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Manchula Navaratnam

Clinical Professor, Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine

BioDr. Manchula Navaratnam is a Clinical Professor of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine at Stanford University, specializing in Pediatric Cardiac Anesthesia. With over 16 years of expertise in the perioperative care of pediatric patients with complex cardiac conditions, Dr. Navaratnam serves as the anesthesiology lead for pediatric cardiac transplantation, ventricular assist devices, single ventricle physiology and perioperative hemostasis management.
Dr. Navaratnam’s research includes pivotal work on left ventricular outflow tract velocity time integral (LVOT VTI) as a measure of ventricular function, now widely utilized at Stanford Children’s Hospital. Dr Navaratnam has led multidisciplinary clinical studies to improve care for single ventricle physiology patients, developed standardized pathways for perioperative hemostasis management, and recently contributed to an FDA-funded multicenter trial investigating pulse oximetry accuracy in congenital heart disease patients with darker skin tones.
As a dedicated mentor and educator, Dr. Navaratnam founded and directs the Pediatric Cardiac Anesthesia Learning (PCAL) workshop for fellows nationwide and leads Stanford’s undergraduate course, “Mending a Broken Heart.” Dr Navaratnam's mentorship has supported numerous trainees and collaborators, resulting in award-winning presentations and impactful research contributions. Dr. Navaratnam is an associate editor for Pediatric Anesthesia, an active peer reviewer for leading journals, a coach and board member for the Congenital Cardiac Anesthesia Society, and an active contributor to national committees and task forces advancing faculty development and the field of pediatric cardiac anesthesia.
Dr. Navaratnam's mission is providing exceptional and compassionate patient care while training the next generation of leaders in the field.