Raja Waman Dhurandhar

DHURANDHAR Raja Waman Dhurandhar, MD, passed away peacefully in his sleep on Monday, October 18th 2010 at 2:30am at the age of 76 years. A beloved husband and father, he is survived by his wife, Nina Merchant Dhurandhar MD, and his daughters, Sunita Dhurandhar and Anjali Dhurandhar. Dr. Dhurandhar received his MD from G.S. Medical College, University of Bombay. Following a residency in Internal Medicine in Bombay and the United Kingdom, he came to New Orleans and completed a Cardiology fellowship at Tulane University and Touro Infirmary. He spent two years as a Clinical and Research Associate at Toronto General Hospital in the first CCU in the world. He pursued original research on Bretylium Tosylate and Prinzmetal's angina. Dr. Dhurandhar was Board certified in Internal Medicine and in the subspeciality of Cardiology. Dr Dhurandhar returned to New Orleans in 1970 as Chief of Cardiology at Touro Infirmary. He established the first CCU and the first Cardiac Rehabilitation Center in the Orleans area at Touro Infirmary. He developed the Cardiology Department at Touro Infirmary and introduced echocardiography, vectorcardiography, angiography and nuclear medicine. He instituted a policy that stipulated that a cardiologist needed to be present in the operating room during open heart surgeries and would assist the cardiac surgeon in postoperative care. Dr. Dhurandhar was Chief of Cardiology and Medicine at Touro Infirmary and Clinical Professor of Medicine at Tulane University and Louisiana State University Medical Center. He was Director of the Cardiology Fellowship program initially at Tulane and later at LSUMC. Dr. Dhurandhar was a superb, compassionate and caring clinician. Because he believed in the human touch and in treating the whole person, not just the heart, he was dearly loved by his patients. He was an enthusiastic teacher and considered teaching and training medical students, medical residents and cardiology fellows to be one of the most rewarding aspects of medicine. Dr. Dhurandhar published numerous peer-reviewed articles in medicine and cardiology journals and was invited to speak at many symposia and conferences. He was a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology, American College of Physicians, American College of Chest Physicians and a member of numerous local, regional and national societies and associations. He was a member of the Touro Foundation Board of Governors. He received numerous awards for excellence in teaching from his medical students, residents and fellows. He was recognized by New Orleans Top Docs, and named the Best Doctor in Cardiology Subspecialty as well as a Heath Care Hero in Medicine. He was the recipient of the 2007 Judah Touro Award and an award was established in his name to honor an outstanding cardiology fellow. In 2008, the Raja Dhurandhar MD Professorship in Cardiology was established at LSUMC. He was a great mentor, not only to his students, but to all who knew him. With his deeply compassionate nature and dedication to philosophy, he offered invaluable guidance and solace to everyone in his life. Dr. Dhurandhar was generous, had a great sense of humor, and was treasured by a wide circle of family and friends all over the world. Family, friends, colleagues and patients are invited to attend the Memorial Service at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd., on Sunday, October 24th 2010 at 12 pm, noon. Visitation begins at 10 am. In lieu of flowers, donations are requested to be sent to the ALS Association, P.O. Boz 66825, Baton Rouge, LA 70896 (www.alsa.org) or Touro Infirmary Foundation Cardiology Fund, 1401 Foucher Street New Orleans, LA. 70115. To sign and view the Family Guestbook, please visit www.lakelawnmetairie.com.