Aneurysm: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment

An aneurysm is a condition where the wall of an artery or vein weakens, leading to bulging. This can occur in different parts of the body and presents varying symptoms based on its location. Diagnosis and treatment depend on medical evaluation and individual health conditions. In some cases, surgery is required, which can be performed using minimally invasive or traditional surgical methods. The affected vessel is reinforced with medical-grade mesh to maintain its normal shape and diameter.

Types of Aneurysm Repair Surgery

1. Endovascular Aneurysm Repair (EVAR): A minimally invasive procedure where a stent graft is inserted through the arteries to reinforce the aneurysm site.
2. Open Surgical Repair: A traditional method where the affected vessel is replaced with a synthetic graft through an open incision.
3. Surgical Clipping (for Brain Aneurysm): A metal clip is placed at the neck of the aneurysm to prevent rupture.
4. Endovascular Coiling (for Brain Aneurysm): A catheter is used to place coils inside the aneurysm to block blood flow and prevent rupture.
5. Flow Diverter Stents: A stent is placed to redirect blood flow away from the aneurysm, allowing it to heal over time.

A.       Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA)

 What is Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair?

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair is a surgical procedure aimed at correcting a bulging or weakened area in the abdominal aorta to prevent rupture. This can be done using open surgery or an endovascular repair approach.

Symptoms of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

• Persistent back or abdominal pain
• Pulsating sensation near the navel
• Sudden, severe pain (in case of rupture)
• Low blood pressure and dizziness

Diagnosis of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

• Ultrasound: First-line imaging technique for screening
• CT Scan/MRI: Provides detailed images of the aneurysm
• Angiography: Used for precise mapping of blood vessels

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) Cost in India

The average cost of abdominal aortic aneurysm in India starts from ₹8,40,000 ($10,000). The cost can be less or more depending on several factors including your medical condition, experience of the surgeon and the type of hospital you choose.

• Cost: The average cost of abdominal aortic aneurysm in India starts from $10000.
• Factors: The cost can be less or more depending on several factors including your medical condition, experience of the surgeon and the type of hospital you choose.
• Diagnostics Tests: CT Scan , MRI, Duplex Ultrasound etc.
• Treatment Options: Open Repair Surgery, Endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) – Endovascular Stent Grafting

Treatment Options for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm in India

• Monitoring: For small aneurysms with regular imaging
• Medications: To control blood pressure and cholesterol
• Endovascular Aneurysm Repair (EVAR): Minimally invasive approach
• Open Surgery: For larger or complex aneurysms

Complications of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair

• Infection and bleeding
• Blood clots
• Kidney complications
• Graft leakage (in EVAR procedures)

 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Aneurysm Repair Surgery in India

1. What is the recovery time after aneurysm surgery?
2. Is aneurysm repair covered by insurance in India?
3. What is the success rate of aneurysm surgery?

B.       Brain (Cerebral) Aneurysm

What is a Cerebral Aneurysm?

A cerebral aneurysm occurs when a weakened area in the brain’s blood vessels bulges and may rupture, causing a life-threatening condition.

Causes of Brain Aneurysm

• High blood pressure
• Smoking and excessive alcohol consumption
• Genetic predisposition
• Head injuries and infections

Signs and Symptoms of Cerebral Aneurysm

• Sudden, severe headache
• Blurred or double vision
• Seizures
• Nausea and vomiting
• Loss of consciousness (in case of rupture)

Diagnosis of Brain Aneurysm

• MRI/MRA: Detailed imaging of blood vessels
• CT Scan: Identifies bleeding or swelling
• Cerebral Angiography: Detailed mapping of the aneurysm

Cerebral Aneurysm Surgery Cost in India

 The average cost of cerebral aneurysm treatment in India starts from USD 7000 (INR 513,640). This is approximately 1/3rd of what it costs in the western countries as the average price of cerebral aneurysm treatment in the west is estimated to be above $20,000.

