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Heart failure is a common health concern that affects millions globally. It is a condition in which the heart is not able to pump effectively the oxygen-rich blood that is required by the body. The condition can occur gradually or even suddenly, and there are more than 150+ causes of heart failure.

Some types of heart failure are mild and even reversible, and people may live for years with initial diagnoses and effective treatments. At Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Heart Failure Surgery in Delhi aims to help people live a lively and healthy life

Initial Treatments Gives Second Life

Heart failure is serious, and it does not mean that the heart has stopped beating. It is a severe disease, and with treatment, one can get better than ever. In this article, Dr. Sujay Shad, a Heart Surgery Specialist at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, will discuss heart failure symptoms, causes, and treatment. At the hospital, Heart Transplant Surgery in Delhi is also performed for saving lives of patients with end-stage heart failure.

What are the Symptoms of Heart Failure?

• Fluid-filled congested lungs, dry or painful cough, wheezing, are signs of heart failure
• Fluid and water retention in the body parts like ankles, legs, and tummy 
• Increased urination at night time along with poor diet and nausea.
• Reduced blood supply that results in fatigue, weakness, and confusion
• Shortness of breast 
• Pain in chest
• Congestion
• Weight gain
• Facing breathing problems even at rest.

Sometimes, these symptoms are for other illnesses, so heart failure diagnosis can be missed at the initial stages. This also delays people from seeing a cardiologist. Early diagnosis and treatment can help prolong one’s life. In congestive heart failure, the body retains more fluid, and not all cases of heart failure cause fluid retention.

What Causes Heart Failure?

The factors that can damage the heart and cause heart failure include:

• Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) – If left untreated it can trigger heart attack.
• Cardiomyopathy- Damage to the heart muscles caused by alcohol intake, stress, trauma, infection or any type of drug abuse
• Heart attack– Cesarion of supply of blood that is required by heart for functioning
• Genetic factors or family history of heart diseases
• Inflammation of heart muscle
• Heart valve diseases
• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Kidney disease.

Sometimes, damage can occur for no known reason. This condition is termed idiopathic cardiomyopathy and occurs when heart failure runs in the family.

How is Heart Failure Diagnosed?

There is no single test to diagnose heart failure. Based on one’s medical history, family history, physical health, and based on concerns, the tests are performed. These include:

• Chest X-ray: It checks for the size of the heart and other signs of damage to the lungs.
• BNP Blood test: This is also known as a B-type natriuretic peptide hormone test, and changes in its level indicate heart failure.
• Electrocardiogram (ECG): This painless test can help check the heart’s electrical activity. It tests heart rate and speed and also checks for previous heart attacks.
• Echocardiogram: In this test, an ultrasound is used to help check the blood flow to the heart and lungs.
• Holter monitor: It also checks for the heart’s electrical activity. This is checked by a portable device that the patient will wear for one or two days.
• Exercise stress test: The patient will walk on a treadmill or ride a stationary bicycle. This helps to check for heart performance when one has to work hard. If one is not able to do this test, then stress is induced by administering a drug that causes a similar reaction.

Learn more about these tests with the best heart surgery doctor in Delhi at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.

Treatment for Heart Failure

The first thing to note is that early diagnosis and treatment can improve the patient’s health and span of life.

1. Medications: In the initial stages, treatment involves taking medications (ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers, or diuretics) and performing physical activities advised by the heart doctor.
2. Lifestyle Changes:

• It also involves reducing the intake of excess salt in the diet.
• People also need to check their weight and watch for their symptoms daily.
• Doctors also treat conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure, which can contribute to an increased risk of heart failure.

The patient must clearly understand their medical condition and follow the treatment plan. With proper management and treatment, it is possible to delay the progression of early-stage heart failure to advanced stages Proper medications, lifestyle management, and monitoring help improve heart function.

Advanced Stage Heart Failure Treatment or Surgery

Surgical Management: Sir Ganga Ram Hospital doctors have the expertise, resources, experience, and compassion to treat patients with advanced heart failure. For advanced-stage heart failure treatment, the cardiothoracic surgeon and heart specialist collaborate to create a personalised treatment plan and perform surgery to save patients’ lives. Additional surgeons could potentially be involved, depending on the situation.

Sir Ganga Ram Hospital doctors perform procedures that help open blocked heart arteries or open heart surgery. They also have expertise in conducting heart valve surgery in which they are fixed or replaced. Some procedures are performed to reduce heart rhythm abnormalities.

In some cases, heart transplant or mechanical heart pump surgery is also performed in patients with advanced or end-stage heart failure.

Hence, it is important to determine the cause of heart failure; this helps determine the best treatment approach.

