- KR Bharat
- 2026-02-23
The global medical community is mourning the demise of Dr. Seshagiri Rao Mallampati, the Telugu doctor who developed the life-saving Mallampati Score used worldwide in anesthesia practice. He passed away on February 9, 2026, in the United States at the age of 85.
An alumnus of Andhra Medical College and King George Hospital, Dr. Mallampati moved to the US in the early 1970s. In 1985, he conducted a landmark study involving 210 patients and introduced the Mallampati Score — a simple, non-invasive airway assessment test that remains a mandatory safety protocol in operation theatres across the world, from local nursing homes in Hyderabad to advanced surgical centres globally.
The scoring system helps doctors predict difficult airway conditions before administering anesthesia, significantly reducing risks and saving countless lives. Medical professionals and institutions have paid heartfelt tributes, remembering his remarkable contribution to patient safety and modern anesthesiology.
