Cardiology

Heart Disease Treatment Cost in India

The cost of treatment for heart disease in India is very low. However, cost of heart disease treatment depends on the type of disease, hospital, doctor, and location.

Angiogram tests alone can cost between INR 35,000 and INR 50,000 in India.
Angioplasty costs average between INR 1,50,000 and INR 3,00,000 depending on the hospital and number of stents used.
The cost of open-heart surgery could range between INR 1,60,000 and INR 4,00,000.
The average cost of heart valve surgery could range from USD 6300 to 7650 (INR 4,99,618 to INR 6,06,679) depending on the type of heart valve replacement involved.
The average cost of pacemaker insertion in India is USD 3468 (INR 3,00,000 to INR 4,00,000).

What is Cardiology?

The word ‘cardiac’ is used to describe all that is related to the human heart. Cardiology is derived from the words ‘cardiac’ and ‘logos’ which means a study of the heart and its related functions. In medical science, cardiology also deals with the disorders and the diagnosis and treatment of the cardiac and cardio- vascular diseases such as heart failure, heart attack, cardiac arrest, and other heart- related disorders.

Cardiac diseases are quite common in India today. In fact cardio- vascular disorders are some of the most commonly occurring diseases, not only in India but all over the world, mostly among aged individuals. So, it is very important to have a clear idea about everything related to cardiology, the diseases that might occur and the related treatments.

Who might have a heart disease?

Doctors and many health care experts say that heart disease is a common occurrence among aged individuals and if neglected and left untreated for a long time, this can prove to be fatal and might also lead to death in severe cases. Heart diseases are common in both Western and Asian countries, and India is no exception. So, whenever one feels the symptoms of cardiac diseases, it is crucial to get an appointment of the health care experts and get the disease treated as soon as possible. Apart from treatment, drugs, and medications, living a healthy lifestyle and having enough nutrition can easily help to prevent any kind of heart- related diseases.

Symptoms Of Cardiac Diseases

In the beginning one might not understand or notice the symptoms of cardiac diseases, because the early symptoms are quite mild. But, if these symptoms are not noticed and if not brought under the supervision of your concerned physicians, then the cardiac diseases might cause severe trouble in the later ages. Some of the most common symptoms of cardiac disorders are listed here as follows:

Arrhythmia

Atherosclerosis

Congenital heart defects

Coronary artery disease (CAD)

Cardiomyopathy

Arrhythmia

Arrhythmia is a type of heart disease characterized by disorders in heart rates and the rhythmic patterns of the heart. The symptoms of cardiac arrhythmia will differ based on the variation of arrhythmia that has developed in a person’s body. The common symptoms of arrhythmia are:

Fainting
Dizziness
Feeling of lightheadedness
Excessive high or low pulse
Mild to severe pain in the chest
The heart rate of the person may become too high or too slow than the average

Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is another type of cardiac disease that causes a serious effect on the body as the oxygen supply goes down due to the lack of proper blood supply from the heart to the other parts of the body. Some of the common symptoms of atherosclerosis are given below:

Mild to severe pain in the chest
Unexpected pain all over the body
Limbs might become cold and numb
Breathlessness or problems in breathing
Extreme weakness in the body, especially in legs and arms.

Congenital heart defects

These are some fatal types of heart problems that start to develop in a baby during the time of its birth, while the baby is inside the mother’s womb. The common symptoms of congenital heart defects are as follows:

Heavy swellings
Heart rate becomes abnormal
Skin becomes bluish in color
Excessive fatigue and lack of energy
Breathlessness or heavy breathing problems

Coronary artery disease (CAD)

CAD is a type of cardiac disease that causes an accumulation of a plaque-like substance on the arteries in the heart and thus disrupts the smooth flow of pure blood from the heart to the lungs. The most common symptoms of CAD include the following:

Breathing problems
Mild to severe pain and discomfort in the chest
feelings of indigestion, heartburn, or gastric disorders
Nausea which may or may not be accompanied by vomiting

Cardiomyopathy

Cardiomyopathy is another lethal cardiac disease in which the cardiac muscles grow thicker and make it difficult for the heart to beat and pump blood properly. This results in a lack of proper blood supply as well as a low oxygen supply in the body. The common symptoms are:

Irregular heart rate
Swelling of ankles and feet
Indigestion, gas, and bloating of stomach
Breathing problems and shortness of breath
excessive weakness and feeling of exhaustion

Infections In the Heart

There can be several types of infections that can occur in the human heart such as endocarditis or myocarditis. Heart infections are caused by bacteria, viruses, or parasites that start damaging the heart once they enter the body. These infections in the cardiac areas might show some symptoms such as follows:

Fever and chills.
Rashes and itching in the skin that might appear red.
Mild to severe pain and discomfort in the person’s chest.
A type of congestion or infection might develop in the chest that might lead to profuse coughing.

