The most illustrious name in healthcare, Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan Dr. Naresh Trehan, has changed the face of cardiac care in the country.
Dr. Trehan has expertise in cardiothoracic surgeries including Cardiomyoplasty, transmyocardial laser revascularization, myocardial total arterial revascularization, Reduction ventriculoplasty (Batista Operation), aortic valve surgery, Heart port access surgery, and robotically assisted cardiac surgery. His specialties include cardiovascular diseases and cardiothoracic surgeries like thoracic surgeries, heart attacks, chest wall defects, heart failure, and video-assisted minimally invasive cardiac surgeries, etc.
Dr. Trehan founded the Escorts Heart Institute and Research Center, New Delhi in 1988 which is now under the aegis of Fortis. Presently, Dr. Trehan is the chairman and managing director of Medanta Medicity in Gurugram, an ambitious project spread across 43 acres and aims to integrate modern and traditional medicine with a holistic approach to healing.
Dr. Naresh Trehan has been the official surgeon to the President of India since 1991. He is one of the best cardiac surgeons in India. He has won many awards and accolades in his career including the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award and the BC Roy Award to name a few.
After completing his MBBS from King George’s Medical College Lucknow in 1969, Dr. Naresh Trehan moved to the USA where he interned at the prestigious Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, and practiced at the New York University Medical Center, Manhattan.
Heart Disease
Heart Disease is an umbrella term to describe the range of anomalies that affect the heart and its blood vessels. Heart diseases can range from structural abnormalities of the heart, diseased blood vessels supplying blood to the heart, problems in the rhythm of the heartbeat to blood clots.
The most common heart diseases are:
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Coronary Artery Disease
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Cardiomyopathy
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Heart Valve Disease
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Arrhythmias
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Congenital Heart Disease
Symptoms may vary according to the type of heart disease as does the recommended treatment.
Coronary Artery Disease
Coronary artery disease or atherosclerosis refers to the condition where fatty deposits in the arteries damage the blood vessels of the heart. As the buildup continues, the blood vessels become constricted and obstruct the blood flow to the heart, leading to heart attack or stroke.
Symptoms of Coronary Artery Disease are:
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Pain, pressure, tightness in the chest
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Shortness of breath
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Pain in arms or legs, jaws, throat, abdomen, and back
Treatment for Coronary Artery Disease
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Coronary Artery Disease in the early stages can be managed with medications and a healthy lifestyle
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Minimally invasive surgical treatment options like angioplasty with stents are offered if the disease is advanced.
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CABG or Bypass surgery is another treatment option and usually recommended where angioplasty may not be feasible.
Cardiomyopathy
The disease of the myocardium or the heart muscle where it is thickened or becomes stiff is termed cardiomyopathy. Any changes in the myocardium makes the heart weak and it becomes incapable of pumping blood.
Symptoms of Cardiomyopathy:
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Chest pain
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Dizziness
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Fatigue
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Loss of appetite
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Bloated feeling in the stomach
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Swelling in hands or feet
Treatment of Cardiomyopathy:
The damage to the heart muscles cannot be reversed and the treatment focuses mainly on preserving the heart and its functions as best as possible.
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Lifestyle changes
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Medications to control symptoms such as those for regulating blood pressure, blood thinners to prevent clotting, medicines to reduce inflammation and water retention, etc
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Minor surgical procedures to implant pacemakers or defibrillators
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Heart Transplant, if the damage to the heart is extremely severe.
Heart Valve Disease
Heart Valve disease refers to the condition where a defect in the valves of the heart disrupts the natural flow of blood. When the valves do not open or close in the correct sequence, the blood leaks or the flow of the blood is blocked – both leading to weakening of the heart muscles.
Symptoms of heart valve disease:
The symptoms of heart valve disease may not appear till the disease has progressed significantly. Some people may have advanced heart valve disease and may not have any symptoms at all. Sometimes, the symptoms may appear all of a sudden.
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Dizziness or fatigue
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Unable to maintain the level of day-to-day activities
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Shortness of breath
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Swollen ankles, feet, hands, abdomen
Treatment of heart valve disease:
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Medication is one way to treat heart valve disease and the patient may be reviewed in a year for the progress of the disease
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For advanced and more severe cases, surgery is the only option for heart valve disease. Depending on the heart valve, it may be repaired or replaced with a mechanical or bio-organic valve from that of a cow or pig. Patients can easily find the best heart surgery hospitals in India for the treatment of any heart-related disease.
Arrhythmias
This is a condition where the electrical impulses of the heart do not function properly making the heartbeat irregular – it either beats too fast (tachycardia) or too slow (bradycardia). Most arrhythmias are harmless, but sometimes they can cause fatal conditions.
Symptoms of Arrhythmias:
In general, there may not be any symptoms of arrhythmias. However, sometimes arrhythmias can cause:
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Dizziness
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Shortness of breath
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Racing or fluttering feeling
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Light-headedness or fainting
Treatment of Arrythmias:
Most arrhythmias are harmless and unless they pose a significant risk, treatment may not be necessary.
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Arrhythmias can be managed with medicines.
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Depending on the type of arrhythmia, surgery may be recommended - Pacemaker implantation to coronary bypass can be done to treat arrythmias
Congenital Heart Disease
Congenital heart disease refers to the condition when the heart does not develop properly in the fetus.
Defects in the form of holes in the walls of the heart separating the right and left sides are called septal defects. These septal defects are the most common congenital heart defects found in children.
Other defects include pulmonary stenosis, or a narrow valve that restricts the blood flow to the lungs, and the defect of the ductus arteriosus, a small blood vessel that should normally close at the time of birth.
Symptoms of Congenital heart disease:
Symptoms of congenital heart disease vary according to the type of defect. In certain severe cases, the symptoms begin to appear soon after birth. For others, symptoms may occur in the teens or adolescent years.
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Bluish tinge on lips or skin
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Heart beats rapidly
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Rapid or very fast breathing
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Swelling in parts of the body
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Fatigue or weakness
Treatment of Congenital heart disease:
Depending on the severity of the defect, treatment may be
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Management through medicines
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Minimally invasive Catheter procedures
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Surgeries
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Heart Transplant
Conclusion
Heart diseases may not be mutually exclusive to each other. For example, one of the causes of cardiomyopathy is coronary artery disease and subsequent heart attack.
Heart health is, therefore, extremely important and not at all hard to achieve. Switching a healthier lifestyle and diet goes a long way to keep most heart diseases at bay.
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