The increase in young people having heart attacks is dramatically on the rise. Experts say this is due to poor lifestyle choices such as lack of exercise and a bad diet. And unless something changes, the number will only continue to increase. But one of the biggest risk factors also is the increasing incident of type 2 diabetes and lifestyle changes.
Earlier heart problems were primarily seen in the 50+ however, recently the ones in the 30s and 40s are getting affected. As per WHO, cardiovascular diseases (CDV) account for about 45% of deaths in the case of Indian adults aged 40 to 69. Disorders in heart and blood vessels lead to most CVDs and often need to undergo surgery. Creating awareness of Cardiac health is very crucial and is the need of the hour.
Recently we had a case of a 76-year-old man from Madhya Pradesh who had suffered from a heart attack. He got the angiography done there and a bypass was suggested by the doctors. He got admitted to Wockhardt Hospital, Mumbai Central within a week after angiography but was not ready to opt for a bypass considering his fear about the surgery. In his case, the heart pumping was at 25% which is a risk factor for the outcome of any procedure, but the only option was bypass surgery. We did his bypass via minimally invasive surgery. We usually do MICS (Minimal invasive cardiac surgery) in patients with a better heart function and those with 3-4 blockages inside the heart—his surgery was successfully done with a small incision via the breastbone. The patient got discharged on the 5th day and doing well by performing his daily routine without any problems.
With advanced technology there are several ways to treat a person with cardiac problems. Patients prefer shorter hospital stay and fewer postoperative complications, hence opt for Minimal Invasive Surgeries (MIS) over open heart surgery. While doing a MIS there is a small incision on the chest to reach the heart between ribs, rather than cutting via breastbone. This procedure is safe, and the success rate is high with less risk. A doctor will suggest MIS depending on a few factors such as the type or heart disease one is diagnosed with, how severe it is; the patients age, medical history, lifestyle; and results of tests done before surgery. As compared with the open-heart surgery, this type of surgery is less painful and has a quicker recovery in patients.
Minimally invasive heart surgery has various benefits:
• Less pain
• Faster recovery
• No cutting of bones
• No opening of chest
• Short stay at the hospital
• Minimal scarring
• Less blood loss
• Decreased for blood transfusion
Procedures of minimally invasive heart surgeries
- Mitral valve repair or replacement
- Aortic valve replacement
- Atrial septal defect
Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG): This is a surgical procedure used to treat coronary heart disease. It helps to divert blood around the clogged or narrowed parts of the major arteries to improve the oxygen supply and blood flow to the heart.
(This article has been authored by Dr Mangesh Kohale, Consultant Cardiac Surgeon, Wockhardt Hospital)
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