Daijiworld Media Network - Puttur (SP)

Puttur, Jun 15: Well-known cardiac surgeon, Dr Annapoorna S Kini, who is practicing at New York, has bagged the prestigious 'Heart of Gold' award being conferred by American Heart Association to highly skilled doctors in heart surgeries. She is a native of the town.

Dr Kini had won the 'Ellis Island Medal of Honour' award last year. Annapoorna, who is one among 350 cardiac surgeons in New York who can perform intricate heart surgeries with minimum risk, is highly respected as she is considered to be a very safe interventional cardiac surgeon. She has also been identified as the only heart surgeon from United States of America to perform over a thousand heart surgeries a year.

She has been chosen for 'Heart of Gold' award, considering appreciable contribution made by her to the health improvement of New York citizens. The award was handed over to her on June 6 this year at an impressive function by physician-in-chief and director of Mount Sinai Hospital New York, Dr Valentin Fuster. Dr Annapoorna is currently the medical director of Mount Sinai Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory.

Dr Annapoorna Kini is the second of three children of Dr Namdev Prabhu and Pushpalata couple from Bolwar here. Her elder brother, Dr Ashok Prabhu, is a practicing doctor at Bengaluru. Her younger brother, Radhesh Prabhu, is in the family's house at Bolwar. Dr Annapoorna, who married Dr U Subhash Kini from Ullal, has settled down in New York with children, Akshay Kini and Sameer Kini.