The low cost of cerebral aneurysm treatment is one of the main reasons why patients from abroad prefer to come to the country. The difference in the cost of brain aneurysm surgery in India and abroad is so significant that it makes medical tourists save thousands of dollars.

Cost of cerebral aneurysm Surgery 

India        Starting form $7,000

Complications of a Ruptured Brain Aneurysm

• Stroke and brain damage
• Hydrocephalus (fluid buildup in the brain)
• Coma or death in severe cases

Treatment of Brain Aneurysms

• Monitoring: Small, unruptured aneurysms
• Surgical Clipping: Traditional method to prevent rupture
• Endovascular Coiling: Minimally invasive technique
• Flow Diverter Stents: Used for larger or complex aneurysms

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About Brain Aneurysm Treatment in India

1. How much does brain aneurysm surgery cost in India?
2. What is the survival rate after aneurysm surgery?
3. Are there non-surgical options for treating a brain aneurysm?

By choosing India for aneurysm treatment, patients can access high-quality care at an affordable cost while benefiting from expert medical professionals and advanced technology.

 

Common Types of Pediatric Congenital Heart Defects?

Septal defects

A septal defect is a hole in the septum, the wall that divides the heart. There are two types of septal defects: atrial septal defects (ASDs) are holes in the septum between the left and the right atria; ventricular septal defects (VSDs) are holes in the septum between the left and right ventricles. Because of this hole, oxygenated blood mixes with non-oxygenated blood.

A septal defect means that blood flows from one chamber of the heart to the other, instead of taking its normal path. For instance, with an atrial septal defect, blood flows from one atrium to the other, instead of going to the ventricle.

Similarly, with a VSD, the blood flows from the left ventricle to the right ventricle, rather than through its normal path to the aorta and the rest of the body. As a result, blood that has picked up oxygen from the lungs mixes with oxygen-poor blood. This can mean that parts of the body aren’t getting enough oxygenated blood.

ASDs and VSDs can be small or large. Some ASDs close up on their own as the child grows older. Others may be repaired using catheters or with open heart surgery.

Although some small VSDs may close on their own, some are so large that the left side of the heart is forced to work much harder. If it is not treated, a VSD can lead to heart failure. These defects have to be repaired with open heart surgery.

Valve defects

Another type of defect involves the heart valves. Defective valves may be caused by:

• Stenosis (narrowing) — the valve is not able to open completely. As a result, the heart has to work harder to pump blood through it.
• Regurgitation — The valve does not close correctly and allows blood to leak backward.
• Atresia — the valve is missing a hole for the blood to pass through. This is considered a more complex defect.

Pulmonary valve stenosis is the most common valve defect. In this defect, the flaps of the pulmonary valve don’t work properly—they are too thick, or they become stiff, or even fuse together, making it difficult for the blood to move to the lung via the pulmonary artery.

Children who have a pulmonary valve stenosis may have a heart murmur, an irregular sound heard during a heartbeat. Children who are born with a severe pulmonary valve stenosis may have such symptoms as fatigue, breathing problems, and trouble eating.

Pulmonary valve stenosis may also be accompanied by other defects, such as an ASD or patent ductus arteriosis (PDA). The ductus arteriosis is a blood vessel in the fetus that connects the aorta and the pulmonary artery. The ductus arteriosis usually closes within minutes or days of birth; if it does not close, it is called a patent (open) ductus arteriosis (PDA).

A PDA lets oxygenated blood and deoxygenated blood mix and puts pressure on lung arteries. In the event of certain heart defects, doctors might choose to keep the PDA open until surgery to correct other blood flow defects can be done.

Stenosis can also affect the aortic valve. If this valve cannot open or close properly, blood may leak or pool. This can increase pressure on the heart and cause heart damage. A balloon catheter procedure might be performed in order to widen the valve and increase the blood flow.

