SHF REPORTS

A report on activities of Sajja Heart Foundation

Overview

Foundation and recognition

Established in 2013 by Dr Lokeswara Rao Sajja and recognised as a Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (SIRO).

Operates as a charitable trust focused on cardiovascular research, education and community outreach.

Research and innovation

Supports major randomized trials such as PROMOTE Patency and PREDICT.

Develops innovative devices, including a mechanical prosthetic heart valve (US patent 2020; Indian patent 2023) and the Mammary Artery Support Platform.

Notable events and recognitions (2024–2025)

Hosted the 10th Annual Meeting and Oration (Oct 2024) featuring Prof Prabhakaran Dorairaj.

Dr Sajja elected to Sigma Xi (July 2025).

Received the Blackbuck Outstanding Research Institution Award 2025.

Dr Sajja honoured with the Blackbuck Pioneer Researcher Award 2024 and recognised as Exemplary Past President of IACTS (2025).

Awarded the Dr Yelavarthy Nayudamma Science & Technology Foundation Award 2022.

Received fellowships FACC and FESC and reaffirmed FACS in 2025.

International presentations and invited talks (2024–2025)

2025 – AATS Mitral Conclave (New York) – Outcomes of mitral valve repair in ischaemic mitral regurgitation.

2025 – IACTSCON (71st Annual Conference, New Delhi) – Current guidelines for ischaemic mitral regurgitation.

2025 – Society of Coronary Surgeons (SCS) 4th Annual Conference, Kochi – “PROMOTE, PREDICT and what next? Challenges in conducting RCTs.”

2025 – IACTS Technocollege CME, Lucknow – Current status of coronary surgery in India.

2025 – India Live (Mumbai) – Real‑world comparison of transcatheter versus surgical aortic valve replacement.

2024 – International Coronary Congress, London – Closing gender gaps in CABG outcomes and long‑term survival after mitral valve repair.

2024 – AATS/IACTS Cardiovascular Post‑graduate Course – Review of on‑pump vs off‑pump CABG.

2024 – 70th IACTS Annual Conference, Bhubaneswar – Overview of surgical coronary revascularisation in India.

National presentations and CME activities

IACTS Technocollege CME 2025 (Lucknow) – Session on contemporary coronary surgery practices.

SCS Annual Conference 2025 (Kochi) – Discussions on RCT challenges and Indian experiences.

IACTSCON 2025 (New Delhi) – Lecture on ischaemic mitral regurgitation.

SHF 10th Annual Meeting (Oct 2024) – Oration by Prof Prabhakaran Dorairaj on Indians’ propensity to cardiovascular disease.

Ongoing CME programmes on research methods, biostatistics and clinical practice.

Research publications and completed studies

Sajja LR, Mannam G, Beri P, Nagalla B. Practice variations in the management of acute type A aortic dissection among Indian cardiac surgeons: a national survey. Indian J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2025. In press.

Sajja LR. Six decades of cardiothoracic surgery: navigating new horizons, mending hearts with science and precision. Indian J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2024;40:280‑291.

Gaudino M, Lemma M, Sandner S, et al. The ROMA trial: 7 years of trial activities and the development of the ROMA trial network. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 2024;65(5):ezae188.

Choudhary S, Ganguli G, Chandran SBV, et al. Acute limb ischemia. J Epidemiol Found India. 2024;2(2 Suppl):S255‑S256.

Choudhary S, Ganguli G, Chandran SBV, et al. Chronic lower limb ischemia. J Epidemiol Found India. 2024;2(2 Suppl):S259‑S260.

Choudhary S, Ganguli G, Chandran SBV, et al. Chest trauma. J Epidemiol Found India. 2024;2(2 Suppl):S257‑S258.

Choudhary S, Ganguli G, Chandran SBV, et al. Surgical management of coronary artery disease. J Epidemiol Found India. 2024;2(2 Suppl):S261‑S262.

Choudhary S, Ganguli G, Chandran SBV, et al. Acute aortic syndrome. J Epidemiol Found India. 2024;2(2 Suppl):S251‑S254.

Sajja LR, Kamtam DN, Narayan P. Pushing the boundaries: societies as catalysts for advancing coronary surgery. Indian J Clin Cardiol. 2024;5(2):203‑205.

Sajja LR, Narayan P, Peter S. Optimizing antiplatelet therapy after coronary artery bypass graft: selection, dosing, and duration. AME Clin Trials Rev. 2024;2:103.

Sajja LR, Mannam G, Kamtam DN, et al. Del Nido cardioplegia versus blood cardioplegia in coronary artery bypass grafting. Indian J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2024;40:33‑41.

