Heart failure results from the heart muscle’s inability to pump the same blood volume as it should. There are several conditions that contribute to the situation, especially conditions like coronary artery disease, hypertension, poor diet, or lifestyle choices.
India has proven itself a leading country for treating heart conditions with skilled professionals and well-equipped hospitals. If you need immediate treatment with the utmost care, India is likely the best country for that.
Here, we have mentioned every last detail that you likely need to know about heart failure treatment in India.
Table of Contents
Feel free to skip ahead if one topic catches your eye
- Common Reasons for Heart Failure
- Treatment Options for Heart Failure
- Essential Checklist for Medical Trip to India
- Pre and Post Heart Failure Treatment in India
- Quality of Life After Heart Failure Treatment
- Cost of Heart Failure Treatment in India
- Why prefer India for Heart Failure treatment?
1. Common Reasons for Heart Failure
With the kind of lifestyle that we lead, it is often hard to pinpoint what could contribute to coronary heart failure. However, there are a few physiological causes that are likely affecting the functions of the heart without your knowledge.
Some of the causes include:
- Cardiomyopathy
- Hypertension
- Congenital heart defect
- Irregularity in heart rhythms
- Emphysema
- Thyroid gland issues
- HIV
- AIDS
- Anemia
- Cancer treatments
- Alcohol or drugs
These are some of the common causes of heart failure. Generally, the reasons will vary depending on the type of heart failure that one is experiencing. The most common types of heart failure are:
- Left-sided heart failure
- Right-sided heart failure
- Diastolic heart failure
- Systolic heart failure
2. Treatment Options for Heart Failure
The treatment of heart failure depends on how severe the condition is. If the heart has become completely dysfunctional, there are chances that the cardiologists will suggest undergoing surgery. However, if the condition is in its preliminary stages, it can be cured with medications and proper lifestyle choices.
Medications – The cardiologist generally prescribes medicines that help alleviate the symptoms and prevents them from getting worse. Not only do these medications help improve the heart’s condition, but regularize the heartbeats, reduce the higher levels of sodium in the bloodstream, and replenishes the potassium. They are also responsible for lowering the levels of bad cholesterol in the body.
Surgery – If the condition is beyond the repair of medicines, the next treatment option is surgery. Generally, there are a few different surgical options, including coronary bypass surgery, angioplasty, or pacemakers for primary care. But, if the patient’s heart doesn’t respond to any of these surgeries, a heart transplant is the only other option.
3. Essential Checklist for Medical Trip to India
If you want to undergo heart failure treatment in India as a medical tourist, it is imperative that you keep certain factors in mind.
Make a checklist of the documents
- Previous hospital reports and diagnosis
- Scanned copy of passport (patient and attendant)
- Scanned copy of a photograph
- Address proof (patient and attendant)
- Health Insurance (if any)
- Proof of required funds for the treatment
- Recommendation letter from the hospital in India
- e-Medical Visa
General health
Aside from the list of documents needed, the patient also needs to take care of their general health with respect to the doctor’s advice. It is extremely important that the patient:
- Consumes a healthy diet
- Follow the timely consumption of the prescribed medications
- Avoid doing any strenuous activity
- Avoid drugs, alcohol, or smoking
4. Pre and Post Heart Failure Treatment in India
When you are visiting as a medical tourist to India for undergoing heart failure treatment, there are a few important precautions that the patient needs to consider before and after the treatment.
Pre- heart failure treatment
- Before anything, consultation with a doctor in India is a must, so that he/she can thoroughly go through the medical reports and the previous diagnosis of the patient.
- Once the patient arrives in India, they are asked to undergo a series of pathological and imaging tests, including blood tests like NT-proBNP, chest X-ray, ECG, ECHO, stress test, CT scan, MRI, coronary angiogram, myocardial biopsy, etc. to name a few.
- Following getting the test reports, the cardiologist will deduce what kind of treatment option the patient would need – be it medications or surgery.
- Before the treatment, the patient also needs to switch to a healthier and balanced diet, including low sodium and low-fat items that don’t put further strain on the heart functions.
