Cardiac Surgery in India

With the boom of Medical Tourism, India is quickly becoming one of the favorite destinations for a medical traveler.  Breakthrough in cardiac surgery has attracted the major population of the world to this beautiful country. With rapidly expanding infrastructure, clinical expertise and international standard implementation, India is servicing healthcare needs, at reasonable costs.

In the recent past, many countries have experienced shortage in Specialty Care Providers, which has in turn restricted their access to quality and cost-effective medical care. In sharp contrast to this, India has always looked at increasing the number and availability of Specialty Care thus avoiding the problem of a shortage of medical professionals. The availability of Clinical expertise at rock bottom prices, (when compared to similar procedures done in western countries) supported by internationally trained and educated Doctors, has ensured the steady rise of foreign patients opting for India.

The skill of Indian Doctors is well known, acknowledged and accepted world-wide.  Many International medical equipment companies prefer to launch their high-end products in India because of the potential in the Indian Healthcare market.

Minimally invasive surgical procedures, which have gained popularity among patients is a new trend and has a minimum patient discomfort and faster recovery. These procedures reduce the trauma of surgery; study also has shown to reduce possibility of repeat procedure in future. With smaller incisions there are reduced chances of infection with much lesser pain, scarring and faster healing.

Among the various types of cardiac surgeries done; a few are listed below:

Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG):

One of the common cardiology procedures performed world over and in India is Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery, also known as CABG. This procedure restores proper blood supply to the heart muscle. In a CABG procedure, the blood flow around the blocked Coronary Artery is re-routed through a graft vessel. This  transplanted vessel (graft) helps the blood to bypass the blockage present in the coronary artery.
More than 500, 000 of these surgeries are done in India every year. People with severe Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) will be recommended to do this procedure.

Transmyocardial Laser Revascularization (TLR):

Transmyocardial Laser Revascularization or (TLR) is a procedure that is performed to treat a condition called Angina. It is when all other treatments fail, that this procedure is recommended. This is not so common procedure. It is usually recommended to people who have already had a Coronary Artery Bypass (CABG) done and cannot undergo another one.

Valve Repair or Valve Replacement:

In order for the heart to function normally, the heart valves ensure that blood flows in only one direction. Healthy valves open and close in a precise way which helps the heart to pump blood to various parts of the body. A heart valve may be repaired or in certain cases replaced to ensure proper function of the heart.

Heart Transplant:

In this procedure, a diseased heart is replaced with a healthy heart from a brain dead donor. This procedure is usually done for people whose heart is damaged or weak cannot pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs.

Open Heart Surgery:
In this procedure, the Chest wall is opened to operate on the heart. The word “open” refers to the Chest and not the heart itself. Depending on the kind of surgery, the heart may be opened too.  Open heart surgery is done to bypass blocked arteries of the heart or to repair/replace valves, correct Atrial fibrillation and during a heart transplant.

Prior to undergoing any of the above said procedures, medical tests are done to understand your heart problem and assess your overall health. This helps the doctors decide if you require a surgery, the kind of surgery and when you need to do it.

Given that 10-20% of the Indian population belongs to middle income groups by western standards, Cardiac surgery growth definitely favors India. Healthcare providers like ESCORTS, Fortis, Apollo, Wockhardt, Asian Heart Institute etc with world class facilities make India a preferred destination for Major Cardiac procedures.

Research has advanced extensively especially in minimally invasive surgery and advanced devices like robotics. Needless to say, the explosive growth of Cardiac surgery will definitely parallel the social and economic growth of the country.

Medical Tourism Companies have played a great role in bridging the gap of access to cost effective medical treatment in developing countries. SurgeryPlanet, a Medical Travel facilitator, has provided support and services to many a people who have undergone various cardiac procedures, at almost one tenth the cost in comparison to developed countries. These centers offer world class facilities and quality treatment which are in certain cases not available in other developed countries.