Aortic Valve Replacement Cost In Busan

A day before the surgery, a physical examination of the person and some tests are done to assess one’s health, including chest X-ray, electrocardiogram (ECG), blood tests, echocardiogram, and coronary angiogram. All the tests are usually covered in the medical package.

There are different types of valves used for aortic valve surgery depending upon the patient’s condition. These include Open Aortic Valve Replacement (AVR) via Sternotomy, Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI), and Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery (MICS). AVR is for low-risk patients, TAVI is used for patients who are at risk from complications of AVR whereas MICS is a fast method among all three. However, the most expensive procedure among all the three is TAVI.

In addition, AVR and MICS can last up to a lifetime and TAVI has a life span of approximately five years but more research is required on it.

All the pharmaceutical expenses and medical consumables are included in the medical package during the patient’s stay in the hospital however, these benefits are not covered once the patient is discharged.

Post-surgery, the patient is usually advised to stay in the hospital for a week to recover. However, it may take a month for the patient to recover fully. The package covers the patient’s stay in the hospital although, depending upon the facilities and type of room, the package cost may increase.

After surgery, the patient has monitored for the risk of infection or increased blood pressure. He is also assisted in managing discomfort or pain and is helped in walking and doing exercise. All these services are included in the package. The patient might also go for personal sessions for breathing exercises after discharge. In addition, the patient may require medication for at least three months following surgery. 

With respect to the follow-ups, the patient may need to see his cardiologist six to eight weeks after the surgery and the doctor then recommends the number of follow-ups required according to the patient’s condition.

Depending upon the health insurance cover the person has taken, the costs are covered. Some premium covers provide full cost whereas some others provide the partial cost of the treatment.

The aortic valve replacement procedure puts immense strain on the body and may require alternative approaches that include aortic valve balloon valvuloplasty, TAVI, and sutureless aortic valve replacement.