Heart Failure

Human heart is a pump which beats 70-80 times per minute but can go upto 200 beats per minute. The heart is made of muscle and each time it contracts it is able to pump 60% of the blood from the left ventricle into the aorta. As this muscle becomes weaker due to fat deposits on the heart muscle its capacity to pump the blood reduces from 60%. If this capacity to pump the blood reaches 20% then the patient is termed to be in congestive heart failure. Though there are some medications and lifestyle modifications which can improve the functioning of the heart muscle but if there is no improvement then heart transplant is the only option.

As the heart muscle weakens the heart is not able to pump sufficient blood. The demand for blood is not met by the heart beating for 70-80 times so the heart rate increases to fulfill the demand for blood. When the heart has to beat more number of times every minute then the size of the heart increases and this reduces the capacity to pump blood even more.

Lung FailureLungs are meant to get you oxygen which goes with the blood to all the parts of your body and brings carbondioxide from those cells which is exhaled by the lungs. If the lungs are diseased and are not able to give sufficient oxygen to the blood then the person starts gasping and the heart rate also goes up. The lungs can get diseased due to several reasons like Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, High Blood Pressure, Smoking, High levels of Pollution, Obesity, Pneumonia etc

Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment

Symptoms of Congestive Heart Failure are :

Shortness of Breath
Increased Heart Rate
Swelling in ankles, legs and feet
Rapid Weight Gain due to fluid retention
Persistent Cough or Wheezing

A simple test like 2-D Echocardiogram can give information about the Ejection Fraction (ability of the heart to pump blood). If the ejection fraction is close to 20% then the person is in heart failure. Some medications are known to improve the heart function but in most of the cases heart transplant surgery is the only option.

Some people have such severe heart failure that surgery or medications don't help. They may need to have their diseased heart replaced with a healthy donor heart.

Heart transplants can improve the survival and quality of life of some people with severe heart failure. The heart or lung transplant can take place only from a cadaveric donor. People who donate their organs and when such people are declared brain deaad then their heart and lung can be retrieved and transplanted into another person. However, candidates for transplantation often have to wait a long time before a suitable donor heart is found. Some transplant candidates improve during this waiting period through drug treatment or device therapy and can be removed from the transplant waiting list.

Cost of Heart or Lung Transplant

The cost of Heart Transplant Surgery in India is in the range of USD 50000- 75000 and the cost of Lung Transplant Surgery is in the range of 45000-70000 USD. When both the heart and the lung transplant take place at the same time then the cost of the surgery is in the range of USD 90000 - 120000. The patient has to be in the hospital for atleast 30 days under close observation of the transplant team to make sure that all the vital parameters are fine and to prevent the rejection of the transplanted organ.

For receiving heart or lung transplant the patient has to get registered with the hospital and whenever a suitable cadaveric donor is available the hospital will inform the patients as per their order in the registry.

There are many touts in the Indian market who would promise to get you a donor for a price, you must stay clear of such people as this is an illegal act in India and both the recipient and the tout could land in trouble.

Our Cancer Hospitals

Cancer treatment requires high quality equipments and care. Hence in India cancer hospitals are majorly tertiary care setups. Some of the best cancer hospitals in India with best in class facilities are located in Delhi/NCR and Mumbai. In Delhi/NCR we have hospitals like Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurgaon, India whcih is considered as one of the most advanced hospitals for cancer treatment. Apart from Fortis we have Paras Hospital Gurgaon, India which is a great setup for cancer surgeries. Similarly in Munbai we have Nanavati hospital which offers great cancer treatment facilities all the way from cancer surgery, chemotherapy, liver transplant, bone marrow transplant and even heart and lung transplants.

Technology at our Disposal

Our Hospitals have the latest MRI, CT Scan, Digital X-Ray, Mammography, Ultrasound, Colour Doppler, PET CT Scan, Gamma Camera (Nuclear Medicine Scans), Image Guided Radiation Therapy, Gamma Knife, Cyber Knife, Thoracosopy, Sleep Study, Lung Ultrasound Bronchoscopy EBUS etc which gives us the diagnostic and theraputic confidence for providing the right treatment.

Modular fully equipped Operation Theatres with hepa-filters for zero infection rate and C-Arm backed by a state of art ICU helps us in providing world class treatment to our patients. Similarly in cases of transplant our well equipped isolation rooms ensure a zero infection rate which is very important for transplant patients as they have compromised immunity after the surgery.

Our Cancer Doctors

Our team of doctors include some of the best names from the Indian Medical Fraternity. Dr Ankur Garg - Liver Transplant, Hepato Biliary and Pancreatic Cancer Surgeon, Dr Kuldeep Kumar, Dr Kaushal Yadav, Dr Abhishek Mitra, Dr Niranjan Naik, Dr Rama Joshi, Dr Sumita Singh, Dr Priyanjana Sharma, Dr Shilpi Sharma Dr Rajiv Yadav, Dr Vikram Singh- All Cancer Surgeons, Dr Pradeep Bansal and Dr Fateh Singh - Kidney Transplant Surgeons, Dr Rahul Bhargava and Dr Dharma Choudhary - Bone Marrow Transplant Specialists, Dr Vinod Raina, Dr Suresh Advani - Medical Oncologists, Dr Hemant Pathare - Heart & Lung Transplant Surgeons, Dr J S Virk- Orthopaedic Cancer Surgeon, Dr Amal Roay Chaudhoory and Dr Subodh Pande Radiation Oncologists.

Artemis Hospital

Metro Hospital, Faridabad

Fortis Hospital, Gurgaon

Nigerian Patient's Experience

Nigerian Patient shares her experience during her treatment in India. Her treatment was absolutely scientifically planned from the time she got in touch with us till the time she departed.

International Patients Share Experiences

In this video you would see the patients from several countries sharing their experiences about treatment in Indian Hospitals for all kinds of conditions. Watch the video to know what to expect when you come to India.

Cancer Treatment in India

Dr James a renowned surgeon & owner of 40 bedded hospital in Nigeria, came to India along with his wife to get Radiation Therapy for his Prostate Cancer. Dr James is sharing his experience in India.