Ongole, July 25: Strengthening access to specialised paediatric heart care across Andhra Pradesh, Manipal Hospital Vijayawada has launched its dedicated Paediatric Cardiology and Cardiothoracic & Vascular Surgery Clinic in Ongole. The clinic aims to bring expert consultation, early diagnosis and seamless access to advanced treatment for children with congenital and acquired heart diseases, enabling families from Ongole and nearby districts to receive specialised care closer to home.
The Paediatric Cardiology and CTVS programme at Manipal Hospital Vijayawada provides end-to-end care for children with congenital and acquired heart diseases, including fetal and neonatal cardiac evaluation, advanced catheter-based interventions, paediatric cardiac surgery, neonatal and paediatric cardiac intensive care, and long-term follow-up. The clinical team has collectively performed nearly 3,000 paediatric cardiac surgeries, covering the complete spectrum of congenital heart diseases from newborns to older children.
The department also offers minimally invasive trans-axillary cardiac surgery for suitable ASD, VSD and selected Tetralogy of Fallot cases, helping children recover faster while avoiding a visible scar on the chest. In addition, the team performs heart transplantation for carefully selected children and young adults with end-stage heart failure and offers robotic cardiac surgery for selected children weighing more than 20 kg, ensuring precision, smaller incisions and quicker recovery.
The programme is led by Dr. K. Vikram, Senior Consultant – Interventional Paediatric Cardiology, and Dr. Dilip Ratti, Consultant – CTVS along with a multidisciplinary team of paediatric cardiac surgeons, cardiac anaesthetists, intensivists and specialised nursing professionals dedicated to delivering comprehensive paediatric heart care.
Dr. Dilip Ratti, Consultant – CTVS, Manipal Hospital Vijayawada, added,
“Early diagnosis and timely intervention significantly improve outcomes for children with congenital heart diseases. This clinic will help families access expert evaluation locally and receive advanced treatment without unnecessary delays.”
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. K. Vikram, Senior Consultant – Interventional Paediatric Cardiology, Manipal Hospital Vijayawada, said,
“Every child deserves timely access to advanced heart care. Our focus is on delivering safe, evidence-based treatment with the latest technologies so that children across Andhra Pradesh can receive world-class cardiac care closer to home.”
The event also celebrated the inspiring recovery journeys of two young paediatric cardiac patients and their families, who shared their experiences of successful treatment at Manipal Hospital Vijayawada. Their stories highlighted the importance of early diagnosis, timely intervention and specialised multidisciplinary care in transforming the lives of children born with heart diseases.
Mr. C.A. Ramanjaneya Reddy J, Hospital Director, Manipal Hospital Vijayawada, said,
“This clinic is another important step towards expanding specialised paediatric heart care across Andhra Pradesh. We remain committed to making advanced treatment accessible to every child through clinical excellence, innovation and compassionate care.”
With advanced infrastructure, internationally benchmarked treatment protocols and an experienced multidisciplinary team, Manipal Hospital Vijayawada continues to expand access to specialised paediatric cardiac services across Andhra Pradesh. The launch of the ongole clinic reflects the hospital’s ongoing commitment to ensuring that children heart conditions receive timely diagnosis, advanced treatment and compassionate care closer to their communities.