Dr. Julius Punnen

Dr Julius Punnen is one of India's most distinguished cardiac surgeons and heart and lung transplant specialists with 39 years of clinical experience across adult and paediatric cardiac surgery, thoracic organ transplantation, and mechanical circulatory support.

As Director of Advanced Cardiopulmonary Therapies and Group Surgical Lead for Heart and Lung Transplantation at Narayana Health, Bangalore, he has led over 150 thoracic organ transplants including heart, lung, and combined heart-lung procedures, and has been instrumental in building one of India's most advanced cardiac transplant programmes.

Patients seeking expert heart transplant surgery in Bangalore, trusted LVAD management in India, or advanced paediatric cardiac surgery in Bangalore will find in Dr Punnen a surgeon of international standing with a career spanning three continents.

He is fluent in English and Hindi, ensuring comfortable and clear consultations for patients from diverse backgrounds.

Credentials and Trust Signals

Dr Julius Punnen holds the following qualifications:

• MBBS, MS Ramaiah Medical College, Bangalore (1987)
• MS in General Surgery, JJM Medical College, Davangere (1992)
• MCh in Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal (1996)
• Training in Paediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery, Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, Australia (2001)
• Fellowship in Cardiothoracic Surgery and Cardiopulmonary Transplantation, St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, Australia (2002)
• Executive Programme in Business Management, Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Calcutta (2008 to 2009)
• Executive Programme in Data Driven Product Management, Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Lucknow (2021)

Awards and Recognition

• Healthcare Achiever's Award, Legend Category, Times of India Group (December 2019)
• Past President, Society for Heart Failure and Transplantation, delivered Presidential Address at the 9th Annual Meeting, Kolkata
• Recognised for leading three nearly simultaneous heart transplants within a 12-hour window at Narayana Health City, Bangalore
• Thesis guide for DNB Certificate of Commendation recipient Dr Mohammed Roshan Zameer, awarded by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS)
• Invited speaker at international healthcare forums alongside the Health Secretary of the United States and Former Secretary of State for Health, UK

Professional Memberships

• Life Member, Indian Association of Cardiovascular Thoracic Surgeons (IACTS) (since 1996)
• Life Member, Asia Pacific Association of Surgical Tissue Banks (APASTB) (since 2006)
• Cardiothoracic Surgery Network (CTSNet)

Current Hospital Affiliation

Dr Julius Punnen currently serves as Director of Advanced Cardiopulmonary Therapies and Senior Consultant Cardiac Surgeon at Narayana Institute of Cardiac Sciences, Narayana Healthcity, Bommasandra, Bangalore.

Past Experience

Dr Punnen has held senior positions at leading cardiac institutions across India and internationally:

• Global Hospital, Bangalore, Head, Department of Cardiac Surgery (2013)
• MS Ramaiah Narayana Hrudayalaya Heart Centre, Bangalore, Vice President and Chief Cardiac Surgeon (2007 to 2010); also established CABG programme at Guwahati Medical College as Visiting Surgeon
• Narayana Hrudayalaya, Bangalore, Consultant Cardiac Surgeon, including Homograft Heart Valve Banking (2002 to 2007)
• St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, Australia, Fellow in Cardiothoracic Surgery and Cardiopulmonary Transplantation (2001 to 2002)
• Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, Australia, Registrar in Cardiothoracic Surgery (2000 to 2001)
• Manipal Heart Foundation, Bangalore, Associate Consultant and Director, Homograft Valve Bank (1999 to 2000)
• Madras Medical Mission (ICVD), Chennai, Staff Cardiac Surgeon (1996 to 1997)
• Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, Senior Registrar, CVTS (1993 to 1996)
• Thiruvalla Medical Mission Hospital, Kerala, Consultant General Surgeon (1992 to 1993)
• JJM Medical College, Davangere, Resident PG Trainee, General Surgery (1989 to 1992)

Specialty Areas and Treatments

Dr Julius Punnen provides comprehensive cardiac surgical care with a focus on precision, innovation, and patient-centred outcomes.

Heart and Lung Transplantation in Bangalore

Dr Punnen is one of India's most experienced cardiac transplant surgeons, having led the thoracic organ transplant programme at Narayana Health for over two decades.

• Heart Transplantation including complex and high-urgency cases
• Lung Transplantation
• Combined Heart-Lung Transplantation
• Pre-transplant surgical evaluation and planning
• Post-transplant surgical care and management

Mechanical Circulatory Support

Dr Punnen specialises in the surgical implantation and management of life-saving mechanical circulatory support devices.

• Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) implantation and management
• ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) management
• Temporary Mechanical Circulatory Support devices
• Bridge-to-transplant device management

Adult Cardiac Surgery in Bangalore

• Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG) including complex and off-pump cases
• Heart Valve Surgery including repair and replacement
• Aortic Surgery
• Mitral Valve Surgery

Paediatric Cardiac Surgery

• Congenital Heart Defect Surgery
• Surgical management of complex paediatric cardiac conditions

Pulmonary Thromboendarterectomy (PTE)

Dr Punnen is part of the CTEPH Multidisciplinary Team at Narayana Health City which has completed over 1,000 PTE surgeries with outcomes comparable to leading global centres, including a landmark series of 67 PTE surgeries in one year with 0% mortality.

Heart Valve Tissue Banking

• Homograft Heart Valve Banking and tissue processing
• Heart valve storage and preservation management

Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery

• MIDCAB (Minimally Invasive Direct Coronary Artery Bypass) Surgery
• Cardiac Tumour Surgery
• Management of Prosthetic Valve Endocarditis

Research and Publications

Dr Punnen has contributed significantly to cardiothoracic surgical literature with multiple peer-reviewed publications:

• Inferior Mesenteric Artery as a Free Conduit for Myocardial Revascularisation, Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery (1997)
• Marsupialization of Intramyocardial Left Anterior Descending Artery: A Novel Approach for Easy Access During Revascularisation, Annals of Thoracic Surgery (December 2005)
• A Rare Case of Calcified Right Ventricular Mass, Annals of Cardiac Anaesthesia (July 2004)
• Aspergillus Niger Causing Prosthetic Valve Endocarditis, Journal of Cardiovascular Disease (2005)
• Distal Carotid Perfusion in Combined Carotid Endarterectomy and OP-CABG, Asian Cardiovascular and Thoracic Annals (2007)

About Narayana Health

Narayana Health is one of India's largest and most trusted hospital networks, founded by renowned cardiac surgeon Dr Devi Prasad Shetty. With a presence across 21 cities in India and internationally, Narayana Health operates over 50 facilities including multispeciality hospitals, heart centres, and cancer institutes.

The group is globally recognised for delivering world-class healthcare at affordable costs, with particular strength in cardiac care, oncology, neurosciences, and organ transplantation.

Narayana Institute of Cardiac Sciences, NH Health City, Bommasandra, Bangalore is one of the flagship cardiac institutions in Asia, offering advanced tertiary and quaternary cardiac care. In 2025, Narayana Health further expanded globally with the acquisition of Practice Plus Group Hospitals in the UK.

Book an Appointment with Dr Julius Punnen, Cardiac Surgeon in Bangalore

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