Department of Pediatric Surgery

Established as an independent department in 1982 under Dr. P.L.N.G. Rao as its first head, the Department of Paediatric Surgery at Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, has served as a referral centre for Karnataka and neighbouring states since its inception and began its M.Ch (Paediatric Surgery) program in 1992. The department integrates quality patient care, teaching, training, and research, working in conjunction with the Departments of Paediatrics, Paediatric Nephrology, Endocrinology, and Neonatology to provide comprehensive care to the surgical neonate, infant, and child, supported by specially trained surgeons and nurses and world-class infrastructure for complex surgery.

Highlights

The first department in Karnataka, and one of the early institutes in South India, to offer super-specialisation (M.Ch) in Paediatric Surgery.

Serves as a referral centre for complex genitourinary reconstruction, hepatobiliary surgeries, neonatal surgical anomalies, paediatric head and neck lesions, paediatric thoracic lesions, paediatric tumours, and paediatric minimal access surgery.

First in the region to start single-stage surgery for Hirschsprung's disease and a pioneer in performing complex paediatric surgical cases.

Organised a state-level Paediatric Surgery conference in 2008 and a free paediatric surgery camp with NGOs Bala Shalya Mission and Peedh Parai International (USA), conducting 30 free surgeries at Kasturba Hospital, Manipal.

Collaborates with international centres on research and skill-development projects, including multicentre studies published in leading journals such as The Lancet.

Offers hands-on surgical training across the full range of paediatric surgical conditions, neonatal and paediatric intensive care training, and a congenial teaching environment with regular seminars, journal clubs, and case presentations.

Faculty