# Harvinder Sahota

Harvinder Sahota (born 15 April 1941) is an Indian American cardiologist. He is the inventor of the FDA-approved perfusion balloon angioplasty known as "Sahota Perfusion Balloon".
Sahota holds two dozen patents for other medical inventions including the use of red laser light for preventing restenosis, multi-lobe balloons, fibrin-coated stents, and the use of hemostat to stop bleeding from ruptured arteries during the procedure. He holds a license to promote a drug-coated stent. He performed the first coronary angioplasty in many hospitals around the world, including in India, Mexico, Russia, Ukraine, and the United States.
He has served as the vice chairman and chairman of the Orange County Emergency Medicine Commission in California and as the research director and an advisory board member of the Metro Hospital Heart Institute in New Delhi, India, and Tbilisi, Georgia. Currently, he serves on the board of directors of Claremont Lincoln University.

## Early life and education

Sahota was born on 15 April 1941 to Lachman Singh and Dhan Kaur in Basti Tankawali, near Ferozepur in the state of Punjab, India. He was named Iqbal. At the age of five, his name was changed to Harvinder after suffering a medical setback during which he was declared dead. Because he was revived by a physician, the event was considered a second birth, requiring a new name.

## Career

In 1985, Sahota invented "Sahota Perfusion Balloon" which allows blood to flow to the heart muscle during inflation and prevents chest pain during the operation. After getting the US FDA approval in the 1980s the balloon is now used in angioplasty surgeries all over the world. Sahota went on to invent several other devices. On 17 January 1990 Sahota performed the first coronary angioplasty in North India and nine more followed in the week that the team spent in Chandigarh.
In 2000, Sahota received the distinguished physician award presented by former Indian Prime Minister I. K. Gujral and was honored by the National Federation of Indian-American Associations in the United States.
In 2012, Sahota was honored by the American Heart Association for his cardiovascular science and medicine research and his significant contribution to interventional cardiology. In the same year, he was also awarded the Golden Orange Award by the World Affairs Council of Orange County.

## Awards, honors and recognitions

* American Heart Association Award (2012)
* World Affairs Council - Golden Orange Award (2012)
* Global Indian Congress - Excellence in Medicine Award (2003)
* Distinguished Physician Award - presented by I.K. Gujral, Prime minister of India (2000)
* Plaque of Excellence in Medicine - National Federation of Indian American Association, Dallas (2000)

## Publications

* Harvy Sahota, et al., (2000) "Endoluminal Reconstruction of the Arterial Wall with Endothelial Cell/Glue Matrix Reduced Restenosis in an Atherosclerotic Rabbit," Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Vol. 36. No. 4.
* Harvy Sahota, et al., (2000), "Long-term Follow-up after Coronary Stenting and Intravascular Red Laser Therapy," American Journal of Cardiology, Vol. 86 (9): 927–937.
* Vossoughi Jafar, (2000), "Stent Graph Update," Medical & Engineering Publisher Inc. ISN 1-903-636-00-8.