Other types of congenital heart defects

• Coarctation of the aorta — This defect happens when the aorta narrows and prevents blood from flowing freely to the lower part of the body. Coarctation of the aorta can cause hypertension (high blood pressure) and heart damage. Surgery or balloon catheterization in selected cases can be used to correct this problem.
• Complete atrioventricular canal defect (CAVC) — The heart has a hole in all four chambers in the spot where the chambers would normally be divided. Symptoms may not appear until the baby is several weeks old; infants may have trouble breathing, eating, and growing. This defect can be corrected with surgery.
• D-transposition of the great arteries — The positions of the pulmonary artery and the aorta are reversed. The blood flow to either the body or the lungs is interrupted. Surgery is needed to fix this problem.
• Ebstein’s anomaly — The tricuspid valve does not work as it should and allows blood to leak back into the upper chambers of the heart from the lower pumping chambers. This defect often occurs along with an ASD. Ebstein’s anomaly may be mild enough to never require surgery. In some cases, however, it may cause cyanosis (the skin turns blue because of a lack of oxygen) or heart failure.
• Single ventricle defects — These include hypoplastic left heart syndrome, pulmonary atresia/intact ventricular septum, and tricuspid atresia:
  • In hypoplastic left heart syndrome, the left side of the heart is underdeveloped. Without treatment, the baby will usually die. Treatment might include a series of heart operations or a heart transplant.
  • In pulmonary atresia, the pulmonary valve has become narrowed or blocked. Blood can only get to the lungs through openings that usually close as the baby gets older.
  • In tricuspid atresia, there is no tricuspid valve. Blood has to circulate through an ASD. Surgery is necessary to repair these defects.
• Tetralogy of Fallot — This defect combines four problems: a ventricular septal defect; pulmonary stenosis (a blockage between the heart and the lungs); right ventricular hypertrophy (the muscle around the lower right chamber of the heart is enlarged); and the aorta is in the wrong position (over both ventricles, instead of just the left ventricle). Surgery is needed to correct this defect.
• Total anomalous pulmonary venous connection — The veins from the lungs connect to the heart in the wrong place and let oxygenated blood into the wrong heart chamber. This defect requires open heart surgery early in infancy.
• Truncus arteriosis — This defect occurs when there is one large artery instead of the usual two separate ones to carry blood to the body and the lungs. Surgery is needed to close the VSD and to add another tube to act as the second artery.

What are the symptoms of pediatric congenital heart disease?

Often, there are no symptoms associated with these defects. The defects are usually found during routine physical examinations. In cases where there are symptoms, they may include:

• Trouble breathing
• Bluish tones to the skin (cyanosis)
• Poor eating habits
• Fatigue (tiredness)
• Swelling in the abdomen or around the eyes
• Rapid heartbeat

How are pediatric congenital heart defects diagnosed?

Tests to diagnose heart defects might include:

• Physical examination, including listening to the heart with a stethoscope
• Chest X-ray
• Electrocardiogram to test heart rate patterns
• Echocardiogram (takes pictures of the heart using sound waves)
• Cardiac catheterization (a thin tube is inserted through a vein into the heart to obtain details on heart function)

Some defects can be diagnosed while the baby is still developing in the womb.

What causes pediatric congenital heart defects?

In most cases, the reasons defects happen are not known, but some connections have been identified:

• Women who get German measles (rubella) during their first trimester of pregnancy have a higher risk of having a baby with a congenital heart defect.
• The risk may also be higher if the woman has some types of viral infections, is exposed to industrial solvents, takes certain kinds of medications, drinks alcohol, or uses cocaine while pregnant.
• Women who have given birth to a child with a congenital heart defect are at higher risk of giving birth to another child with a heart defect.

Best Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Hospital in India

What is Pediatric Cardiology ?

