Eminent plastic surgeon K. Mathangi Ramakrishnan no more

K. Mathangi Ramakrishnan, eminent plastic and reconstructive surgeon and pioneer of burn care in South India, died in Chennai on Monday (October 27, 2025) due to complications of old age, a note from her family said. She was 91.

Born in 1934, Prof. Mathangi completed her MBBS from Madras Medical College, Chennai. She pursued her advanced training in plastic and reconstructive surgery in the United Kingdom and in Maryland, United States.

She established the plastic surgery department and burns unit at Government Kilpauk Medical College (KMC), Chennai — one of the foremost government centres in India dedicated to comprehensive burn care and rehabilitation, and one that continues to remain Tamil Nadu’s nodal government burns unit.

Prof. Mathangi retired from government service as professor and head of the department of burns, plastic, and reconstructive surgery, at KMC. She was also an emeritus professor of plastic surgery at the Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University and an emeritus scientist at the Central Leather Research Institute, Chennai.

Throughout her career, she combined surgical innovation with deep compassion for patients, particularly those from less privileged backgrounds. Her research in collaboration with the Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI), Chennai, led to the development of a collagen membrane used as a burn wound cover, a technique that became widely used.

Prof. Mathangi published extensively in both Indian and international journals and lectured in India and abroad. She authored several books and book chapters on plastic surgery and burn care, and trained and mentored generations of plastic and reconstructive surgeons who continue to uphold her legacy of excellence, ethics, and empathy.

The burns unit at Government Kilpauk Medical College (KMC), Chennai
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

In recognition of her outstanding contributions, she was the recipient of numerous national and international awards, including: the Padma Shri in 2002, conferred by the Government of India for her pioneering work in treating burn victims and advancing reconstructive surgery; the Dr. B.C. Roy National Award for her outstanding service in the field of clinical medicine; the Avvaiyar Award in 2014, bestowed by the government of Tamil Nadu for her distinguished service in pediatric burn care; a lifetime achievement award from the National Academy of Burns India; the Sushruta Gold Medal from the Association of Surgeons of India; and the G. Whitaker International Burns prize, Palermo, Italy, 2009, among others.

She also held a number of positions throughout her career, including: honorary secretary of the Burns Association of India (Madras), member of the International Confederation of Plastic and Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons, member of the International Society for Burn Injuries, fellow of the National Academy of Medical Sciences (India), national representative of the Asian Pacific Section of the International Confederation of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and regional representative, South East Asia, International Society for Burn Injuries, among others.

She was closely associated with the CHILDS Trust Hospital in Chennai, founded by her husband, the late Dr. M.S. Ramakrishnan. After his passing, she continued to serve the institution and was chairperson, CHILDS Trust Medical Research Foundation, Chennai.

Prof. Mathangi is survived by her daughter Priya Ramachandran, son-in-law B. Ramachandra, and grandsons Hari Ramachandran and Keshav Ramachandran. Her eyes have been donated to Sankara Nethralaya.