Program Director & Chair – Thoracic Organ Transplantation & Assist Devices
Dr. Sandeep Attawar is a global pioneer in Cardiothoracic Surgery and Thoracic Organ Transplantation with over 25 years of elite surgical experience. He currently leads the KIMS Heart & Lung Transplant Institute in Hyderabad and serves as the Chief Surgeon for Thoracic Organ Transplantation at Artemis Hospital, Gurugram. With over 12,000 successful cardiac surgeries and a record of 630+ thoracic organ transplants, Dr. Attawar is recognized as one of the world’s leading authorities on complex heart and lung replacements.
Dr. Sandeep Attawar is celebrated for his role in establishing India as a premier destination for advanced heart and lung failure therapies.
- Pioneer of Transplants: He has been instrumental in setting up greenfield heart surgical and transplant services for healthcare giants like Fortis, Apollo, and Global Hospitals. He now leads the Solid Thoracic Organ Transplant Program at KIMS Hospitals, which is among the most active centers in Asia.
- Mechanical Circulatory Support (MCS): Dr. Attawar is a master of “bridge-to-transplant” and “destination therapy” devices. He is an international proctor for JARVIK HEART and HeartMate III, training surgeons across India and Southeast Asia in the implantation of Left Ventricular Assist Devices (LVAD).
- COVID-19 Excellence: His team completed 29 successful double lung transplants for patients with end-stage COVID-damaged lungs—one of the largest and most successful series of its kind in the world.
- Global Academic Authority: He is the President of the Indian Society of Heart and Lung Transplant (INSHLT) and is one of only 24 experts worldwide invited by the ISHLT to form the global consensus guidelines for lung transplantation.
Dr. Attawar specializes in the surgical management of end-stage heart and lung diseases using both biological transplants and mechanical assist devices.
Conditions & Diseases Treated:
- End-Stage Heart Failure: Including Cardiomyopathy and Ischemic Heart Disease.
- Terminal Lung Diseases: COPD, Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD), and Pulmonary Hypertension.
- Advanced Respiratory Failure: Including post-COVID-19 lung fibrosis.
- Congenital Heart Defects: Complex structural heart issues in adults and children.
- Valvular Heart Disease: Multi-vessel coronary and complex valve issues.
Specialized Surgical Procedures:
- Double Lung Transplantation: High-precision replacement of both lungs.
- Heart Transplantation: Life-saving procedures for terminal heart failure.
- Combined Heart-Lung Transplant: Simultaneous replacement of both thoracic organs.
- LVAD & TAH Implants: Left Ventricular Assist Devices and Total Artificial Hearts.
- Robotic Cardiac Surgery: Minimally invasive “keyhole” heart surgeries.
- Aortic Aneurysm Repair: Advanced surgical management of large vessel defects.
- Ex-Vivo Lung Perfusion (EVLP): Utilizing advanced technology to “recondition” donor lungs outside the body.
Dr. Attawar has been instrumental in establishing and leading highly successful “greenfield” transplant centers across India’s top healthcare institutions:
- Founder Director & Chair: KIMS Institute of Heart & Lung Transplantation, Hyderabad (Current).
- Director & Chair (Thoracic Organ Transplant): Gleneagles Global Hospitals (Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Mumbai).
- Head of Cardiac Surgery & Transplant: Fortis Memorial Research Institute (FMRI), Gurugram.
- Vice President & Director of Cardiac Sciences: Narayana Health, Jaipur.
- Chief Heart Surgeon: Apollo Hospitals, Dhaka.
Awards & Recognitions
Dr. Attawar’s pioneering work in solid organ transplantation has earned him international acclaim and leadership roles:
- Global Consensus Panelist (ISHLT): Selected as one of only 24 experts worldwide to draft the official consensus guidelines for lung transplantation for the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation.
- Pioneer in Mechanical Circulatory Support: Appointed as a global proctor for JARVIK HEART and HeartMate III, training other surgeons in Southeast Asia.
- Scientific Advisor: Instrumental in the development of Hridayantra, India’s first indigenous MAGLEV LVAD.
- Academic Author: Co-author of the landmark medical textbook, Transplantations and Mechanical Circulatory Support for End-Stage Lung and Heart Disease.
Dr. Attawar completed his advanced surgical training at some of India’s most prestigious medical institutes:
- M.Ch (Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery): Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences & Technology, Trivandrum.
- MS (General Surgery): Gujarat University.
- MBBS: Smt. NHL Municipal Medical College, Gujarat University.
- Active Memberships: International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT), Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS), and European Association of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS).
