Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD) - An Overview

VSDs - are a "hole" in the wall between the two lower chambers of the heart - the ventricles. This hole may be small, medium-sized or large, and may be single or multiple. The defect may occur in different parts of the muscular wall between the lower heart chambers, and may sometimes be found along with other heart defects.

The muscular wall between the lower heart chambers is meant to separate blood passing through each (i.e. "ventricle"). This separation prevents unhealthy mixing of blue blood from the veins with red, oxygen-rich blood going to the arteries. When the muscular wall (i.e. septum) is incomplete or "broken", mixing occurs. In most situations, this leads to red blood passing across the defect and mixing with the blue blood on the right side of the heart. This is called a left-to-right-shunt and leads to abnormally high blood flow into the lungs. Just as in atrial septal defects (ASD), this causes frequent "chest colds" and breathing difficulty in children. When the VSD is large in a very small child, lung blood flow may be so enormous that the tiny ventricles cannot pump such a volume. This causes congestive heart failure. Heart failure in a child produces fast shallow breathing, excessive sweating, inability to feed well, irritability, constant crying, and a failure to grow at a normal pace.

One effect seen in VSD - but not in ASD - is the rapid development of changes in the blood vessels of the lungs. These arteries and veins become thick walled and hard early in life. The reason for this is perhaps because blood from the left ventricle, which is the most powerful chamber of the heart, is pumped under high pressure across the VSD into the lungs. To withstand such force, the tiny branches of the pulmonary artery become thickened and obstructive. This condition is known as Pulmonary Hypertension or Pulmonary Vascular Obstructive Disease (PVOD). The consequences of leaving a large VSD open is the eventual development of PVOD which may render the patient inoperable at some point in life.

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Viral Infection of Heart - An Overview

Viral and bacterial infections cause three types of heart-muscle inflammation:

endocarditis, myocarditis and pericarditis. Pericarditis may lead to fluid buildup around the heart (cardiac tamponade), which is drained in a procedure called pericardiocentesis.

Virtually any virus can cause myocarditis, but the most common are enteroviruses, influenza (flu) virus, and the common viruses of childhood, such as rubeola (which causes measles) and varicella (which causes chickenpox). Other causes include bacterial infections such as Lyme disease, toxins such as cocaine, and autoimmune diseases (diseases in which the body's disease-fighting immune system attacks the body's own tissues) such as lupus. In most cases, no definitive cause is found, and the agent responsible is presumed to be a virus.

Most cases of viral myocarditis are mild or asymptomatic (without symptoms) and the condition is never suspected. Usually, there is some damage to the heart muscle, which can cause enlargement of the heart, shortness of breath, and heart palpitations and arrhythmias (irregular heart rhythms). Sometimes, the non-cardiac manifestations of the viral infection -- such as rash, fever and sore throat -- are most prominent. Chest pain, when present, can make it difficult to distinguish myocarditis from a heart attack.

The most distressing thing about viral myocarditis is whom it strikes. Most patients have had no significant previous illness and may be in the prime of life. Then, without warning, heart failure develops.

Definitive diagnosis can be made by biopsy (removal of a small piece of tissue for examination) of the inside lining of the heart. This procedure is performed by inserting a catheter (a flexible tube) into a blood vessel in the groin and pushing it along until it reaches the heart.

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Off-pump Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery - An Overview

Bypass surgery involves creating a detour around a blocked artery, usually a coronary artery that supplies blood to the heart (coronary artery bypass surgery) but may be done in other areas (peripheral bypass). Bypass may be minimally invasive or open heart surgery. It may also use a heart lung machine or with endoscopic vein harvesting.

Off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery (OPCAB) is an operation that treats blocked coronary arteries. By dramatically improving the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart (a process called revascularization), an off-pump bypass greatly reduces the risk of angina and heart attack.

Off-pump bypass involves the same two procedures that are performed during traditional bypass surgery. In the first, the surgeon removes (harvests) one of the patient’s blood vessels – usually the saphenous vein in the leg or the mammary artery. In the second procedure, the surgeon uses the blood vessel to create a detour (bypass graft) around the blockages in the coronary arteries.

Like conventional bypass surgery, off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery (OPCAB) is an operation that treats patients with blocked coronary arteries. The coronary arteries lie on the surface of the heart and supply the heart muscle with oxygen-rich blood. They may become clogged with deposits of plaque, thus reducing the amount of oxygen-rich blood that can flow to the heart. By dramatically improving the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart (a process called revascularization), an off-pump bypass greatly reduces the risk of angina and heart attack.

Off-pump bypass involves the same two procedures that are performed during traditional bypass surgery. In the first, the surgeon removes (harvests) one of the patient’s blood vessels – usually either the saphenous vein in the leg or the mammary artery. In the second procedure, the surgeon uses the blood vessel to create a detour (bypass graft) around the blockages in the coronary arteries.

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Heart Bypass Surgery - Overview

Heart bypass surgery is performed to route blood flow around clogged arteries supplying the heart.

