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Our history

From a small section within the Association of Surgeons of India in 1954 to India's most prominent independent cardiothoracic surgical association — the story of IACTS spans seven decades of clinical ambition, collegial unity, and a relentless pursuit of surgical excellence.

Our Reach

Seven decades of cardiothoracic surgery in India

The early years

The medical fraternity in India congregated as an association for the first time probably in 1885 AD when the doctors in the erstwhile Bengal formed the Bengal Medical Association under the Presidency of Rai Bahadur Dr. Lal Madhav Mukherjee. After ten years of functioning the association was expanded to include medical persons from all over India. The first systematic attempt to hold an All India Medical Conference was manifested at the initiative of Bengal Medical Association in 1917. The first All India Medical Conference was held at Calcutta in 1917 under the Presidency of Lt. Col. Raghavendra Rao at Belgachhia Medical College. The 6th All India Medical Association was held at Madras in 1929, with Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy presiding over the meeting.

Thoracic Surgery

With the growth of the surgical specialties the various sections in the ASI started taking shape. In December 1954 at Nagpur during the Annual Conference of the Association of Surgeons of India (ASI) the cardiovascular thoracic surgeons — then known simply as the thoracic surgeons — of India met together and resolved to unite into a separate body to be known as the Thoracic Surgery Section of ASI. They held their first annual meeting the very next year, with Dr. Reeve H. Betts as President and Late Dr. A.K. Basu as the Secretary. Through the efforts of Late Dr. Meherji Mehta and Dr. B.L. Gupta, the thoracic surgeons of India conducted their scientific meeting independently for the first time in September 1970 at Bombay.

The early years

The medical fraternity in India congregated as an association for the first time probably in 1885 AD when the doctors in the erstwhile Bengal formed the Bengal Medical Association under the Presidency of Rai Bahadur Dr. Lal Madhav Mukherjee. After ten years of functioning the association was expanded to include medical persons from all over India. The first systematic attempt to hold an All India Medical Conference was manifested at the initiative of Bengal Medical Association in 1917. The first All India Medical Conference was held at Calcutta in 1917 under the Presidency of Lt. Col. Raghavendra Rao at Belgachhia Medical College. The 6th All India Medical Association was held at Madras in 1929, with Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy presiding over the meeting.

Thoracic Surgery

With the growth of the surgical specialties the various sections in the ASI started taking shape. In December 1954 at Nagpur during the Annual Conference of the Association of Surgeons of India (ASI) the cardiovascular thoracic surgeons — then known simply as the thoracic surgeons — of India met together and resolved to unite into a separate body to be known as the Thoracic Surgery Section of ASI. They held their first annual meeting the very next year, with Dr. Reeve H. Betts as President and Late Dr. A.K. Basu as the Secretary. Through the efforts of Late Dr. Meherji Mehta and Dr. B.L. Gupta, the thoracic surgeons of India conducted their scientific meeting independently for the first time in September 1970 at Bombay.

TIMELINE

Milestones through the years

1885

The doctors in the erstwhile Bengal formed the Bengal Medical Association under the Presidency of Rai Bahadur Dr. Lal Madhav Mukherjee.

1895

The All India Medical Association was formed under the Presidentship of Rai Bahadur Dr. Lal Madhav Mukherjee, with the Secretary being Dr. J.R. Wallace.

1895

With the Headquarter Office at Calcutta, the official organ, the Indian Medical Records, was published by Dr. J.R. Wallace.

1917

The first All India Medical Conference was held at Calcutta under the Presidency of Lt. Col. Raghavendra Rao at Belgachhia Medical College.

1938

Under the mentorship of Sir A. Lakshmanasamy Mudaliar and Dr. A. Venugopal, the ASI headquarters took shape at Madras (present Chennai).

1954

Under the leadership of Dr. Reeves Betts, the thoracic surgeons decided to form their own association within ASI during an ASI conference at Nagpur. Dr. Betts was the founder president.

1982

The association was formalized as the Association of Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgeons of India (ATCVSI), with Dr. Solomon Victor as journal editor.

1985

At Bangalore, during the presidency of Dr. J.S. Gujral, it was decided to hold the annual scientific meeting independently every February.

1988

The first independent Annual Conference of ATCVSI was held at Madras in February 1988.

1990

A committee prepared the Memorandum, Rules and Regulations, and By-laws for the proposed new society. These were adopted at Pune in 1990.

1991

The Indian Association of Cardiovascular-Thoracic Surgeons (IACTS), with Dr. K.R. Shetty as protem President, was registered at Bombay under the Societies Act, 1860.

1991

The ATCVSI was dissolved on 15.6.1991 and its entire membership, funds, and assets were transferred to the new society, the IACTS.

1991

The first Executive Committee of the IACTS, with Dr. Sharad Panday as President and Dr. Pitamber Shatapathy as Secretary, took charge.

1992

Fellowship of the Association (F.I.A.C.S.) was instituted.

1992

A regular biannual publication of the Indian Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery (IJTCVS) commenced with Dr. Solomon Victor as Editor.

Our belief at the beginning of a doubtful undertaking is the one thing that ensures the successful outcome of our venture.

“Persistence; Progress; Prosperity”.