About Dr. Vishal Khullar

Consultant - CTVS, and Heart & Lung Transplant at Nanavati Max Super Speciality Hospital in Mumbai.

He is the first Cardiovascular Surgeon in the Indian Subcontinent to hold the position of Senior Associate Consultant at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, USA.

Dr. Vishal Khullar is one of India’s leading Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgeon. As of 1st February 2022, he is the Consultant of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, Heart and Lung Transplantation, and Mechanical Circulatory Support at Nanavati Max Super Speciality Hospital in Mumbai.

An accomplished surgeon, Dr. Khullar has three decades worth of experience to his name. Since 2017, Dr. Khullar has been performing Heart Surgeries, Lung Transplant Surgery, and other complex surgical procedures involving Aortic Root Replacement Surgery, Aortic Arch Replacement, and Redo- Sternotomies with exceptional outcomes. He has been an integral member of the Transplant selection committee for donors and recipients. He always has a calming presence, which has helped him connect to the patients on a personal level, easing their worries about complex surgical procedures.

Dr. Khullar has always desired to provide optimal medical care to his fellow brethren, which is why he returned to India after working with world-renowned institutions such as Cleveland Clinic (#1 Center in the world for Heart Surgery) and Mayo Clinic (#2 Center in the world for Heart Surgery and #1 hospital in the world).

During his time at these esteemed institutions, he acknowledged the need for specialized medical care in India, and he intends to fill this vacuum by starting a cutting-edge Heart & Lung Transplant Program there.

Academic Background

In August 1992, Vishal Khullar, a passionate student with a brilliant mind, started medical school at B.J Medical College, University of Pune. Over the next five years, he poured over his study material, finding every opportunity to quench his thirst for knowledge. In November 1997, he graduated with flying colors.

After successfully completing MBBS, he proceeded to join the Compulsory Rotatory Internship Training at B. J. Medical College, Pune, where he spent the next one year.
From 2002-2005, Dr. Khullar was a part of the KEM Hospital & Seth G S Medical College Residency training program in General Surgery.
He has been a part of Residency Training Programs at several reputed hospitals and teaching institutions.
In 2005, he did his Senior Residency in Surgical Gastroenterology and Liver Transplantation.
After completing his senior residency in general surgery, he joined a Residency Training in Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery at the Bombay Hospital & Medical Research Centre, where he perfected his craft.

Professional Experience

In 2011, Dr. Khullar became a Junior Consultant in Adult Cardiac Surgery at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital & Medical Research Institute in Andheri, Mumbai.
After fulfilling his duties at Kokilaben Hospital, he became Associate Consultant in Cardiac Surgery at P. D. Hinduja Hospital & Medical Research Centre, Mumbai.
In 2013, he returned to the Bombay Hospital & Medical Research Centre as a Consultant in Adult Cardiac Surgery. During his time at Bombay Hospital, Dr. Khullar realized that he needed to expand his skills and exposure, which led to him joining the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota in 2014.
As a Clinical Fellow in Cardiovascular Surgery at Mayo Clinic, he participated in Preoperative Evaluation, the first assistant for Surgical Repairs and Postoperative Management for all complex Cardiac Surgical cases.
From 2015-2018, he trained at the Cleveland Clinic, Ohio, USA with clinical fellowships in Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Advanced Aortic Surgery, and Heart/Lung Transplantation and Mechanical Circulatory Support. During his time at the Cleveland Clinic, he performed over 100 complex Heart and Lung Transplants and Mechanical Circulatory Support procedures.

As a Senior Fellow, he also fulfilled his obligation to teach the Cardiac Surgery residents, teaching them the essential procedures and techniques such as:

Cannulation strategies
Preoperative Axillary Cannulations
Redo Sternotomies
Helping residents establish peripheral and central Cardio-Pulmonary Bypass
Harvesting the Internal Mammary Arteries
Managing the tedious transplantation cases postoperatively

In 2018, he accepted the offer to become a Senior Associate Consultant and Assistant Professor of Surgery at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, USA, where he performed complicated re-operative cases such as 3rd and 4th-time Redo-Sternotomies, surgical management of Endocarditis cases with the reconstruction of the valves, Aorto-Mitral curtain, Aortic Reconstruction, Heart and Lung Transplantation and so forth.

As a faculty and Senior Associate Consultant at Mayo Clinic, Dr. Khullar has trained cardiac residents and clinical fellows from different parts of the world (United States, India, China, Japan, South Korea, and Argentina) and helped them do cardiac surgical cases under his supervision.

Years of Experience

Heart Surgeries Completed

Hours of Surgery Time

Patients Treated Globally