Doctor aunty with a magic wand

Thiruvananthapuram: If you have dedication everything will be much easy to manage, said Dr Sowmya Ramanan V, much sought-after paediatric cardiac surgeon in the city. “One needs a lot of dedication to work in the field of cardiac surgery. We need to spend four to five hours daily in surgery and follow-up works. A supportive family that understands my profession make matters comfortable,” said 40-year-old Sowmya, who is an assistant professor in department of cardiovascular and thoracic surgery department, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST).
On the eve of International Women’s Day, the cardiac surgeon, who has an experience of 13 years in the medical field, shared with TOI the challenges and inspiration behind her successful career.
It has been three years since Sowmya, a recipient of Francis Fontan Prize from European Association for Cardio Thoracic Surgery (EACTS) in 2013, joined SCTIMST. Last year alone, she had performed 212 surgeries at the institute, where an average of 600 surgeries are conducted annually in the entire spectrum of congenital heart diseases of biventricular and univentricular physiology. The surgeon operates on a wide range of neonatal, infant, paediatric and adult congenital disorders.
The doctor shared the inspiration behind choosing specialisation in paediatric cardiac surgery. “My father Venkataraman wanted to become a cardiac surgeon, but he ended with a job in bank. Taking inspiration from my father, I decided to become a cardiac surgeon when I was in Class IX. Besides that, I like to work with children,” said Sowmya whose husband is a doctor based in Qatar.
Sowmya said the profession has its share of challenges as well. Handling kids with congenital heart diseases and explaining the condition to their parents is a difficult task which has to been dealt carefully, she said.
“It is usually the mothers who come to us seeking help and we explain the treatment procedure with care. Lack of coordination in primary care from paediatricians and obstetrician is also a challenge. Awareness need to be created for treatment for children with congenital heart diseases,” added Thiruvananthapuram native Sowmya, who lives here with his mother and two kids.