Risk factors for Heart Failure

These health concerns discussed below, if left untreated, can increase the lifetime risk of developing heart failure. This includes:

• Obesity
• Coronary artery disease
• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Thyroid disorders can also trigger heart failure
• Malfunctioning heart valves can cause strain to the heart
• Untreated sleep apnea may also lead to heart failure
• People who smoke, consume tobacco, take stress, eat unhealthily, consume foods high in cholesterol and sodium, and are inactive are at high risk of having heart failure.

Frequently Asked Questions on Heart Failure

How long can one live with heart failure?

This can vary from patient to patient. In many cases, the symptoms are stable for some time, for months or even years, before they worsen. But, in some cases, the symptoms gradually worsen with time. This can lead to a heart attack or even a lung infection.

Hence, careful management and treatment provided by an expert heart doctor can help ease symptoms, improve prognosis, and prolong life.

Is there a permanent cure for heart failure?

In most cases, heart failure is a long-term health condition, and this can’t be cured but managed. The symptoms can be under control for many years with proper treatment, and it helps one to live a more active life with fewer symptoms.

What is end-stage heart failure?

It is the most advanced stage of heart failure. In this stage, the heart is unable to pump blood effectively, which the body requires to function correctly. This occurs because the heart’s ability to function is severely compromised. In end-stage symptoms like shortness of breath, fatigue, swelling in the legs and abdomen, and irregular heartbeat are even difficult to manage. The patient in this stage may require ventricular assist devices or VADs or heart transplantation.

How much does heart failure surgery cost?

The cost of heart failure surgery in Delhi will differ from patient to patient. It will be based on the patient’s condition, stage of the heart failure, patient’s age, and type of procedure performed.

You can contact Sir Ganga Ram Hospital to learn more about heart failure treatments, heart failure surgery in Delhi, their associated costs, and insurance options.

Book your visit to make an informed choice today!

The health sector is a progressively growing field in India. Over the years, many advancements have shown up in the health industry, including in the field of cardiology. Cardiology is a branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disorders or other heart problems. In India, thousands of heart surgeries are being performed annually. There are hospitals providing international standard treatments for heart patients and delivering the utmost care they need in their times of healing. Although many hospitals are rated to be the best in providing patient-focused care for heart surgeries, finding the best one can be difficult.

The heart is a vital organ and looking after its health at its best is essential. Keeping this in mind, it is important to choose the best hospital in India for any heart-related medical procedure. If you are searching for the best hospital for heart surgery in Delhi, India, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi, India can be the right place where you and your loved ones are sure to be in skilled and expert hands.

About Sir Ganga Ram Hospital

Sir Ganga Ram Hospital is one of the renowned hospitals for any heart surgeries in India, located in New Delhi spread across a rapidly developing urban network. The cardiology wing of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital is staffed with best cardiac surgeon like Dr. Sujay Shad as well as other qualified surgeons, doctors and medical support staff. Moreover, it has the most substantial infrastructure and advanced surgical facilities. All this ensures that every patient case is handled at the best personal level with a guaranteed high percentage of success of their treatment.

Some Heart-Related Conditions Best Addressed at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital

Dr. Sujay Shad, one of the internationally acclaimed heart surgeons, is highly experienced in the diagnosis and treatment of the following cardiac problems at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, top heart surgery hospital in India:

• Angina (Chest Pain)
• Sudden Cardiac Arrest
• Congestive Heart Failure
• Heart Attack
• Blood Clots lead to blockage within the heart
• Heart Rhythm Disorders or Abnormalities such as Tachycardia, Atrial Fibrillation, Ventricular Fibrillation, Atrial Flutter, Bradycardia, and Premature Atrial/Ventricular Contractions
• Endocarditis
• Cardiogenic Shock
• Heart Valve Problems
• Heart Structure Abnormalities or Heart Defects
• Cardiomyopathy
• Myocarditis
• Problems with the Aorta including Aneurysms, Stenosis, and Dissections
• Problems with Arteries like Coronary Artery Disease and Arteriosclerosis
• Heart Disease and other Conditions like Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension (CTEPH), Marfan Syndrome, and Thoracic Trauma.

Some Major Surgeries Done at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital by Dr. Sujay Shad

The top-notch heart surgeon Dr. Sujay Shad has a great wealth of experience and required skills in performing the following heart surgeries:

• Coronary Bypass Graft Surgery
• Off-pump CABG (Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery)
• Total Arterial CABG
• Heart Valve Surgery
• Mitral Valve Repair
• Mitral Valve Replacement
• Aortic Valve Replacement
• Aortic Surgery
• Aortic Dissection
• Septal Myectomy for HOCM (Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy)
• Pulmonary Thromboendarterectomy
• Heart Failure Surgeries like a Heart transplant
• LVAD (Left Ventricular Assist Device) Heart Transplant
• ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) Surgeries for LV (left ventricular) Aneurysm.

