medical articles being published, he has presented a large number of clinical studies at the various national conferences. He has also written an educative book about heart diseases in Malayalam called �HRIDAYAM' (The Heart).

Speeches, workshops and presentations

He spoke^[21] on the need for co-ordination between hospitals with elaborate heart care departments, at a press meeting on an uncommon multiple surgery^[22] on and introduced the orator. P.V. Louis for a speech on the need for accreditation of hospitals to ensure quality.^[23]

He explained the need of bypass surgery in women^[24] and the need for the youth to take their health into consideration.^[25]

He has conducted several workshops on the various types of surgeries such as beating heart surgery^[26] and CPR.

He has also participated in many seminars on topics like ethics of health care^[27] in many prestigious institutions.

He addressed the academic session on heart transplantation at a CME programme^[28] in Kottayam.

He also presented a paper on the need of hospitals^[29] for women and children and a paper on �hybrid perspective in the management of aortic aneurysm'.^[30]

References

1. ^ Famous people of Ettumanur http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ettumanoor
2. ^ "The gift of life". The Hindu (Kerala, India). Oct 13, 2004. http://www.hindu.com/2004/10/13/stories/2004101314360300.htm. 
3. ^ "The heart of the problem". The Hindu (Kerala, India). July 28, 2003. http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2003/07/28/stories/2003072801660100.htm. 
4. ^ History of Kerala quotes First Heart Transplant in Kerala http://www.keralainfo.net/icon%20of%20events.htm
5. ^ Genral Knowledge quotes First Heart Transplant in Kerala http://gk-2008.blogspot.com/2007_12_01_archive.html
6. ^ "Gift of life". The Hindu (Chennai, India). December 21, 2004. http://www.hindu.com/2004/12/21/stories/2004122115190300.htm. 
7. ^ "Rare heart surgery". The Hindu (Kerala, India). June 20, 2004. http://www.hindu.com/2004/06/20/stories/2004062012760300.htm. 
8. ^ Heart care foundation http://www.heartcarefoundation.com
9. ^ "Heart care foundation launched". The Hindu (Kerala, India). Sept 26, 2005. http://www.hindu.com/2005/09/26/stories/2005092602360200.htm. 
10. ^ "12 heart valves donated". The Hindu (Kerala, India). Jul 04, 2010. http://www.hindu.com/2010/07/04/stories/2010070458560300.htm. 
11. ^ "Mini-marathon for healthy life". The Hindu (Kerala, India). Oct 30, 2009. http://www.hindu.com/2009/10/30/stories/2009103058820200.htm. 
12. ^ "Slew of programmes to mark World Heart Day". The Hindu (Kerala, India). Sept 24, 2010. http://www.hindu.com/2010/09/24/stories/2010092458240200.htm. 
13. ^ "Various events mark World Heart Day Observance". The Hindu (Kerala, India). Sep 27, 2010. http://www.hindu.com/2010/09/27/stories/2010092758550300.htm. 
14. ^ "Out to save a thousand hearts". The Hindu (Kerala, India). April 6, 2008. http://www.hindu.com/2008/04/06/stories/2008040650870200.htm. 
15. ^ Cardio Thoracic Surgery department http://www.lisiehospital.org/Department/Departmentlist.aspx?dptId=21&dslnkId=57#
16. ^ "IACTS meet begins". The Hindu (Kerala, India). Feb 18, 2005. http://www.hindu.com/2005/02/18/stories/2005021815720300.htm. 
17. ^ "Cardiac surgeons' conference". The Hindu (Kerala, India). Nov 09, 2004. http://www.hindu.com/2004/11/09/stories/2004110917530300.htm. 
18. ^ "Briefly". The Hindu (Kerala, India). Feb 15, 2005. http://www.hindu.com/2005/02/15/stories/2005021505430400.htm. 
19. ^ "Eminent doctors honoured". The Hindu (Kerala, India). Feb 20, 2005. http://www.hindu.com/2005/02/20/stories/2005022013080300.htm. 
20. ^ "Lions club awards announced". The Hindu (Kerala, India). Jan 25, 2004. http://www.hindu.com/2004/01/25/stories/2004012511140300.htm. 
21. ^ "Co-ordinated efforts for cardiac care urged". The Hindu (Kerala, India). April 22, 2010. http://www.hindu.com/2010/04/22/stories/2010042252050700.htm. 
22. ^ "Multiple surgeries save a life". The Hindu (Kerala, India). Aug 06, 2007. http://www.hindu.com/2007/08/06/stories/2007080650980200.htm. 
23. ^ "Accreditation of hospitals necessary to ensure quality, says Valiathan". The Hindu (Kerala, India). May 22, 2006. http://www.hindu.com/2006/05/22/stories/2006052218670300.htm. 
24. ^ "Why women bypass their heart". The Hindu (Kerala, India). September 30, 2002. http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2002/09/30/stories/2002093000370200.htm. 
25. ^ "Time to take `matters of the heart' seriously". The Hindu (Kerala, India). Sep 25, 2006. http://www.hindu.com/2006/09/25/stories/2006092501640200.htm. 
26. ^ "Workshop on beating heart surgery". The Hindu (Kerala, India). Jul 11, 2009. http://www.hindu.com/2009/07/11/stories/2009071158600200.htm. 
27. ^ "Seminar on ethics in medical care". The Hindu (Kerala, India). Jul 10, 2005. http://www.hindu.com/2005/07/10/stories/2005071014670300.htm. 
28. ^ "Briefly". The Hindu (Kerala, India). Aug 15, 2004. http://www.hindu.com/2004/08/15/stories/2004081507020400.htm. 
29. ^ "State to set up tourism investment promotion cell". The Hindu (Kerala, India). Aug 07, 2006. http://www.hindu.com/2006/08/07/stories/2006080705250400.htm. 
30. ^ "Improved technology can bring in changes in cardiac care: experts". The Hindu (Kerala, India). May 5, 2008. http://www.hindu.com/2008/05/05/stories/2008050553440300.htm. 

• Padmashri award

Persondata
Name	Periappuram, Jose Chacko
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	April 28, 1958
Place of birth	South Paravur, Kerala, India
Date of death
Place of death