India has emerged as a leading medical travel destination for patients seeking heart treatment. India is a land known for modern as well as traditional medicines. One of the major concerns every medical tourist has while traveling to a foreign land is to receive cost-effective treatment without compromising the quality. This is the significant reason why patients prefer India for heart surgery, as they can get medical facilities at an affordable cost.
Heart surgeries in India are very popular as the country is known for having some of the best hospitals in Asia offering heart bypass surgery, pacemaker installation surgery, heart valve surgery, etc. The best heart surgeons in India have tremendous years of experience and expertise in performing complex heart surgeries. Most of these surgeons can speak fluent English, which means language barriers are minimal.
What is Heart Surgery?
Heart surgery, also known as cardiac surgery or cardiovascular surgery, treats various heart and blood vessel-related problems. These surgeries are complex, and that’s why they require the specialized expertise of cardiac surgeons.
What are the Types of Heart Surgery?
There are different types of heart surgeries. Some are mentioned below:
- Coronary artery bypass grafting: It is the most common type of heart surgery that treats coronary artery disease in one or more of the coronary arteries. In this surgery, the surgeon takes the healthy vein or artery from anywhere in the body and connects it to supply the blood hampered by the blocked coronary artery.
- Heart valve replacement or repair: In this surgery, surgeons repair or remove the valve with an artificial one to manage the blood flows in the right direction.
- Maze surgery: The surgeon makes a pattern of scar tissue within the upper heart chambers to redirect electrical signals to the lower heart chambers.
- Heart transplant: This surgery is the last-resort treatment for end-stage heart failure patients. In this surgery, a diseased heart is replaced with a healthy heart from a donor.
What Conditions are Treated with Heart Surgery?
Different types of heart surgery treat many heart conditions that affect the heart and blood vessels connected to your heart. Numerous best heart surgeons in India are available to treat such conditions.
- Coronary artery disease: Narrowing of your coronary arteries occurs due to plaque build-up in your arteries. Accumulation of too much plaque in your coronary arteries is dangerous as it can prevent the blood flow to your heart.
- Arrhythmia: An arrhythmia is an irregular heartbeat. Sometimes your heart beats too fast and too slow. The cause of arrhythmia is changes in the electrical signals that control your heartbeat.
- Heart failure: It means when your heart becomes too weak to pump out blood to meet your body’s needs.
- Heart valve disease: It can affect any of your heart valves that control the blood flow through the heart. Some common forms of valve disease are aortic valve stenosis, mitral valve prolapse, and tricuspid valve regurgitation.
What are the Risks Associated with Heart Surgery?
Like all other surgeries, heart surgery also carries risks despite excellent results. Some common complications are:
- Infection
- Bleeding
- Fever
- Stroke
- Arrhythmia
The risks are even higher if you have:
- Diabetes
- Lung disease
- Kidney disease
- Peripheral artery disease
What is the Recovery Time After Heart Surgery?
The recovery time after heart surgery depends on the surgery type performed. In the majority of cases, patients need to spend a day or more in the ICU of the hospital. After that, they are shifted to another ward for several days until they go home.
The recovery time depends on various factors such as:
- Type of surgery
- The overall health of the patient prior to surgery
- Experience any complications from the surgery
What is the Cost of Heart Surgery in India?
Heart surgery costs in India are much more affordable than in other Western countries, such as the US and the UK. The cost of Heart bypass surgery in India is approximately 75-90% lower than that of the same surgery in the United States.
Cost is one of the major reasons why patients worldwide are willing to travel to India for heart surgery.
Which are the Best Heart Surgeons in India?
India has some renowned heart surgeons with years of experience treating patients with minimal complications. We’ve mentioned some of the best heart surgeons in India below:
- Dr. Ajay Kaul: Dr. Ajay Kaul is one of the renowned heart surgeons in India, practicing for more than 36 years. He has successfully performed 10,000 cardiac surgeries and 4000 arterial coronary bypass surgeries. He is also well-trained for heart transplants and ventricular-assisted devices.
- Dr. Naresh Trehan: Dr. Naresh Trehan is one of the best heart surgeons in India, having 40+ years of experience. He has performed 48000 cardiac surgeries to date and is known as one of the trusted surgeons among patients.
- Dr. Vijay Dikshit: Dr. Vijay Dikshit is a well-known cardiac surgeon, practicing for more than 40 years. He is one of India’s first doctors to use Stentless Bioprosthetic Valve Replacement Surgery for aortic valve disease. He has performed 6000 open heart surgeries at Apollo Hospitals, Madras, making it the largest open heart surgery experience.
- Dr. Nandkishore Kapadia: Dr. Nandkishore Kapadia is a reputed cardiothoracic surgeon. He has been practicing in the field for the past 28 years and has performed over 5000 cardiovascular procedures.
- Dr. Raju Vyas: Having 18+ years of experience, Dr. Raju Vyas is a reputed name in the field of cardiac surgery. He has expertise in adult and neonatal surgical procedures such as beating heart bypass, valve replacement, etc.
India is a renowned nation for patients seeking high-quality medical treatment at an affordable price. Cardiac surgery in India is appealing to tourists as it cuts their medical bills and allows them to get surgery from the best heart surgeons in India. If you are also planning to travel to India for heart surgery, make sure to gather all the relevant information about the hospital and surgeon for a hassle-free medical journey.