Why Choose Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi for Heart Surgeries?

Many heart patients have been selecting Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, best heart hospital in Delhi, India to undergo heart surgery, as it has managed to stand out among its competitors due to the following reasons:

• The hospital has highly admired medical staff, a well-organised and coordinated team of cardiologists, heart surgeons, nurses, anesthesiologists, and other medical personnel with updated knowledge and training.
• All kinds of heart surgeries from minor to major are conducted in the hospital by heart surgeons holding decades of experience in performing heart surgeries with optimal results. To date, the scorecard shows an unparalleled record of lakhs of successful heart surgeries.  
• The hospital has trustable, reputed heart surgeons who provide customised and comprehensive cardiac care with finesse to heart patients at a reasonable price. Here, there are bespoke surgeries conducted all tagged at affordable prices.
• The patients admitted to the hospital get a hassle-free surgical experience as state-of-the-art technologies are used.
• The cardiologists and heart surgeons at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital treat every patient with a human touch and do not compromise on the patient’s safety and comfort.
• The patients can contact our heart surgeons like Dr. Sujay Shad to clear their doubts or if any problem arises after their operation. 
• Every year, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, top heart surgery hospital in India handles lakhs of national and international heart patients including emergency and complicated cases with success rates comparable to international standards.
• There are even paediatric heart surgeons at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital who are the best in performing heart surgeries for children. This means the hospital is a one-stop destination for people of any age group suffering from heart problems.
• The hospital has third-generation Cath Labs, Cardiac Critical Care Units, Intensive Care Units, and different categories of rooms with a total of many beds.
• The hospital has appointed dedicated patient coordinators to take care of all the pre- and post-surgical guidelines and the patient’s care after surgery.
• The surgical procedures are performed with minimal invasion using highly advanced surgical equipment and technologies.
• At Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, our core values are quality and excellence at all times.
• The hospital welcomes even international heart patients and provides them with several travel amenities.
• For patients seeking heart transplants, ABC offers legal and medical guidance to the patients.
• Round-the-clock services are available at the hospital for patients having heart attacks, vascular failures, and other emergency heart conditions.
• While performing heart surgeries, our surgeons and medical staff provide stringent infection control to avoid surgical complications.

Also Read – Why is Sir Ganga Ram Hospital one of the Best Heart Hospital In Delhi, India?

Frequently Asked Questions

Want to know more about heart surgeries at our hospital? You can get answers to your questions further on in the text.

How long does it take to heal from heart surgery?

Typically, an open-heart surgery would require the patient to stay in the hospital for 4-5 days. After getting hospital discharge, six to eight weeks will be required for the breast bones and chest muscles to heal and get back to normal daily routine. In the case of minimally invasive operations on the heart, the hospital stay will be reduced, and even the time of recovery.

Does Sir Ganga Ram Hospital Hospital have an ambulance facility available?

Yes. There is outstanding ambulance service available in Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, best heart hospital in India, as per the needs and requirements of the patients. Our ambulance services are available round the clock and are well-equipped for transporting heart patients having heart attacks or heart failure and even for transporting dead patients.

Meet Dr. Sujay Shad, the top heart surgeon in Delhi, India at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi for more details on these amazing life saving heart surgeries and treatments.

 

Winter months are cooler and drops in temperatures do come with health problems such as  common cold and flu. A cold environment can impact health, specifically the heart, in ways that most people are unaware of. There are various heart and circulatory problems whose risk is higher during cold weather. Among them, the most common heart problem reported in the winter season is a heart attack.

It is important to be aware of how cold weather can affect the heart, especially if you have been diagnosed with a cardiovascular disease. In this post Dr. Sujay Shad, best heart surgery specialist in Delhi, India and Professor and Senior Consultant of Cardiac Surgery Department at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital shares in detail about the impact of cold weather on heart health and also lists tips to manage heart health during cold weather.

How does cold weather affect the heart?

In case people stay outdoors for prolonged periods in cold weather without enough clothing to keep themselves warm, they can suffer from accidental hypothermia which can damage their cardiac muscles and increase the risk of heart issues. Hypothermia refers to the fall in the core body temperature to below 35°C. It happens usually with children and elderly people when their bodies are unable to produce sufficient energy to stay warm. The symptoms of this condition are mental confusion, lack of coordination, shivering, slowed reactions, and sleepiness.

When one’s body is exposed to a cold environment, one’s body starts making certain adjustments to preserve one’s internal body temperature. For any heart patient, such normal body adjustments could be hard to achieve.

The exposure of the body to cold temperatures can cause blood vessels to constrict or become narrower. As a result, there is minimal loss of heat from the blood which is required to maintain the normal core body temperature.