Sometimes heart surgery in children is required for repairing defects in the heart which a child might have born with (known as congenital heart defects) and heart diseases which he gets after birth, which require surgery. Pediatric Cardiac Surgery deals with operative procedures in the newborn and unborn children and youngsters suffering from cardiac dysfunctions, structural, functional and rhythm-related issues of the heart also.

Pediatric Cardiac Surgery often deals with heart problems in children, the cause of congenital heart diseases which are common heart ailments among new born children and involves deficiencies like structural defects, congenital arrythmias and cardiomyopathies, which result in different kinds of abnormalities related to the heart. Congenital heart disease is a cause of improper growth of the heart or blood vessels before birth.

Pediatric Cardiology Facilities

The Paediatric cardiology department of any hospital offers all non-invasive diagnostic and paediatric cardiac interventional services. The diagnostic modalities are inclusive of foetal echocardiography, transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography, round the clock Holter, CT and MR angiography as well as diagnostic cardiac catheterisation. Cardiologists, cardiovascular surgeons, anesthesiologists and other specialists work closely together to care for newborn as well as unborn children suffering from cardio-vascular disorders who provide exceptional pre and post operative services.

Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery

There are a number of Pediatric Cardiology Surgeries such as balloon atrial septostomy, Valvuloplasty/Angioplasty, Patent Ductus Arteriosus, Ventricular Septal Defect and Atrial Septal Defect, Tetralogy of Fallot, Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return, Double Outlet Right Ventricle etc. The major ones are:

Balloon Atrial Septostomy (BAS) : This technique, also known as the Rashkind procedure used for enlarging a hole between the right atrium and the left atrium. It is often used to manage patients with transposition of the great arteries. Here the larger hole improves oxygenation of the blood.

Valvuloplasty/Angioplasty : Valvuloplasty is that process where a small balloon is inserted and inflated for stretching and opening a narrowed (stenosed) heart valve. On the other hand, angioplasty is a non-surgical process which can be used for opening blocked heart arteries.

Patent Ductus Arteriosus : This is a kind of defect in infants where vessel (the ductus arteriosus) fails to close soon after birth which results in abnormal blood flow, between the pulmonary artery and aorta, which takes the blood from the heart to the lungs and to the rest of the body. To treat it, an incision is made under the chest through which tubes are inserted to regulate the flow of blood supply.

Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) and Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD) : Both of these are congenital defects. In ASD, the wall that separates the upper heart chambers (atria) does not close completely. The surgery here involves a placement of an ASD device into the heart through catheters, which is inserted by making a tiny incision in the groin area. While in VSD, happens at the time of birth. It is explained as one or more holes in the wall that separates the right and left ventricle of the heart. In pre-natal stages, the right and left ventricles of a heart are not separate. As the fetus grows, a wall is formed for separating the two ventricles but if the wall does not form completely, a hole remains. This can be treated by inserting cardiac catheterization.

Tetralogy of Fallot (ToF) : Another congenital heart defect, it is a constellation of four abnormalities, which result in insufficient oxygen in the blood. In this case, a surgery is needed for restoring these defects which are caused, main; paid at the time when the infant is young.

Paediatric Cardiac surgery or Child Heart surgery in India

Paediatric cardiac surgery or Child Heart surgery is quite complex and needs sophisticated technologically and advanced miniature equipment for proper treatment and care of the children. The surgery thus requires special set up and best cardiac surgeons in the world who are specially trained surgeons to perform the child heart surgery. Paediatric cardiac surgeons are specially trained surgeons to treat the heart problems in children.

India has few of the best heart hospitals in the world which have the most sophisticated technology and equipment for the best outcome in a paediatric cardiac surgery or child heart surgery. There are highly trained heart surgeons considered to be the best pediatric cardiac surgeons in the world.