Sajja LR, Sarkar K, Mannam G, et al. Five‑year outcomes of off and on‑pump CABG: insights from the PROMOTE patency trial. Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann. 2023;31:659‑666.

Stefil M, Gaudino M, Benedetto U, et al. Influence of diabetes and obesity on ten‑year outcomes after coronary artery bypass grafting in the arterial revascularisation trial. Clin Res Cardiol. 2023.

Sajja LR, Dandu SBR, Mannam G, Kamtam DN. Surgical correction of aneurysmal dilatation in a coronary cameral fistula: a case report. Indian J Clin Cardiol. 2023;4:189‑191.

Sajja LR, Pusapati VRR, Gottipati B, Kamtam DN. Dual left anterior descending artery – a clinical entity in search of an identity: a novel classification. Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann. 2023;31:275‑281.

Sajja LR, Mannam G, Kamtam DN, Nagalla B. Female gender does not have any significant impact on the early postoperative outcomes after coronary artery bypass grafting: a propensity matched analysis. Indian J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2023;39:231‑237.

Sajja LR, Pusapati VRR, Mannam G, Gottipati B, Kamtam DN, Dandu SBR. Surgical revascularization strategies of CAD involving dual left anterior descending artery. Indian J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2023;39:145‑149.

Sajja LR, Mannam G, Kamtam DN, Saikiran KVSS, Sompalli S. Trends of re‑operative coronary artery bypass grafting: a two‑decade experience. Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann. 2023;31:81‑87.

Sajja LR, Kamtam DN, Sreeramula SK, Beri P. Current practice of saphenous vein graft harvesting in coronary artery bypass graft surgery: an Indian survey. Indian J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2023;39:115‑124.

* Introduction of New Heart Surgery

*He is the Founder-President of the Society of Coronary Surgeons, which was inaugurated virtually by His Excellency Honorable Vice-President of India Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu Ji in December 2020.

* He is elected as the Junior Vice-President of IACTS during the 67th Annual Conference of the Indian Association of Cardiovascular-Thoracic Surgeons (IACTS) held between 26 and 28th Feb 2021. He shall be installed as the President of IACTS in 2023.

* Promote Patency Trial; the first multi-centric Randomized Controlled trial conducted in Cardiac Surgery in India by seven Cardiac Surgeons under the leadership of Dr. Lokeswara Rao Sajja was published in the Indian Journal of Thoracic Cardiovascular Surgery was selected for the Best Original Article 2020 award during the 67th Annual Conference of IACTS.

* Dr. Sajja is one of the Authors of a paper published from the Arterial Revascularization Trial, one of the largest and longest followed-up multi-national RCT in Cardiac Surgery, -Ten-year outcomes after off-pump versus on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting: Insights from the Arterial Revascularization Trial, was published in The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery-2020.

* He Presented contemporary trends in coronary artery surgery in India at the old Congress on cardia sciences in 2018

* The study was presented at the Annual Meeting of the American for Thoracic Surgery at SanDiego in April-2008

* PROMOTE Patency- Prospective Randomized comparison of Off-pump and On-pump Multivessel cOronary artery bypass surgery To Evaluate outcomes and graft patency. The study was conducted at 6 centers in India (Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Nadiad, Coimbatore) a total of 320 patients were enrolled.

* Dr. Sajja delivered a lecture in Dr. C Sambasiva Rao Memorial Endowment CME program on “Recent advances in Cardiac Surgery” at Guntur Medical College, Guntur on 28.Feb.2016.

* Lokeswara Rao Sajja. Bilateral internal thoracic artery grafting in India - time to raise the bar. Presented at American Association for Thoracic Surgery International Coronary Congress held in New York, USA. August 21-23,2015.

* Lokeswara Rao Sajja, Gopi Chand Mannam , Rama Chandra Raju Pusapati Ramesh Gudapati, Raghava Raju Penumatsa Jyothsna Guttikonda Sriramulu Sompalli. Analysis of thirty-day outcomes of off-pump versus on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting: a large cohort study. Presented at American Association for Thoracic Surgery International Coronary Congress held in New York, USA. August 21-23,2015.

* Sajja LR, Strategies to reduce deep sternal wound infection after bilateral internal mammary artery grafting. Int J Surg. 2015;16: 171-178.

* Lokeswara Rao Sajja. “The Journey of Surgery for Coronary Artery Disease in India: Adoption, Customization and Innovation”. Sadasivan Oration. Indian J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2014; 30:116-128.

Healthy Heart Ride 2014 - KBR Park Hyderabad

Lokeswara Rao Sajja. The journey of surgery for coronary artery disease in India: adoption, customization and innovation. Sadasivan Oration of Indian Association of Cardiovascular –Thoracic Surgeons June 2014, Volume 30, Issue 2, pp 116-128

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