Paediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery KIMS Cuddles at KIMS Hospital, Mahadevapura, Bengaluru
The heart is the first organ to form in a developing baby, and when something goes wrong with its structure or function, the effects can be felt from the moment of birth or emerge gradually through childhood and adolescence. Congenital heart disease is one of the most common birth defect worldwide, and acquired heart conditions in children, while less common, are equally important to identify and manage correctly.
The Paediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery department provides complete evaluation and care of cardiac problems in children from birth to puberty. We are a close-knit team of paediatric cardiologists and paediatric cardiac surgeons, providing a coordinated plan for every child with a heart condition, from diagnosis, medical management, interventional procedures and surgery where required, all within the same hospital.
What Paediatric Cardiology Covers
Paediatric cardiology is not simply adult cardiology applied to smaller patients. The heart conditions that affect children are fundamentally different from those affecting adults. Congenital heart defects, which are present from birth, involve structural abnormalities in how the heart is built and how blood flows through it. Arrhythmias in children have distinct patterns and triggers. Cardiomyopathies in children are associated with different underlying causes than those seen in adults. Managing these conditions correctly requires a cardiologist trained specifically in the paediatric age group.
Our paediatric cardiology team at KIMS Cuddles at KIMS Hospital, Mahadevapura diagnoses and manages heart conditions across the full spectrum of childhood, including conditions identified prenatally, those presenting in the newborn period, and those that emerge or are detected in older children and adolescents.
Conditions We Manage
Congenital heart disease
Congenital heart disease involves a wide range of structural abnormalities of the heart that are present at birth. Some are detected prenatally through foetal echocardiography. Others are identified at birth through clinical examination or in response to symptoms. Common congenital heart conditions managed by our team include:
- Ventricular septal defect and atrial septal defect, where abnormal openings between the heart's chambers allow blood to flow where it should not
- Patent ductus arteriosus, where a blood vessel that normally closes after birth remains open
- Pulmonary stenosis and aortic stenosis, where the heart valves are narrowed and restrict blood flow
- Tetralogy of Fallot and other cyanotic heart defects, where abnormal blood flow reduces the oxygen content of blood reaching the body
- Coarctation of the aorta, this is where the main artery that leaves the heart is further narrowed
- Complete atrioventricular septal defect, which is commonly associated with Down syndrome
- Transposition of the great arteries and other complex single ventricle conditions requiring staged surgical management
Arrhythmias
Abnormal heart rhythms in children range from benign variants that require reassurance to conditions that carry a risk of serious events and require treatment. Our team assesses and manages the full range of paediatric arrhythmias including supraventricular tachycardia, Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, complete heart block, and long QT syndrome. Ambulatory heart rate monitoring, electrophysiological studies, and catheter-based ablation are available for the investigation and treatment of significant arrhythmias.
Cardiomyopathy
Cardiomyopathy in children refers to diseases of the heart muscle that makes a difference to its ability to pump effectively. Dilated cardiomyopathy, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and restrictive cardiomyopathy all occur in children and require specialist assessment, ongoing monitoring, and in severe cases, consideration of advanced therapies including cardiac transplantation.
Kawasaki disease
Kawasaki disease is a childhood vasculitis that primarily affects the coronary arteries and can cause coronary artery aneurysms if not diagnosed and treated promptly. Our team manages the acute phase and provides structured long-term follow-up for children with coronary involvement to monitor for late complications.
Rheumatic heart disease
Rheumatic fever following streptococcal throat infection can cause damage to the heart valves, particularly the mitral valve. Children diagnosed with acute rheumatic fever receive appropriate treatment and are placed on long-term penicillin prophylaxis to prevent recurrence, with regular echocardiographic monitoring of valve function.
Diagnostic Services
Our paediatric cardiology team uses a full range of diagnostic tools to assess children's heart conditions:
- Echocardiography, including two-dimensional, three-dimensional, and Doppler assessment, available at the bedside for critically ill children and in the outpatient setting for routine assessment
- Electrocardiography and ambulatory ECG monitoring for arrhythmia assessment
- Exercise stress testing for older children with exercise-related symptoms
- Cardiac MRI for detailed structural assessment when echocardiography is insufficient
- Cardiac catheterisation for both diagnostic purposes and interventional procedures
Interventional Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery
Many congenital heart defects can be treated without open heart surgery through catheter-based interventional procedures. Device closure of atrial and ventricular septal defects, balloon dilation of narrowed valves, and coil or device closure of patent ductus arteriosus are all performed in our catheterisation laboratory.
For defects requiring surgical correction, our paediatric cardiac surgery team at KIMS Cuddles at KIMS Hospital, Mahadevapura performs the full range of open heart procedures in children, from straightforward repairs to complex staged operations for single ventricle heart disease. Our surgeons work alongside specialist paediatric cardiac anaesthesiologists and a dedicated cardiac perfusion team experienced in managing children on cardiopulmonary bypass.
The neonatal cardiac surgery programme at KIMS Cuddles at KIMS Hospital, Mahadevapura manages the most complex end of this spectrum, including surgery in the first days of life for critically ill newborns with duct-dependent circulation and other life-threatening cardiac defects.
Long-Term Follow-Up
Most children with congenital or acquired heart disease require long-term cardiological follow-up that extends into adulthood. Our team provides structured review programmes tailored to each child's specific condition, ensuring that late complications are identified and managed and that transition to adult congenital cardiology services is planned and coordinated appropriately as the child approaches adulthood.
Why Choose KIMS Cuddles at KIMS Hospital, Mahadevapura
Paediatric cardiology and cardiac surgery require a team with highly specialised training, advanced diagnostic technology, and the surgical capability to operate on the smallest and most critically ill children. At KIMS Cuddles at KIMS Hospital, Mahadevapura, all of this is available within a fully integrated children's hospital, supported by paediatric intensive care, neonatology, and the full range of paediatric subspecialties.
For families in East Bengaluru, Whitefield, and Marathahalli, having access to a comprehensive paediatric cardiac programme close to home means that the regular appointments that heart conditions in children require are considerably more manageable over the long term.
Book a Consultation
If your child has been diagnosed with or is suspected of having a heart condition, our paediatric cardiology team at KIMS Cuddles at KIMS Hospital, Mahadevapura is here to help. Book an appointment online or by phone.