The narrowing of the blood vessels causes the blood pressure to increase. This leads to harder pumping of the heart so that blood can flow to the constricted blood vessels. Those who have a healthy cardiovascular system do not experience any such problems due to the narrowing of the blood vessels. But, for people who have cardiovascular disease, arteries may get obstructed and they may have heart attacks.

Anyone with cardiovascular disease faces challenges in staying healthy during cold weather. Those suffering from coronary artery disease often have cardiac ischemia- a condition wherein there is insufficient supply of oxygen to the cardiac muscles. This causes them to experience chest pain or discomfort when they are not able to keep their body warm in cold weather or even have heart attacks.

Besides the impact of cold temperatures, the cool and dry winds, rain, and snow during cold weather can all cause the body to lose heat faster. When the heart pumps hard to keep the body warm, one can experience a raised pulse rate.

So, it is important to have proper awareness on heart health, cardiovascular diseases, and ways to take care of your heart to ensure the onset of any type of heart issues. One can get in touch with a heart doctor in Delhi, Dr. Sujay Shad for more details.

Tips To Manage Heart Health in Cold Weather

The first and foremost thing that must be done in cold weather is to try to keep the body warm. With the least exposure of the body to cold weather, the risk of heart problems will be minimal. Therefore, it is important to wear enough clothes that keep the body warm when roaming around in cold weather.

At home, heaters can help in keeping your body warm. It’s risky for one’s health to keep shifting from cold to warm temperature and vice versa and so must be avoided. If having a weak or failing heart, it’s better to consult a heart doctor in Delhi, India e.g. at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and take all necessary suggested measures for proper heart care, keeping cold weather in mind. This includes having a heart-healthy diet as a poor diet may result in unhealthy weight, cholesterol, and changes in blood pressure that all increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and heart attacks or strokes.

Precautions to Take During Cold Weather by Patients Suffering from Cardiovascular Disease

Although everyone needs to take some precautions to ensure good health when in cold weather, the precautions are necessary, especially for people who already have a heart problem.

The precautions that cardiovascular disease patients must take during the cold winter season include:

• Limit outdoor activities when it’s too cold- It’s better to spend much time indoors than outdoors when the outside environment is too cold. If it is important to go outside, it is advised to layer the body with enough warm clothes. Most importantly, the head, hand, chest, and feet must be properly covered.
• Avoid overexertion- Just being outdoors in cold weather can cause one to over-exert oneself. For instance, when cold wind blows in one’s face, one does brisk walking and exerts oneself more.According to many research studies, snow shovelling is a strenuous physical activity that when done during a snowstorm for a long time can cause the heart to pump harder and increase blood pressure. For people with cardiovascular disease, shovelling or any such overexertion while the body is exposed to cold weather can trigger a cardiac emergency. They can suffer from angina, heart attacks, heart failure, and sudden death. Cardiologists too insist people never shovel snow at all, or if needed only push the snow with a small shovel rather than shovelling wet, deep, or heavy snow.
• Don’t overheat the body- Wearing warm clothes and then indulging in physical activities can overheat the body and make one sweat. In a heart patient, overheating of the body will cause the blood vessels in the body to suddenly dilate or widen, thereby causing low blood pressure/ hypotension. In case you are experiencing sweating, it’s a danger sign for you so you must take rest indoors.
• Get a flu shot- In cold weather, it’s more likely for anyone to have the flu because of the low humid environment outdoors and indoor heating. Catching flu is dangerous for people with cardiovascular disease. Therefore, heart patients must be vaccinated for flu and if they happen to develop any symptoms of flu, they must promptly get the medical attention of a doctor.
• Avoid alcohol consumption before going out in cold weather- Alcohol causes blood thinning. Its intake before exposing the body to cold temperatures can expand the blood vessels present underneath the skin’s surface. This would make you feel warm while heat is being stolen from your vital organs.

Choose Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Top Heart Hospital in Delhi, India

Sir Ganga Ram Hospital is located in Rajendra Nagar, New Delhi. It is one of the best private heart institutions that offer both national and international levels of treatments. It is a multi-specialty hospital, and the majority of patients visit the hospital cardiology department, which is the centre of excellence of this heart hospital in Delhi, India.

If you or your loved ones are experiencing any heart-related condition like chest pain, sudden cardiac arrest, blood clots, congestive heart failure, heart valve disease, atherosclerosis, endocarditis, cardiogenic shock, heart valve problems, heart abnormalities, cardiomyopathy, heart failure, heart attack, heart disease and conditions, arrhythmia, tachycardia, heart defects Marfan syndrome, thoracic trauma, and tracheal stenosis that require surgical intervention, they must immediately consult Dr. Sujay Shad, the best cardiac surgeon in Delhi at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.