Heart Transplant Treatment: Procedure, Costs & Hospitals in India
• As we all know the heart is the most important organ of the human body. Basic function of heart includes pumping blood through the blood vessels of the circulatory system. Heart diseases can be mild to severe and when a person is in the last stage of heart failure then a heart transplant is required. Heart transplant in India which is also known as cardiac transplant is a surgical procedure which is performed on patients when there is no other option available or when other medical treatments have failed. People with severe coronary artery disease or last stage heart failure require a heart transplant. In this procedure, the failed heart or heart with disease is restored with a healthy donor heart which is basically donated by a person who recently died. As soon as the patient is considered suitable for the heart transplant he/she is then added in the list. The suitable donor heart may take a few months or even years, till then the patient has to wait.
Let's understand the procedure of a heart transplant.
This heart transplant surgery can only happen in a hospital. The patient is given anesthetic and then the surgeon cuts the breastbone of the patient to access patients heart. Meanwhile breathing is supported with the help of a ventilator. Surgeon then opens the chest and connects the arteries and veins to the bypass machine knows as heart-lung bypass machine. Then the heart is replaced with the donor heart and the surgeon closes the breastbone with a wire which remains inside forever.
AFTER TRANSPLANT
Health conditions after the surgery decide the amount of time to stay in hospital. Regular health checkups are required for a minimum of one year. The patient will be physically weak till the breastbone gets completely healed. It normally takes almost 6 months for the breastbone to be in good condition. After the patient gets completely recovered he/she can continue with the regular life activities, but patient needs to take regular medicines throughout the life time. These medicines are necessary as they prevent the donor heart from infections. According to a recent survey 8 out of 10 people live for more than 5 years after the transplant.
The first heart transplant in India was performed by Panangipalli Venugopal. In India, 26 successful heart transplants are performed till date.
List of best hospitals in India for a heart transplant is as follows :
• Fortis Escorts, Delhi
• Medanta, Delhi
• Apollo Hospital, Mumbai
• Ambani Hospital, Mumbai
• Rajiv Gandhi Hospital, Chennai
• Manipal Heart Foundation, Bangalore
• Narayana Hospital, Jaipur, Rajasthan
Cost Factor
The cost of a heart transplant in India ranges from 20 lakhs to 25 lakhs. Also to remember per month medication cost includes 30,000 more.
Heart transplant gives a person approximately 10 more years to live, considering the cost factor & the risk factor involved in it.