A graft, which is a common blood vessel, created to clear a blocked artery, is attached above and below the area within the blocked artery so that the blood flow can be diverted to the new, unblocked path, and hence blood flows freely to the heart. The graft is usually taken from an internal mammary artery of the chest, or the veins of the leg. The traditional operation requires a six to eight inch incision down the center of the breastbone so the surgeon can reach the heart directly. During the surgery, the body is connected to a heart-lung bypass machine that keeps the blood flowing so that circulation of blood to other parts of the body is not hampered. The heart is stopped while the doctor conducts the operation and special wires are used to close the chest.

Candidates for Pediatric Cardiac surgery

A child may have serious congenital heart defects or less serious heart defects and thus the type of surgery and urgency can be decided by the paediatric cardiac surgeon.

Serious congenital heart defects usually become evident during the first few hours, days, weeks and months of life. Symptoms of serious heart defects may include loss of healthy skin color leading to pale gray or blue colour of the skin, rapid breathing, swelling in the legs, abdomen or areas around the eyes, poor weight gain.

Less serious congenital heart defects are often not diagnosed until later in childhood. The child may not have any noticeable signs or symptoms. Few of the symptoms that the child may have are easily becoming short of breath or tiring during exercise or activity, swelling in the hands, ankles or feet or built-up fluid in the heart or lungs.

If a child presents with few or all of these symptoms, the child should be thoroughly evaluated by the physician and a cardiologist who would advise if the child needs a corrective heart surgery.

Expected Results from Paediatric heart surgery

The results of a corrective heart surgery in children are quite good. Most of the kids lead a normal and healthy life after the heart surgery. They can do the same things that the children can do without a congenital heart disease.

Recovery after Paediatric cardiac surgery

The child would stay in the ICU for 3-4 days after the surgery and another week or so in the hospital. The child would need about 3 or 4 more weeks at home to recover. For larger surgeries, recovery may take 6 to 8 weeks.

Pain after surgery is normal and would be controlled with medications. Most children behave differently after heart surgery- they may be irritable, clingy or cry even if they were not doing this before the surgery.

The child should not do any activity where there are chances that he/ she may fall or take a blow to chest- bicycle, skateboard riding, swimming and sports should wait for at least 4 weeks. If there has been an incision through the breast bone, they should be careful in using their arms. They should not do activities like pulling or pushing, lifting arms above the head, lifting heavy things. You should not lift the child by arms.

Time & Cost

The stay required in India depends upon the type of problem and the surgery advised by the surgeon. You may need to stay for about three to six weeks in India for a paediatric cardiac surgery or child heart surgery.

The cost of paediatric heart surgery in or the cost of child heart surgery in India depends on the type of surgery advised by the surgeon, city and facility you choose to get the procedure done. Your case manger shall help you with the cost after you provide with the medical reports of the child.

Heart Patient from Zambia : The ultimate destination for International Patients who want World Best, Affordable Heart Surgery

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MedWorld India Affiliated Heart Hospitals

Heart Surgery in India with the Best Heart surgeons in India is what medical tourists coming to India look for and is delivered at best cardiac hospitals in India . No other destination in the world can match the unparalleled clinical excellence, technology infrastructure and cost advantage offered by MedWorld India affiliated heart hospitals in India to deliver 99 percent and above successful outcomes for heart surgery.

 Our aim is to reduce the deadly consequences of cardiovascular diseases through innovative therapies for patient care. Our healthcare professionals at state of the art, heart specialty hospitals have a dedicated team of Cardiac surgeons and cardiologists who work in tandem to provide comprehensive, multidisciplinary care to patients suffering from heart ailments.

MedWorld India Affiliated Best Heart Hospitals in India offer: - The ultimate destination for international patients who want World Best, Affordable Heart Surgery

• Latest and best available techniques globally like Robotic Heart Surgery, Minimally Invasive Valve & coronary Heart Bypass Surgery, Primary and complex Coronary Angioplasties and Stenting. Percutaneous Valvular interventions including aortic valve replacement need a special mention..
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Major Types of Cardiac Defects in Children - Best Hospitals of India for Cardiac Defects

A successful cardiac surgery in children requires an expert medical team - doctors, nurses, and other support staff - who are experienced in such surgeries, can promptly recognize problems and emerging side effects, and know how to react swiftly and properly if problems do arise. A cardiac surgery program will also recognize the importance of providing patients and their families with emotional and psychological support before, during and after the surgery, and will make personal and other support systems readily available to families for this purpose. We make this difficult journey easy for the patient and his relatives.

