Dr. Krishna Iyer is a renowned Chairman of Paediatric Cardiac Surgery and one of India’s foremost experts in the field of paediatric cardiac surgery. With over 40 years of experience, Dr. Iyer is widely recognized for his clinical expertise and his significant contributions to cardiac care for children, not just in India, but also across other developing nations.

Pioneering Leadership in Paediatric Cardiac Care:

Dr. Iyer is credited with initiating the first dedicated paediatric cardiac care program in Northern India at the Escorts Heart Institute Research Centre (now Fortis-Escorts Heart Institute) in 1995. Under his visionary leadership, this program has grown into the benchmark for paediatric cardiac care in India and its neighboring South East Asian countries.

Clinical Expertise:

Dr. Iyer has successfully performed over 10,000 surgeries on babies, children, and adults with congenital heart diseases, covering a wide array of complex procedures, including:

• Arterial switch procedure

• Double switch operation

• TAPVC repairs

• Fontan and Fontan-type procedures

• Corrections for tetralogy of Fallot, DORV, Truncus arteriosus, and more.

• Senning operation, conduit repairs, and complex multi-stage corrections for congenital heart diseases.

He is also known for pioneering the rapid two-stage arterial switch procedure and successfully performing the first rapid two-stage arterial switch and double-switch operation in India.

Current Interests & Focus Areas:

Dr. Iyer is focused on perfecting complex neonatal cardiac surgery, addressing cardiac surgery in malnourished infants and children, and finding solutions for late presenters of congenital heart disease. He is also dedicated to developing cost-effective cardiac care for children in developing countries.

Education & Training:

• MBBS, MS, and M.Ch from AIIMS, New Delhi.

• Trained under the guidance of Dr. R.B.B. Mee, a world-renowned paediatric cardiac surgeon, at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, Australia, in 1989.

Awards & Recognition:

Throughout his illustrious career, Dr. Iyer has received numerous accolades, including:

• Institute Gold Medal for Best Graduate of the Year (MBBS examination).

• Sorel Catherine Friemna Prize for proficiency in Paediatrics.

• Pfizer Postgraduate Medical Award, Gold Medal, and Scroll of Honour.

• Hira Lal Gold Medal for the best postgraduate in General Surgery.

• Doppler Award for the best paper at the Sixth International Symposium on Echocardiography in Cardiac Surgery, Washington D.C., 1994.

• Paul Harris Fellow from Rotary International Foundation for humanitarian services for children.

Charitable Work:

Dr. Iyer is actively involved in several charitable initiatives for underprivileged children, most notably the ‘Gift of Life’ program of Rotary International, which focuses on providing life-saving cardiac surgery to children in need.

Professional Leadership:

Dr. Iyer currently serves as the Chairman & Head of Paediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery at Fortis Okhla, where he continues to lead and innovate in the field of Paediatric Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery (CTVS).

Dr. Krishna Iyer’s vast experience and dedication have made him a true pioneer in paediatric cardiac surgery, and his continued efforts to improve the quality of life for children with heart diseases are highly regarded both nationally and internationally.