Dr Alla Gopala Krishna Gokhale is the first surgeon in Andhra Pradesh who has successfully done heart transplantation. There are not many cardiothoracic surgeons in India who have transplants to their credit. And he has had the rare distinction of successfully combining a heart transplant with a kidney transplant for the first time in India. With an overall success rate of 98 percent in more than 5000 open heart surgeries he has conducted so far, Dr Gokhale ranks among the best in the world in his competence, expertise and experience.
In Hyderabad, before shifting his practice to Global Hospitals to start heart and lung transplantation program, he had been associated with Medicity Hospitals (1996–2003) and NIMS (1990–92). Conducting research on the role of injecting stem cells into the heart, he also embraces global standards of technology. He is on a mission to provide quality services to patients.
Dr. Gokhale obtained his MBBS and MS (General Surgery) from Guntur Medical College, India (1976–1985). He was trained in cardiothoracic and vascular surgery at Christian Medical College Hospital, Vellore, South India, and obtained MCh and DNB degrees in that specialty in 1990. As an under–graduate and post–graduate student, he received many awards for academic excellence. He presented many papers at national conferences and published articles in international journals. After his training at CMC, Vellore, he worked as Assistant Professor in the division of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS), Hyderabad, till 1992.
During 1992–93, he did fellowship in heart and lung transplantation at St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney, Australia. He worked as a Fellow in cardiothoracic surgery at Westmead Hospital, Sydney, from 1993 to 1995. During 1995–1996, he did Fellowship at Barnes–Jewish Hospital, St Louis, USA, with Dr. Nicholas Kouchoukos for experience in the areas of redo coronary artery bypass surgery and aortic aneurysm surgeries and root repairs.
Dr Gokhale believes in staying at the forefront of developments in cardiothoracic and vascular surgery. "While practicing over the past few years", He visited many surgeons at leading cardiothoracic centers in the world like Dr Naka Yoshifumi at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, New York, Dr Alexander Patterson at Barnes–Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, USA, and Prof. Anthony Yim at Prince of Wales Hospital, Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Membership And Contributions
- Life member in Indian Association of Cardiothoracic Surgeons
- Member of CTS Net – forum of cardiothoracic surgeons in the world
- Member of International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation, USA
- Member of Society of Thoracic Surgeons, USA
- Member of European Association of Thoracic Surgeons
- Founder Secretary of Heart Failure Society, India
- First surgeon in Andhra Pradesh and one of the very few surgeons in India to do Heart Transplantation
- First surgeon in India to do combined heart and kidney Transplantation
- Has done more than 3000 open heart surgeries – adult as well as pediatric – with an overall success rate of 98%
- Conducting research on combining stem cell therapy with coronary artery bypass surgery in patients with ischemic heart disease and damaged hearts
Area Of Interest
- Minimally invasive cardiothoracic surgery including beating heart surgery, video assisted thoracic surgery and robotics
- Surgery for end–stage heart and lung diseases including ventricular restoration and heart and lung transplantation
Know Your Heart
