Alessandro Giardini

Alessandro Giardini - Cardiology team portrait photo
Dr Alessandro Giardini has worked at Great Ormond Street Hospital since 2007 where he is in charge of the cardiac ward and the cardiac high dependency unit. 

He is Director of Inpatient Services and oversees the care of all children admitted to the hospital for investigation and treatment of congenital or acquired heart defects. Dr Giardini says: "For me, families are an essential part of the One Team concept that underlies everything we do in treating children in the cardiac ward. Our care is highly technical but must be delivered in a humane, personalised way".

Specialisms

Dr. Giardini is an expert in the diagnosis and management of children with congenital heart disease, in particular hypoplastic left heart syndrome. He is the lead for cardiology in-patient services. He also runs specialist clinics for children with paediatric hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Exercise physiology and the investigation and treatment of syncope and chest pain are also interests.

Dr. Giardini is particularly expert in providing guidance for children with documented cardiac disease as well as those who complain of symptoms which arise during exercise, such as chest pain, palpitations or fainting/syncope.

Dr. Giardini provides expert cardiology advice and assessment to children and adolescents who actively participate or are planning to participate in sports or those children who are practicing a sport at an athletic or competitive level.

Qualifications

Dr. Giardini completed medical school in Bologna, Italy, where he also got his PhD in the pathophysiology of heart failure in patients with congenital heart disease.

He completed his specialist training in Paediatric Cardiology at the University of Bologna, Italy, and at the University of California in San Francisco.

Research Interests

  • Usefulness of exercise testing to predict the risk of children and adolescents with congenital heart disease.

  • The genetic causes of congenital heart disease (in collaboration with USA centres).

  • Fontan operation.

Contact

Bleep: 0210

Tel: 020 7405 9200 (ext 8006)

Email: alessandro.giardini@gosh.nhs.uk

Secretary: Ms Dayani Balasubramaniyem

Tel: 020 7405 9200 (ext 8845)

Email: dayani.balasubramaniyem@gosh.nhs.uk