Paediatric surgeries deal with the correction of abnormalities present in the heart of new-borns, infants or children. Most of the defects are present since birth (congenital). They all come under the category of congenital heart defects. Some are present since birth but cause symptoms after a few years and some cause symptoms immediately after birth.

Major Types of Cardiac Defects in Children :

Any defect in the septum or valves or position of arteries causes mixing of pure and impure blood or reduced blood supply to the body. If the defect is severe it is incompatible with life and requires immediate surgical intervention. Circulation of impure blood in the body results in bluish discoloration of the body called cyanosis. The tissues do not receive adequate amount of oxygen and hence cannot function.

The major cardiac defects include

•       Atrial Septal Defect
•       Ventricular Septal Defect,
•       Fallot’s Tetralogy
•       Valvular defects

   Approximately 25000-30000 children per year are affected by these defects. The paediatric surgeries deal with correction of these malformations.

1

    ASD- Atrial Septal Defect refers to a hole in the septum that separates the right and left atrium. This results in mixing of pure and impure blood.

Depending on the size of the defect, the symptoms may range from no symptoms to bluish discoloration of the body, increase pulmonary blood pressure and irregular cardiac contractions (arrhythmias).

It is corrected by open heart surgery. The sternum is split in the midline. Arterial and double venous (superior vena cava and inferior vena cava) vessels are clamped. By applying cardiopulmonary bypass (heart lung machine), the aorta is clamped, and the heart is temporarily paralyzed by a solution. The right atrium is opened and the defect is sutured.

At our world class hospitals in India, minimally invasive approaches to the repair of ASD have now been developed.  In most cases, the size of the incision is simply decreased with different approaches to cardiopulmonary bypass. Examples include partial or full submammary skin incision, hemisternotomy, and limited thoracotomy. The goal is to improve cosmetic results because these approaches are not associated with decreased morbidity or mortality.

In recent times, ASD have been closed by using a variety of catheter-implanted occlusion devices rather than by direct surgical closure with cardiopulmonary bypass. These devices are placed through a femoral venous approach and are deployed like an umbrella to seal the septal defect. These devices work best for centrally located secundum defects.

Our cardiologist with congenital experience will continue patient care to monitor for recurrence of the shunt and to ensure that the patient has returned to normal activities and cardiac function.

     Ventricular Septal Defect  - is a hole in the wall between the right and left ventricles of the heart. This abnormality usually develops before birth and is found most often in infants. A ventricular septal defect can allow newly oxygenated blood to flow from the left ventricle, where the pressures are higher, to the right ventricle, where the pressures are lower, and mix with un-oxygenated blood. The mixed blood in the right ventricle flows back or recirculates into the lungs. This means that the right and left ventricles are working harder, pumping a greater volume of blood than they normally would. Eventually, the left ventricle can work so hard that it starts to fail. It can no longer pump blood as well as it did. Blood returning to the heart from the blood vessels backs up into the lungs, causing pulmonary congestion, and further backup into the body, causing weight gain and fluid retention. If the VSD is large and surgically uncorrected, pressure can build excessively in the lungs, resulting in pulmonary hypertension. The higher the pulmonary pressure, greater the chances of blood flowing from the right ventricle to the left ventricle, backwards, causing un-oxygenated blood to be pumped to the body resulting in cyanosis (blue skin). The risk for these problems depends on the size of the hole in the septum and how well the infant’s lungs function.

