Dr. Ramakanta Panda (R. M. Panda), Padma Bhushan

Dr. Ramakanta Panda (R. M. Panda), Padma Bhushan
Cardiac Surgeon – Pioneer of Safe Bypass Surgery & Founder of Asian Heart Institute

A high-risk patient, already told elsewhere that surgery was too dangerous, looked at him anxiously.

“Doctor, is there really a chance?”

Dr. Ramakanta Panda replied calmly, “Every heart deserves a careful chance. We will plan every detail, use the safest techniques, and give you the best possible outcome. Trust the process.”

That combination of technical mastery and quiet reassurance has defined his reputation as one of the world’s safest cardiac surgeons.

Ramakanta Madanmohan Panda was born in Damodarpur village, Jajpur district, Odisha, into a modest farming family. He walked long distances to school and excelled academically, topping his classes at BJB College, Bhubaneswar, and SCB Medical College, Cuttack. He completed his postgraduate training in surgery and cardiac surgery at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, between 1980 and 1985, again ranking among the top. He further refined his skills at the Cleveland Clinic in the USA under Dr. Floyd Loop and trained with transplant specialist Prof. Magdi Yacoub at Harefield Hospital in the UK.

Returning to India, he became one of the early adopters and pioneers of total arterial revascularisation and off-pump (beating-heart) bypass surgery, as well as complex redo bypass procedures in high-risk patients. In 2002 he founded the Asian Heart Institute in Mumbai, building it into a premier centre for cardiac care known for ethical standards and outstanding outcomes. He has performed approximately 28,000–30,000 successful cardiac surgeries, including more than 2,000 redo operations and over 5,000–6,000 high-risk cases, with a reported success rate of around 99.8% in bypass surgery—widely regarded as among the highest in the world.

In January 2009 he led the team that successfully performed a complex redo bypass on then Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh. He has also operated on other national leaders and patients referred from around the world after being considered inoperable elsewhere. He has contributed to making India recognised as one of the safest destinations for heart surgery.

The Government of India awarded him the Padma Bhushan in 2010 for his contributions to medicine. He has also received an honorary Doctorate in Science from Utkal University and other professional recognitions. Beyond the operating theatre he supports charitable initiatives for underprivileged patients and has a personal interest in wildlife conservation and photography.

Even after decades at the highest level of cardiac surgery, Dr. Panda continues to emphasise precision, preparation and humility.

“The goal is not only to operate,” he often says, “but to give the patient hope, healing and the chance to return to a full life.”

From a village in Odisha to the operating rooms of Mumbai and the care of a nation’s leaders, Dr. Ramakanta Panda has combined extraordinary surgical skill with an unwavering commitment to patient safety, leaving a lasting mark on cardiac care in India and beyond.