Possible Causes of Heart Diseases

As discussed previously, there are different types of heart diseases. So, there are a variety of factors that are considered responsible for the development of heart diseases in the human body. Some of the common causes of heart diseases are as follows:

Prior history of CAD.
Excessive stress, tension, and anxiety.
High levels of blood pressure or hypertension.
High levels of blood sugar or diabetes mellitus.
The presence of heart defects in genes or family history.
Irregular shape or structure of the heart since the time of birth.
Side effects of certain medicinal drugs or supplements, such as herbal or ayurvedic medicines.
Previous medical history of cardiac or any kind of cardio- vascular defects, along with congenital heart defects.
Improper lifestyle that includes heavy smoking, excessive consumption of alcohol and other harmful drugs, abnormal routine, lack of healthy and nutrient- rich foods in the regular diet.

Risk Factors Related To Heart Diseases

There are certain risk factors related to cardiac and cardio- vascular disorders. Some of them are as follows:

Heavy body weight or obesity.
High levels of blood sugar or type 2 diabetes.
High levels of blood pressure or hypertension.
Kidney diseases such as kidney stones or renal disorders.
High levels of bad or LDL cholesterol and low levels of HDL or good cholesterol.
Lifestyle- related disorders such as excessive smoking, high consumption of alcohol or other drugs.

Diagnosis Of Cardiac Diseases

For proper treatment and healing of a disorder, especially when it comes to complicated issues such as cardiac diseases, then proper diagnosis of the disease is very crucial. Some of the diagnosis methods of cardiac diseases are as follows:

Blood tests

Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG)

Echocardiogram and CT (Computerized Tomography) scan

MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) of the heart

Blood tests

The doctor will advise you to perform several types of blood tests for the proper diagnosis of cardiac diseases and to get an idea about your blood profile. For the diagnosis of cardiac diseases, the doctor should also check the HDL and the LDL cholesterol levels in the person’s body.

Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG)

This is a test that uses highly- advanced technology to detect the function ability of the heart and to check whether there is any abnormality.

Echocardiogram and CT (Computerized Tomography) scan

These tests help to present a clear picture of the heart in front of the doctor and make the diagnosis clearer.

MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) of the heart

A cardiac MRI helps to get a clear picture of the heart, arteries, veins, blood vessels and how the heart is functioning.

Treatment Procedures Of Heart Diseases

The procedure in which a type of heart disease should be treated entirely depends on the type and the severity of the disease. The common treatment procedures for treating any kind of heart disease are as follows:

Surgical methods

Medications

Changes in Lifestyle

Surgical methods

Several types of surgical methods are used to treat cardiac diseases, mostly in cases where the condition of the patient is severe. The physicians and health care experts may opt for surgical methods such as angioplasty, bypass surgery, and many others, according to the condition of the patient.

Medications

After or without surgery, medicines are usually prescribed by doctors to treat any type of cardiac complications. In fact, medicinal drugs can also effectively reduce the chances of heart attack, strokes, cardiac arrest, heart failure or any other cardiac issues.

Voicebox (larynx)

In the case of cardiac patients, lifestyle needs to be changed. People should cut the excessive intake of alcohol, drugs, and smoking. Instead of junk food they should consume plenty of fruit and green vegetables.

Types of heart diseases

There are various types of diseases and conditions that affect the heart:

Coronary artery disease or ischaemic heart disease
Cerebrovascular disease
Rheumatic heart disease
Hypertensive heart disease

Types Of Cardiological Surgery

There are several types of cardiac surgeries, some of them are as follows:

Coronary artery bypass grafting

Trans- myocardial Laser Revascularization

Heart Valve Repair or Replacement

Arrhythmia Treatment

Open-Heart Surgery

Coronary artery bypass grafting

In this method the fatty plaque-like substance is removed from the cardiac arteries. This is the most used method of treating cardiological diseases and it is used among those who have severe cardiac disorders.

Trans- myocardial Laser Revascularization

Though this type of cardiac surgery is not common, but this method is used to treat cardiac angina, mostly when there is no other option to treat the cardiac condition.

Heart Valve Repair or Replacement

As the name suggests, this method includes the replacement and repair of cardiac valves if those valves are damaged. This procedure is also performed when the surgeon wants to fix the leaflets and to keep the proper blood flow in the heart.

Arrhythmia Treatment

This treatment is performed when the surgeon feels the requirement to fix the heart rate of the patient and bring it too normal. This treatment method is also effective to improve blood flow and blood supply in areas such as the brain, lungs, kidneys, and into all the major organs of the body.

Open-Heart Surgery

This is the most common method of treating cardiac disorders, in which an ‘open’ incision is made by the cardiac surgeons to bypass the blocked or damaged arteries and parts of the cardiac valves. The surgeon brings out the waste materials and unblocks the blood veins and vessels for smoother and easier blood supply.

FAQs

How to control cholesterol?

Follow the instructions of your concerned health care expert and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Can I have cardiac diseases?

Anyone can have heart- related diseases but the chances are more among aged people.

Can cardiac diseases be damaging?

Cardiac diseases can be fatal if left untreated for a long time.

Can I recover from heart diseases?

When detected early, cardiac diseases can be treated easily, but in case of a sudden heart attack or cardiac arrest, healing might become difficult.

How much time will it take to recover?

The time taken to recover from heart diseases will depend on the condition and severity of the patient, but the average time will be around two to three weeks.