A new chapter in pediatric cardiology programme has been opened for the first time in Andhra Pradesh at CARE Hospital. The facility offers the doctors to do Foetal Echo to diagnose congenital heart diseases inside the womb. According to Dr Nageswara Rao, consultant pediatric cardiologist, the foetal cardiology programme at the hospital is a boon to the people of AP as they need not go to Chennai, Mumbai or Delhi for this purpose any longer. Foetal Echo can be done from 16 weeks of the life of a foetus.

Talking to Pharmabiz at the conclusion of the two-day symposium on “Diagnosis and Management of Congenital Heart Disease” organized by the Pediatric Cardiology unit, the Institute of Medical Sciences, CARE Hospital, and the Pediatric Cardiac Society of India at Hotel Viceroy, Dr Nageswara Rao, the convenor, said the purpose of the conference was to bring awareness on the latest developments in pediatric cardiology.
The symposium was attended by 130 doctors from all over Andhra Pradesh. The main topic of discussion was management strategies at peripheral hospitals which are mainly run by general pediatricians and tertiary level of care in an institute.

The speakers included senior doctors from various hospitals, including NIMS and Medi Citi.

The symposium started with neonatal cardiology (from 28 days of the life of the foetus) and its growth in Hyderabad. Dr Gopichand Mannam of CARE Hospital spoke about the new developments in neonatal and infantile cardiac surgery. The usage of Prostaglandin in sick cardiac neonates with the use of ducts had been extensively discussed by Dr Nageswara Rao, Dr Richard Hawker from Sydney, Australia, and Dr I M Rao, from Abu Dhabi. Dr Hawker also discussed recent advances in Cardiac MRI with Cene MRI and 3D MRI. The basic approach to diagnosis of congenital heart disease was explained for the benefit of pediatricians and post-graduate students by Prof. Krishnam Raju.

The surgical part of the commonest Cyanotic congenital heart disease called Tetralogy of Fallot (Blue Baby) and its results were presented by Dr Prasad Rao, managing director and Chief Cardiac Surgeon, CARE Hospital. Babies between 6 months and three years undergo the operation with 95-98 per cent success.

The operation costs Rs 85,000 to Rs 1,00,000. The second day's session covered various interventions (non-surgical implantations), including Valvotomy, closure of a hole by a device Cook Coil Delivery, and stenting of vessels. The management of common Arrhythmias in young children was discussed by Dr Narasimhan, electrophysiologist.

There was a panel discussion at the end in which issues related to transfer of a baby with transposition of great arteries from periphery to a tertiary centre was discussed. The panelists included Dr Richard Hawker, Dr I M Rao and Dr R Prasad Reddy.