Prof. B. Soma Raju, Cardiologist from Hyderabad has been providing dedicated service to the people for the last 20 years as Cardiologist, Researcher, Teacher and Philanthropist.

Born on the 25th September 1948, he studied at the Guntur Medical College in Andhra Pradesh from where he qualified for MD in 1974.  He joined the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh in 1975 and obtained DM., in Cardiology in 1978. 

Prof. B. Soma Raju returned to Andhra Pradesh in the same year and joined the State Government Service as an Asst. Prof. of Cardiology at Osmania Medical College.  In 1984 he joined the Nizams Institute of Medical Sciences at Hyderabad as Additional Professor and left the Institute in 1993 as Professor and Head of the Department of Cardiology and Dean.  During his stay at the Institute he has built a department which is comparable to the best.  A whole generation of Cardiologists has qualified under his training.

Prof. Soma Raju has published and presented over 120 papers in various National and International Journals and Forums.  He has also authored a textbook on “Clinical Methods in Cardiology” He has to his credit, conducted the first PTCA in India and heads a team which has the distinction of performing the largest number of cardiac interventions in the country. 

He has been involved in various research projects during the last 20 years individually, in collaboration with American Universities and the Defense Scientific Laboratories.  The last association culminated in the development of India’s first Coronary Stent, which has been named the Kalam Raju Stent after Professor A.P.J Kalam and Dr. Raju.  This stent was first implanted in December 1996 and since then has been used on over 500 patients.  The development of the stent resulted in reducing the cost of stents in the country and brought it within the reach of the people.  In October 1998 the second research product of Dr.Raju’s endeavor, India’s first Coronary Balloon Catheter was released.  Dr. Raju and his team are working on various medical devices which are used in Interventional Cardiology with the aim of having an Indian alternative for most devises, reducing the cost and making treatment affordable by all. 

Dr. Soma Raju has conducted numerous free medical camps in various parts of Andhra Pradesh and also set up the Department of Cardiology at the Satya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences at Puttaparthi in Andhra Pradesh and provided free professional service.  Innumerable patients have benefited out of this service.  The free service continues on a daily basis even today to poor patients at the CARE   hospital. 

RESEARCH PROJECTS

• Randomized Study of Balloon Mitral Valvuloplasty Vs Surgical Closed Mitral Commissurotomy – Immediate and long-term results.
  
  
• Randomized Study of Balloon Mitral Valvuloplasty Vs Surgical Closed Open Mitral Valvotomy – Immediate and long-term results.
  
  
• (Both the above trials are conducted in collaboration with Dept. of Cardiology, Wayne State university, Detroit, MI, U.S.A.)
  
  
• Dietary correlation’s with lipid profiles in patients with and without Coronary Artery  Disease in Indian Population.
  
  
• Phase-III Clinical Investigation of E.B.Sideri’s Button Device for Closure of Arterial Septal Defects and patent ductus arteriosus.(In collaboration with Prof.E.B.Sideri’s, University of Athens, Greece and University of Texas Tech.U.S.A.)
  
  
• Indigenous development of Cardiovascular Catheters i.e.Diagnostic Catheters, Coronary  Angioplasty  Balloon Catheters Valvuloplasty Balloon Catheters in Collaboration with Defence Materials & Stores Research & Development Establishment (DMSRDE), Kanpur.
  
  
• Indigenous development of external and implantable pacemakers in collaboration with    Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad.
  
  
• Development of indigenous Coronary Stent in association with  Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory Centre (DMRL), Hyderabad.
  
  
• Development of PC based Cardiac Stress Test System in association with Defence Bio-Engineering & Electromedical Laboratory (DEBEL), Bangalore.
  

CITATION INDEX OF SIX BEST PAPERS PUBLISHED BY DR. B. SOMA RAJU

1. Percutaneous Balloon versus Surgical closed Commissurotomy for Mitral Stenosis- A prospective, randomized trial: Circulation, Vol 83, No.4, April 1991. PMID: 2013139
   
   
2. Percutaneous Balloon Valvuloplasty in Mirror-Image Dextrocardia and Rheumatic Mitral Stenosis: Catheterization and Cardiovascular Diagnosis, October 1993. PMID: 8221866
   
   
3. Thrombolysis in left sided Prosthetic Valve Occlusion: Immediate and Follow-up results. Annals of Thoracic Surgery, August 1994.PMID: 8067850
   
   
4. Reyes V P, Raju B S, Wynne J, et al. Percutaneous Balloon Valvuloplasty compared with Open Surgical Commissurotomy for Mitral Stenosis. New England Journal of Medicine: 1994; 331: 961-7. PMID: 8084354
   
   
5. Clinical Evaluation of New Balloon Mountable Coil Stent: In-hospital and follow-up results. Indian Heart Journal 1998: 50:40-44.PMID: 9583285
   
   
6. Prospective Observational Study of Primary Angioplasty of the Infarct Related Artery for Acute Myocardial Infarction. Indian Heart Journal 1999: 51: 167-72.PMID: 1040754

AWARDS AND HONORS

• Honored by Andhra Pradesh Academy of Sciences on National science Day 1997.
  
  
• Asian Innovation Award in 1998 by The Far Eastern Economic Review.
  
  
• Andreas Gruentzig Memorial Award – 1998.
  
  
• Conferred the 8th Yudhvir memorial award by the Yudhvir foundation for outstanding contribution to cardiac Medicare.
  
  
• “Padma Shri” by Govt. of India – 2001.
  
  
• Elected Fellow of the National Academy of Medical Sciences-2002.