Dr. Kumud Kumar Dhital

Dr. Kumud Kumar Dhital, the Program Director of the Heart and Lung Transplantation unit at Kauvery Hospital is a highly accomplished and experienced specialist. He has over 25 years of experience i n Cardiothoracic Surgery and 20 years of experience in Heart & Lung transplantation and Mechanical Circulatory Support therapy gained from his work at leading hospitals in the UK, Italy, and Australia. In addition, a niche specialist interest in pulmonary endarterectomy for patients with chronic thrombo-embolic pulmonary hypertension.

Dr. Dhital is known the world over as the surgical pioneer of DCD (Donation after Circulatory Death) Heart Transplantation, the first of which was performed in 2014 while he was at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney, Australia. As the principle surgeon, he led the team right from the initial organ retrieval, as well as the DCD transplant procedure. His pioneering effort was acknowledged and recognised by thoracic transplant programs in the UK and Europe. Globally, over 200 such heart transplants have been performed. Dr. Dhital was also instrumental in proving the efficacy of machine perfusion of donor lungs as part of the international INSPIRE trial. Dr. Dhital has expanded the bounds of what’s possible in the field of Transplant surgery in his career. His extensive research experience, interests and academic publications are focused on improving our knowledge and management of cardio-pulmonary failure. A medical alumnus of the University of Oxford, he has worked at top hospitals in the UK, Europe and Australia and is the recipient of numerous awards and honours.

• Presently Program Director of the Heart and Lung Transplantation unit at Kauvery Hospital
• 2019-2020 – Program Director of Heart & Lung Services and, Director of Cardiothoracic Surgery & Transplantation, at the Alfred Hospital, and Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Transplantation at Monash University, Melbourne
• 2009-2018 – Consultant Cardiothoracic and Transplant Surgeon at St. Vincent Hospital in Sydney. Joint Associate Professor of Surgery at the University of New South Wales.
• 2005-2009 – Consultant Cardiothoracic and Transplant Surgeon and Director of Lung Transplantation at the Royal Papworth Hospital, Cambridge
• 2003-2005 – Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Director of Cardio-Pulmonary Transplantation and Assistant Professor of Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre (USA) to establish a heart and lung transplant service at its affiliated overseas unit at the Mediterranean Institute of Advanced Therapies (IsMeTT) in Palermo, Italy
• Graduated in Medicine from Oxford University with subsequent Cardiothoracic Surgery training at Guy’s & St. Thomas Hospitals in London with CTS Fellowships at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford and Transplant Fellowship at Papworth Hospital, Cambridge, UK