By John B Monteiro

Mumbai, Sep 28: Founder of Cumballa Hill Hospital and Heart Institute, noted cardiac surgeon Dr KR Shetty passed away on September 27 at the age of 86. The hospital which was often cited as the first dedicated heart institute in Mumbai’s private sector was the birthplace of the late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1944. Dr Shetty transformed it into a heart hospital after he purchased it in the 1970s.

Dr Shetty is one of the persons from Tulunadu who made a name for themselves outside their native setting.

I had an opportunity to interview him over twenty years ago and here is a recall about his roots and advancement.

Personal Background

Kananjar Raghurama Shetty, fourth of five children of Deju Hegde (landlord) and Doddakka, was born on March 11, 1931. He had his primary education at Nandalike, one year of high school and Innanje, near Udupi, and last two years at Karkala Board High School.

Dr Shetty married Shalini, daughter of Brahmavar Jagajivandas Shetty, in 1964. Their two children, Vijay, an engineer, and Sarita, MBA, have their own niche businesses and also help in the management of the hospital and research centre. The passing away of his wife, in 1995, had been an emotional blow to Dr Shetty who said that it was a strain on his mind.

He kept his links with Tulunadu with a couple of visits every year to attend marriages and other functions. He has made Tulunadu proud by his professional achievements and by setting up a hospital and research complex which has a pride of place in Mumbai.

Professional Achievements

A Bunt youth, with Tulunadu rural background, KR Shetty finished his Matriculation in 1948 and went to Mumbai in quest of higher education. His heart was set on becoming a doctor. He did his inter-science there and when he wanted to take up a medical course, found himself ineligible because of domicile restrictions. He went to Birla Institute of Technology at Pilani to do a B Pharma and graduated with a first class, bagging a gold medal. He then went to the USA to do PhD in Philadelphia College of Pharmacy in 1955. Meanwhile, through a competitive examination by American College of Medicine, he got admission to Temple University, Philadelphia, from where he graduated with an MD in 1962. That meant, giving up his quest for PhD in Pharma and switching over to medical practice. As it turned out since what was pharma’s loss was heart’s boon – he progressed and became reputed as one of India’s leading heart surgeons. He also founded and nurtured Cumballa Hill Hospital and Heart Institute.

Since Dr Shetty’s basic degree of MD from Temple University, he had added a string of degrees and specialisations, including Diplomate of American Board of General Surgery and American Board of Cardiovascular Surgery and Fellow of American College of Surgeons. He received his post-graduate training in general surgery and cardiovascular surgery at University of Pennsylvania. Dr Shetty was the fellow of International Cardiovascular Society, Associations of Surgeons of India, Indian Association of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgeons, American College of Chest Physicians and Indian College of Cardiology.

In 1969, Dr Shetty returned to India and was involved in professional practice and teaching in leading institutions in Mumbai. He held many of the positions concurrently including honorary professor of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, J J Hospital and Grant Medical College, honorary Cardiovascular Surgeon, Jaslok Hospital, and honorary Cardiovascular Surgeon, P D Hinduja Hospital. He established the Cardiovascular Surgery Department at Jaslok Hospital and headed it for 21 years up to 1994. He also established the department of Cardiovascular Surgery at P D Hinduja Hospital and headed it for ten years. Dr Shetty did the first triple coronary bypass in India at Jaslok Hospital in 1977. He also did the first cardiomyoplasty operation in India, in 1991, at Cumballa Hill Hospital and Heart Institute.

Dr Shetty held a number of eminent positions in his speciality including convenor and general secretary of World Conference of Heart Surgery Mumbai, in 1985, secretary of the Association of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons of India from 1985 to 1987, president of Association of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons of India in 1990 of Second World Conference on Open Heart Surgery, Mumbai in 1991, and president of Association of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons of Asia.

Dr Shetty published several basic research papers, clinical publications and presentations in the field of thoracic surgery in international journals and presented over 80 papers at national and international conferences in his speciality. He was the editor of the proceedings of World Conference of Open Heart Surgery, 1985. In 1986, he led a delegation of five cardiovascular surgeons of India to Bakulev Institute of Cardiovascular Surgery, Moscow, where he delivered three lectures. He was designated as visiting professor to Bakulev Institute. He was visiting professor of cardiovascular surgery to the University of Pennsylvania.

On his return to India in 1969, Dr Shetty established the present Cumballa Hill Hospital and Heart Institute, which is run through a charitable trust in Mumbai. Besides being an eminent medical professional, Dr Shetty was a visionary and institution builder. He bought a building, with ground and four floors, then known as Dr Shirodkar Hospital, for Rs 7 lac and renovated it over the years. Over the last 34 years, this Institute grew to become one of the prestigious cardiac centres in India. He established this not only for clinical treatment of heart diseases but also for basic research in coronary artery diseases. Dr Shetty was chairman of the trust and medical director as also cardiovascular surgeon of the hospital and institute.