Small VSDs’ are symptomless and closed spontaneously as the child grows. The large VSDs’ cause symptoms like difficulty in breathing and feeding, poor growth and pallor. The symptoms occur due to the increase in size of the right ventricle (right ventricular hypertrophy) and increase in pressure inside the lungs (pulmonary hypertension).

Two types of surgeries are available -

a) Intra-Cardiac Technique – the patient is attached to an external heart-lung machine (which performs circulatory and respiratory function during surgery). It is an open heart surgery in which the patient is placed under general anaesthesia. The rib cage is cut open in the midline. The heart is directly accessed and the defect is sutured.

                        

   b) Trans- Catheter Technique – Surgical instruments are passed through the catheter which is inserted in the femoral artery at the groin. The catheter is slowly guided up towards the point of defect to close it. It is a successful surgery.

                        With the separation of ventricles normal circulation resumes. The enlarged heart comes back to normal size. Pulmonary artery pressure reduces. The child’s growth fastens. The prognosis is excellent.

     FALLOT’S TETRALOGY: it is the most common congenital heart defect in children. The defect results in mixing of pure and impure blood.

It comprises a combination of four defects- right ventricular hypertrophy (increase in the size of right lower chamber), ventricular septal defect (whole in the wall between the two ventricles), abnormal position of aorta (aorta is on right side of heart instead of the left) and pulmonary stenosis (narrowing of pulmonary valve opening which prevents outflow of blood from right ventricle).

Two major surgeries help to correct these abnormalities.

Blalock- Taussig’s operation is a palliative procedure performed in smaller infants to increase blood flow to lungs and to allow the child to grow big enough to withstand the corrective surgery. A connection is made between right subclavian artery and pulmonary artery to pass more oxygenated blood to the latter. This relieves the cyanosis to a great extent.

The total corrective surgery is performed in children within 2 years of age. VSD is closed with a patch and the narrowed pulmonary valve is opened. The outcome of surgery is favourable and most children lead a healthy life after the surgery with minimum restrictions. 

     Double valve repair and replacement- valves are openings between two chambers and also between a chamber and artery which allows unidirectional flow of blood. The patency of these valves is very important for normal flow of blood. The function of mitral valve (between left atrium and left ventricle) and the aortic valve (between left ventricle and aorta) is very important. If these valves get narrowed, the amount of blood passing from left atrium to left ventricle (mitral valve) or from left ventricle to aorta (aortic valve) is drastically reduced. In this case the heart will pump blood harder to push it through the narrowed valves. But the blood will tend to go upwards back into the pulmonary vein and finally to the lungs. This will cause excess blood in the lungs leading to congestion. At the same time very less blood will come out into the aorta from the left ventricle which will result in reduced blood and oxygen supply to all the body parts.

5.     

Double valve repair and replacement procedure aims at correcting or replacing these both these damaged valves (aortic & mitral together) with new functional valves.  This is done through the open heart surgery. The patient is put under general anaesthesia and connected to the heart lung machine. This machine takes over the pumping, circulatory, and respiratory functions of the heart and lung till the surgical procedure is going on. The valves are accessed by cutting open the rib cage and accessing the heart directly. The old valves are sliced from their attachments and new valves are put in their place. The new valves may be obtained from a cadaveric donor, or an animal (pig) or it may be made of a nonreactive inert material. The patient needs to be given anticoagulants or immunosuppressive to clotting of blood or rejection of organ. The prognosis of this surgery is good. It is many a time a life-saving and life extending surgery.

Estimated Costs for  Heart Surgery/ Treatment  at World Class Hospital in India

Open Heart Surgery + Angiography – 7000  US Dollars

Open Heart Surgery + Angiography + Conduit -   13500 US Dollars

Closed Heart Surgery + Angiography + Shunt – 7800 US Dollars

Valvuloplasty -  2300 US Dollars

PDA Device Closure – 6900 US Dollars

ASD Device Closure – 6900 US Dollars