Doyen of Indian angioplasty Matthew Samuel Kalarickal no more

Eminent cardiologist Dr. Matthew Kalarickal, 'Father of Angioplasty' in India, passed away at 77, leaving a lasting legacy.

Matthew Samuel Kalarickal, eminent cardiologist, recognised as the ‘Father of Angioplasty’ in India, died on April 18, 2025, in Apollo Hospital in Chennai, after a brief illness. He was 77.

Dr. Kalarickal performed the first angioplasty in India in 1986, and was also instrumental in setting up and establishing angioplasty facilities in a number of countries in the Asia-Pacific Region.

In an interview to The Hindu’s Frontline in 1997, Dr. Kalarickal said he moved back to India from the U.S. in 1985, after training there under Andreas Gruentztig.  At that time, he had said, India was behind the U.S. and Europe by 10 years in the field of angioplasty, and so, he decided to come back and get angioplasty work started in the country. In the first year, 1986, he said, 18 patients were treated. By the following year, 1987, the number had shot up to 150. Detailing the initial hurdles and how they were overcome, Dr. Kalarickal said, in the interview, that he felt it was a moral obligation and commitment to the country, to try to develop this additional method of treatment for heart patients, when, the only options back then were bypass surgery or medical management. “The enormous satisfaction I derive from the achievement of establishing angioplasty in the country is beyond what money can buy,” he had said.

Dr. Kalarickal subsequently travelled extensively across India to teach and train doctors, following this up helping develop angioplasty programmes in countries including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, Muscat, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia. As senior interventional cardiologist Sai Sathish at Apollo Hospitals said: “Anyone who is doing worthwhile work in India in this field was trained by Dr. Kalarickal.”

Dr. Kalarickal was the recipient of a number of honours and awards including the Padmashri in 2000 and the prestigious Dr B.C. Roy Award in 1996. He held a number of significant positions including President, Asian-Pacific Society of Interventional Cardiology, from 1995 to 1997.

C.S. Lodha, advocate in Mumbai, was first treated by Dr. Kalarickal and went on to become a close friend. He said: “Dr. Matthew performed the first angioplasty in India. He was a pioneer there, and remained so even until 2020. There was no one who could even come close to him in India or even in Southeast Asia. He has treated a number of VIPs and everyone who was anyone in this country knew him. He was a great friend and a great family man. Though he had been ailing for a while, he continued to perform his duties as a doctor and he has trained countless interventional cardiologists in the country.

N. Ram, director, The Hindu Publishing Group said: “I’ve known Dr. Matthew for about four decades. I’m yet to meet a more brilliant and caring physician. Dr Matthew was a genius in his field.”