Professional Profile

Dr Smitha Reddy Pulapalli is a consultant cardiologist with a special interest in cardiac imaging.

She has been part of Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust since 2013 and performs all types of cardiac imaging including cardiac MRI, cardiac CT (CT coronary angiography and CT TAVI as part of assessment before aortic valve implantation), trans-thoracic echocardiography, transoesophageal echocardiography, stress echocardiography, complex contrast echocardiography, and bubble echocardiography.

Dr Pulapalli is able to diagnose and manage heart disease and treat conditions such as angina, abnormal heart rhythms, heart failure, valvular heart problems. She can help evaluate your risk from heart disease if it runs in your family and devise a plan to minimise your risk.

The tests she can perform and provide an expert opinion on include: ECG, Holter monitoring analysis, trans-thoracic echocardiography (2D and 3D), exercise treadmill testing, stress echocardiography (exercise and dobutamine), Cardiac CT coronary angiography which includes complex bypass graft assessment, cardiac MRI which includes complex cardiomyopathy scans and stress perfusion MRI, CT TAVI (in preparation to assessment for trans-aortic valvular implantation).

Dr Pulapalli cares for over 2,000 patients per year with all types of general cardiological problems.

She also works as a cardiac MRI consultant in King’s College London at Guys and St Thomas’ Hospital, London.

Dr Pulapalli is accredited by British Society of Echocardiography in trans-thoracic and trans-oesophageal echocardiography, and is certified by European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging in cardiac MRI and by the British Society of Cardiovascular imaging in cardiac CT.

She has played a pivotal role in the development of the echocardiography department at Tunbridge Wells Hospital, making a major contribution to the department’s achievement of accreditation from the British Society of Echocardiography.

Dr Pulapalli is an educational supervisor for foundation trainees, a mentor for cardiac physiologists and also an examiner for the British Society of Echocardiography.

She has done several audits which led to change in practice and improved the echocardiography service.

Secretary contact details

Alison Brunning: 01892 633545

Cardiology secretaries: mtw-tr.cardiology-tun@nhs.net