Dr. Mathew Samuel Kalarickal, hailed as the ‘Father of Angioplasty’ in India, has passed away in Chennai at the age of 77. With minimal access to techniques, he transformed the landscape of cardiac treatment in India, making angioplasty more accessible and less invasive. Over his career, he has performed more than 25,000 angioplasties.
Born on January 6, 1948, in Kottayam, a city in Kerala, Dr. Kalarickal completed his MBBS from a government medical college in Kottayam. He recieved his MD from Stanley Medical College and a DM in cardiology from Madras Medical College. His career took him across continents, from Jakarta to Muscat he was everywhere. Finally, he trained under Dr. Andreas Gruentzig, the German physician known as the father of coronary angioplasty. In 1985, Dr. Kalarickal returned to India and introduced interventional cardiology at a time when open-heart surgeries was the norm.
Beyond the operating table, Dr.Kalarickal was instrumental in setting up the National Angioplasty Registry of India to standardize procedures and promote data-driven improvements in the field of cardiology. His tenure as President of the Asia-Pacific Society of Interventional Cardiology between 1995 and 1997 elevated India’s status in global cardiac care.
Dr. Kalarickal was a recipient of several honors for his contributions, including the prestigious Dr. B.C. Roy Award in 1996 and the Padma Shri in 2000.
