Dr. K. R. Balakrishnan
Chairman — Cardiac Sciences & Director, Institute of Heart & Lung Transplant, MGM Healthcare
Experience
40 years
Rating
4.9 (520 reviews)
Languages
English, Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam
Location
Chennai, India
About the doctor
Dr. K. R. Balakrishnan is India's most experienced heart-transplant surgeon, with 503+ heart transplants to his credit and credit for implanting India's first permanent Left Ventricular Assist Device (HeartMate II) as destination therapy. He chairs Cardiac Sciences at MGM Healthcare Chennai and directs its Institute of Heart & Lung Transplant. A graduate of JIPMER Puducherry, with MS from AIIMS New Delhi and MCh from KEM Hospital (Univ. of Bombay), he trained extensively in the UK and US before returning to build the Fortis Malar Heart Failure programme — India's first comprehensive centre of its kind — and later moving to lead MGM's flagship transplant institute. He performed India's first paediatric heart transplant — on a two-year-old from Russia — and his team operates one of the country's highest-volume VAD programmes, making complex transplants accessible to international patients from across South Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
Areas of expertise
Cardiology planning and specialist review
Case evaluation for patients exploring treatment in India
Treatment pathway discussion with hospital coordination
International patient support and next-step guidance
How Livance supports patients here
International patient support
Treatment-pathway guidance
Hospital coordination support
Structured follow-up communication
Consultation journey
Share reports and diagnosis
Receive specialist pathway guidance
Discuss treatment and hospital options
Plan travel and next steps
Associated hospital
Chennai, India
Related treatments
Lung Transplant
Lung Transplant in India is chosen by patients looking for quality specialty care, clearer treatment planning and better cost visibility. Livance helps patients understand how lung transplant is typically evaluated, what treatment pathways may be considered, what affects cost, and how to prepare for hospital stay, attendants and recovery support.
Open treatmentHeart Transplant
Heart Transplant in India is chosen by patients looking for quality specialty care, clearer treatment planning and better cost visibility. Livance helps patients understand how heart transplant is typically evaluated, what treatment pathways may be considered, what affects cost, and how to prepare for hospital stay, attendants and recovery support.
Open treatmentHeart Failure Management
Heart Failure Management in India is chosen by patients looking for quality specialty care, clearer treatment planning and better cost visibility. Livance helps patients understand how heart failure management is typically evaluated, what treatment pathways may be considered, what affects cost, and how to prepare for hospital stay, attendants and recovery support.
Open treatmentPediatric Heart Surgery
Pediatric Heart Surgery in India is chosen by patients looking for quality specialty care, clearer treatment planning and better cost visibility. Livance helps patients understand how pediatric heart surgery is typically evaluated, what treatment pathways may be considered, what affects cost, and how to prepare for hospital stay, attendants and recovery support.
Open treatmentHeart Valve Replacement
Heart Valve Replacement in India is chosen by patients looking for quality specialty care, clearer treatment planning and better cost visibility. Livance helps patients understand how heart valve replacement is typically evaluated, what treatment pathways may be considered, what affects cost, and how to prepare for hospital stay, attendants and recovery support.
Open treatmentFrequently asked questions
What does Dr. K. R. Balakrishnan specialize in?
Dr. K. R. Balakrishnan focuses on cardiology and supports patients who need clear treatment planning and specialist guidance.
Can Livance help patients connect with this doctor?
Yes. Livance can help organize the next step, treatment planning discussion, and hospital matching around this specialty.
What should patients share before consultation?
It helps to share diagnosis details, scans, reports, current treatment advice and travel timeline before speaking to the team.