Dr. Rachakonda Pradheep Krishnamohan is a cardiothoracic surgeon in Hyderabad, Telangana, who specializes in both adult and pediatric cardiac surgery and thoracic surgery, such as VATS.
Having trained in some of the best hospitals and Health Care systems in the world, like the Mayo Clinic, the Cleveland Clinic, UT Southwestern Medical Center, and Children’s Medical Center, Dallas, he had developed a niche for specialized cardiac surgery in complicated and high-risk patients.
He is well aware of the strengths, challenges, and limitations of health care systems across the world and aims to develop a health care system in our country that addresses these challenges:- Make health care affordable and within the reach of the masses, and yet sustainable for the health care provider without undue economic and financial stress.
- Completed his medical school (MBBS) from Coimbatore Medical College, Affiliated to the prestigious Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University, Chennai.
- He trained in MS (General Surgery) from the prestigious JIPMER (Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research), Pondicherry.
- He then went on to specialize in Cardiothoracic Surgery (Magister Chirurgie in Cardiothoracic Surgery ) from the renowned Madras Medical College and Government General Hospital, Chennai.
After working as a faculty instructor in pediatric cardiac surgery at the Institute of Child Health, Egmore, Chennai, he traveled to the United States to pursue further advanced training and skill upgradation.
Achievements at Mayo Clinic
Recognizing his academic achievements and capabilities, he was offered a fellowship position at the world-renowned Mayo Clinic for advanced training in general thoracic surgery, where he acquired skills pertaining to surgeries on the lung and mediastinum, including video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) and minimally invasive lobectomy, pneumonectomy, surgery on the thymus and esophagus, and also pleural surgeries, decortications, etc. Mayo Clinic fostered research interests under the mentorship of Dr. Claude Deschamps and Dr. Mark Allen, and he successfully presented a paper at the prestigious AATS meeting in 2013.
Career at Cleveland Clinic
After his training at the Mayo Clinic, he moved on to the world-famous Cleveland Clinic for further training in adult and pediatric cardiac surgery. Cleveland clinic, being the world leader in cardiac surgery and having been at No. 1 ranking in the US News and World Report best hospital for Cardiothoracic surgery for more than two and a half decades, served as a platform for skill up-gradation as well as development of a physician leader under the able mentorship of some of the world-renowned cardiac surgeons like Dr Bruce Lytle, Dr Gosta Pettersson, Dr Lard Svensson, Dr Joseph Sabik, Dr Nicholas Smedira and Dr Marc Gillinov.
Training included management of complex adult and congenital cardiac conditions and advanced cardiac techniques involving heart valves and redo heart operations, heart and lung transplantation, ECMO support, surgery for infective endocarditis, and minimally invasive cardiac surgeries.
He then went to specialize further in pediatric extracorporeal life support, ventricular assist devices (VAD), and pediatric heart transplantation under Dr. Joseph Forbess of the Children’s Medical Center of Dallas at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. His training included evaluation and work-up, intra-operative techniques, and post-operative management of various complex congenital heart diseases like TOF, TAPVC, and TGA, tricuspid atresia, etc.
Work Experience:
- CONTINENTAL HOSPITALS, HYDERABAD: Senior Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon (Present)
- RAMESH HOSPITALS, VIJAYAWADA (2018-2019)
- CARE HOSPITALS, HITECH CITY, HYDERABAD (2016-2018)
Past Positions:
Congenital Cardiac Surgery Fellow, Children’s Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
Cardiothoracic Surgery Fellow, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
General Thoracic Surgery Fellow, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
E-tutor, MSc (Surgical Sciences), Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh, Uk
Senior Resident, Pediatric Cardiac Surgery, Institute of Child Health, Chennai
Resident, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Madras Medical College and Government General Hospital, Chennai
Resident, General Surgery, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Pondicherry
Awards and Recognition:
Clinical Fellow – Investigator Award 2014 for Best Research Paper, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
Research Team Award 2013 for outstanding contribution to Research, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
First Rank in All India Postgraduate Superspeciality Entrance Examination for admission into Cardiothoracic Surgery Residency.
23rd rank in All India Entrance Examination for admission to Postgraduate courses, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi.
National level 3rd prize in the 13th All India Essay Contest on Nuclear Science and Technology, BARC, Mumbai.
First Prize and Gold Medal winner in ENT Head and Neck Surgery Medal examination, Association of Otorhinolaryngologists, Coimbatore.
The divisional round of the 14th Indian Academy of Pediatrics Quiz, Madurai Medical College Hospital, Madurai.
State Topper in 12th Higher Secondary Examinations in the total aggregate marks and second language in the Higher Secondary Board Examinations in Tamil Nadu State.
Research and Presentations:
Setting up a database on the Development of Adult Congenital Heart Disease, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA (DrGostaPettersson, Dr. Eugene Blackstone); reviewed more than 8500 electronic medical records of patients and coded congenital diagnoses to set up the registry.
Poster: Audit Congenital Heart Disease Registry, Annual Cleveland Clinic Research Day, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
Paper: Cleveland Clinic Experience with treating adult congenital heart diseases, Cleveland Clinic Heart and Vascular Institute Research Day, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
Oral Presentation: Preliminary results of the Adult Congenital Registry, Annual Helen and Ronald Ross Symposium, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
Oral Presentation: Understanding the evolution of adult congenital heart surgery, Annual Heart and Vascular Institute Research Day.
“Creation of adult Congenital registry”, Helen and Ronald Ross Symposium, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
Oral Presentation of a scientific paper: Long-term results after the laparoscopic myotomy, 93rd meeting, AATS.
Scientific poster presentation of paper: Bullectomy for Symptomatic or Complicated Giant Bulla, 49th annual meeting, Society of Thoracic Surgeons, Los Angels &, California, USA.
Dr. Pradheep’s Expertise:
Management of Complex Adult Cardiac Conditions and Advanced Cardiac Techniques involving coronary arteries and heart and heart valves – First time and Reoperations.
Heart Failure Surgery – ECMO, Ventricular Assist Devices (LVAD, RVAD).
Heart Transplantation, Lung Transplantation, Heart and Lung Transplantation.
Coronary Artery Surgery _ including High-Risk Coronary revascularization, Diffuse CAD, and Redo CABG.
Mitral Valve Surgery – Valve Repair, replacement, Minimally invasive MV repair.
Aortic Valve Surgery – Valve Replacement, Root Replacement, David’s procedure.
Surgery for Infective Endocarditis.
Congenital Heart Surgeries: Closure of atrial and ventricular septal defect, PDA closure, etc.
Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) and minimally invasive lung and esophageal surgeries.
Lung and pleural surgeries (lobectomy, pneumonectomy, decortications, etc.).