How Safe is Cardiac Surgery

One of Delhi’s best cardiologist and cardiac surgeon explains…

If you’re looking to go in for heart valve surgery or heart valve replacement surgery in Delhi or if you’re looking for angioplasty and angiography in Dwarka, our cardiac hospital is one of the best cardiac care providers in Delhi. This article may be important for you if you are considering going in for heart bypass surgery or any other cardiovascular procedure. We’ll explain the potential risk factors in angiography, angioplasty, and open heart surgery.

Angiography - Coronary – CAG

Coronary Angiography today is a very safe procedure, but some minor side effects may occasionally occur and there is a marginal risk of developing any serious complications.

You'll be advised to only go in for the procedure if the benefits are greater than potential risk.

Speak to your cardiologist regarding the benefits and risk factors of CAG.

Some of the common complaints post CAG reported by patients are bruising of the hand, a little soreness or a tiny bump or the puncture site.

These issues usually resolve in a few days and do not usually require any medicine. Some minor complications like an infection may need to be treated by antibiotic. Some major complications may include kidney injury because of the dye which is usually temporary, damage to a blood vessel, at times an allergic reaction to the dye can cause breathing difficulties.

Though these serious complications are extremely rare, we take full precautions and follow international cardiac standard guidelines to ensure maximum safety.

Coronary Angioplasty

In case when CAG shows Coronary artery disease. Which is focal, it can be managed by coronary angioplasty. It can be single vessel or even multiple vessel angioplasty.

In case the block is in the left main vessel, then depending on the type of disease angioplasty v/s bypass surgery can be decided. This can happen because of the cholesterol deposits along the internal linings of blood vessels.

Those who are elderly are at more risk of stroke/paralysis and have co-morbid conditions like obesity/diabetes mellitus. Some of the common complication after angioplasty are stroke, urgent CABG, stent thrombosis, acute kidney injury, requiring dialysis, Hematomas at the site of puncture.

Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery

You may know this surgery by its common name, the “bypass surgery”. This is the commonest heart surgery being done world-wide.

Bypass surgery is used for treating serious chest pains and heart attack that are caused by blockages in the arteries that supply blood to the heart. The surgeon attaches or “grafts”) a blood vessel from another place in the body to the diseased heart artery, rerouting blood around the blockage like detour on a road, and basically double, triple or quadruple bypass surgeries refer to the number of heart arteries that are bypassed for the same purpose.

The surgery carries tremendous benefits, particularly for those patients who are suffering from serious cardiovascular disease. This operation can truly save your life if you are experiencing a heart attack or are at very high risk of having one in the future. If you have continuous chest pain (ongoing angina) and shortness of breath because of heart disease, coronary bypass surgery is most highly effective at eliminating or easing this pain and discomfort. Coronary bypass surgery can give your life back to you.

Coronary bypass surgery is a beating-heart procedure, it requires taking general anaesthesia and in majority cases the heart is not stopped during the surgery. The really great news is that in recent decades we have seen a huge drop in serious complications and now, almost more than 98-99% percent of people who undergo coronary bypass surgery do not experience any serious complications, and the risk of death immediately after the procedure is a minor one to two percent.

The risk of complications is much higher for those who go for emergency coronary bypass surgeries ( for instance patients who are suffering a heart attack in emergency); as compared to those who go in for planned elective surgery for treating angina and other symptoms. Additionally, patients could be at higher risk if they are aged 80 years and above. Patients who have other pre-existent serious conditions, like diabetes, cancers, kidney disease or lung disease, may also be at higher risk. Heart bypass surgery always carries better long term results when the severe coronary artery disease is detected on time and treatment is done before major problems have occurred due to the diseases. The quality of life of an individual is greatly enhances after undergoing heart bypass surgery.

If you are considering coronary bypass surgery, it’s best to do so on an elective basis to treat your heart disease well in advance. Feel free to discuss any concerns you have about balancing the benefits and risks of the surgery with some of the best cardiac surgeons in Delhi, here at Aakash Healthcare