- The patient also needs to avoid bad habits like consuming drugs, alcohol, or smoking.
Post- heart failure treatment
- The after-care of heart failure treatment generally depends on the mode of treatment the cardiologist has opted for.
- If the patient can be treated with just medications, the doctor will likely prescribe the medication and ask for a follow-up to keep an eye out on the impacts of the medicine on the patient’s heart.
- If the patient has a severe condition that needs surgical interventions, the after-care is extensive and starts with a week-long hospital stay depending on the type of surgery they have undergone. Heart transplant patients need to stay for longer in the hospital.
- Even after the initial recovery and returning home, the patient needs to be extremely careful with their diet and lifestyle.
- It is suggested to avoid excess consumption of salt in the diet and consume diet, as per the doctor’s instruction.
- The patient also needs to report back to the hospital for a timely follow-up consultation to keep an eye out for the patient’s progress.
5. Quality of Life After Heart Failure Treatment
After undergoing a heart failure treatment, a patient can bounce back to a normal lifestyle after a few weeks of proper recovery. While the patients treated with medication don’t have to worry excessively about their recovery, the patients undergoing surgical procedures need to be thoughtful about their health.
Recovery timeline
- The recovery timeline varies on the kind of surgery the patient has undergone.
- If the patient undergoes coronary bypass surgery, it might take up to 12 weeks to recover completely.
- If the patient undergoes angioplasty, they are discharged from the hospital within a day or two. They can get back to their regular routine within a week, but every activity should be done in moderation.
- If the patient gets a pacemaker surgery, they are advised to rest for the first week after the treatment and then get back to a normal routine leading up to the month. But, there are some precautionary steps that the doctors will suggest the patient with.
- For a heart transplant patient, the recovery time varies between 3-6 months, depending on the patient’s immunity and how well they recover and respond to the treatments.
Factors affecting the recovery
- Age
- The extent of the treatment
- Patient’s immunity and healing power of the body
- General health before the treatment
You are assured of the best treatment options in India with optimal care and guidance after completing the treatment.
6. Cost of Heart Failure Treatment in India
The cost of heart failure treatment in India is influenced by several factors, including the type of treatment the patient is undergoing and the accessory costs.
- The cost of coronary bypass surgery ranges between INR 95,000 to INR 3,50,000, depending on the damage.
- The cost of angioplasty ranges between INR 1,50,000 to INR 4,00,000, depending on where you are getting the treatment.
- The cost of pacemakers ranges from INR 45,000 to INR 1,50,000 in India.
- The cost of a heart transplant in Indian ranges from INR 20-25 lakhs.
Factors affecting the treatment cost:
- Type of treatment the patient is undergoing
- Hospital charges
- Consultation charges of the cardiologist
- City, the patient, is getting the treatment in
- Duration of hospital stay
7. Why prefer India for Heart Failure treatment?
India has grown to become a leading center of treatment for heart failure patients, primarily because of the low-cost treatment options and the cutting-edge equipment in the leading hospitals. Some of the ideal reasons why you should choose India for your heart failure treatment are:
- Hospitals are equipped with the latest equipment and technologies
- Skilled and professional teams of cardiac surgeons
- World-renowned hospitals
- Cost-effective treatment
- Ease of communication with language translators
- Foreign exchange
- High-quality service before and after the treatment
- Personalized care for the patient
- Ease in acquiring a medical visa (we provide you with faster visa sanctions without any hassle)
- Strict safety with following the Covid instructions
- Patient confidentiality
- Improved life expectancy and higher success rate
Take Away
Given that heart failure is not a trivial health condition, the patient must get immediate and accurate medical attention. India has proven itself as a leading country for treatment, which is why you need to consider flying out to India as a medical tourist for the best medicine. For ease of the procedure, Medinirvana is here to help the patients at every step to ensure that they get the right treatment without any delay.
References:
1^ Common Reasons for Heart Failure Healthline | February 02, 2021
2^ Treatment Options for Heart Failure Healthline | February 02, 2021
3^ Cost of Heart Failure Treatment in India Medifee | February 02, 2021
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