Coronary arteries are the small blood vessels that supply the heart muscle with oxygen and nutrients. Fat and cholesterol can build up inside these small arteries. The arteries can gradually become clogged. This buildup of fat and cholesterol plaque is called atherosclerosis.

When one or more of the coronary arteries becomes partially or totally blocked, the heart does not get enough blood. This is called ischemic heart disease or coronary artery disease (CAD). It can cause chest pain (angina).

Sometimes CAD does not cause pain until the blood supply to the heart becomes critically low, and the muscle begins to die. The first symptom of CAD in this case may be a potentially deadly heart attack. Symptomless CAD is especially common in diabetics.

Heart bypass surgery creates a detour or "bypass" around the blocked part of a coronary artery to restore the blood supply to the heart muscle. The surgery is commonly called Coronary Artery Bypass Graft, or CABG (pronounced "cabbage").

You will receive anesthesia and be completely free from pain. Then the heart surgeon makes a surgical cut in the middle of the chest and separates the breastbone.

Through this cut, the surgeon can see the heart and aorta (the main blood vessel leading from the heart to the rest of the body). After surgery, the breastbone will be rejoined with wire and the opening will be sewn closed.

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Other Treatments for Coronary Heart Disease

In addition to bypass surgery, there are two other types of treatment for coronary artery disease:

• Medication
• Angioplasty

Medication is useful for patients with disease in the earlier stages with just one or two arteries that are partially blocked. It is also useful if for some reason your coronary artery disease cannot be treated in other ways.

These medications are designed to:

• Slow your heart down to decrease its work
• Lower your blood pressure so that the heart does not have to work as hard
• Partially "relax" the arteries of the heart so that they can carry more blood
• Lower the chance that a clot will develop in your arteries

Coronary Angioplasty is a medical procedure that widens narrowed arteries in the heart without the need for open heart surgery.

In an angioplasty:

• A specially trained doctor inserts a long, narrow tube (called a catheter) through a small cut in the thigh or the arm.
• The doctor threads the catheter through blood vessels leading to the heart until it reaches the narrowed part of the artery.
• The doctor positions a tiny balloon that is attached to the tip of the catheter right at site of the narrowing, and then inflates it with air. The pressure of the balloon flattens the plaque in several spots and allows the artery to open wider.
• Often, a tiny wire tube called a stent is left inside the artery to hold it open.

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Overview of Coronary Artery Disease

Your heart is the hardest working muscle you have.Its job is to keep blood circulating in and out of your lungs and through all the other organs and tissues in your body.Like any muscle, your heart needs plenty of oxygen-rich blood to stay healthy and keep functioning. The blood vessels that surround your heart are called Coronary arteries. When fatty deposits called plaque develop in the lining of these arteries , several things can happen:
1.The lining of the artery becomes thicker and rougher.
2.Plaque build up makes it harder for blood to flow through the artery.
3.The heart has to work harder to pump blood.
4.The plaque may rupture, causing a blood clot completely block the artery; this stops the supply of blood to the heart muscle.
5.If one or more arteries become blocked, heart tissue doesn't get the blood supply it needs to function.The result can range from mild chest pain to severe heart attack.

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Coronary Artery Disease - Cause for Concern

Coronary Artery Disease (or CAD) is the single leading cause of mortality, accounting for over 900,000 deaths annually. Estimates show that over 3 million Americans suffer occasional chest pains due to coronary artery blockages. Despite these staggering figures, the US is still only 17th in cardiovascular disease mortality worldwide. Many other countries (Russia, Poland, Hungary, Finland) continue to have higher mortality and morbidity from CAD than the USA, making this a world-wide healthcare issue. As common as it is, CAD has not yet been eradicated by preventative measures. In fact, it is only within the last 40 or 50 years that the role of cholesterol and dietary fat in the development of this disease has really been understood. However, a number of other "risk factors" have also been identified, including family history of CAD, hypertension, smoking, diabetes, and lifestyle issues such as lack of exercise or Type A personality, etc.
The heart is a muscle, not unlike the muscles in your leg or arm. Any of these muscles, including the heart, is composed of millions of small cells which contract, or shorten, under the proper conditions. A muscle cell, (also known as a "myocyte") can physically shorten due to the unique component of proteins contained in that type of cell. These proteins (called "actin" and "myosin") slide over each other in a unique manner, foreshortening the length of the cell in the process. When millions of such cells act simultaneously, the muscle body shortens, and develops a force of contraction. This is the same mechanism that occurs when you raise your arm, walk, lift, etc.

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Heart Valve Surgery -An Overview

Heart valve surgery is used to repair or replace diseased heart valves.

The valves control the direction of blood flow through your heart. The opening and closing of the heart valves produce the sound of the heartbeat.

Heart valve surgery is open-heart surgery that is done while you are under general anesthesia. A cut is made through the breast bone (sternum). Your blood is routed away from your heart to a heart-lung bypass machine. This machine keeps the blood circulating while your heart is being operated on.

Valves may be repaired or replaced. Replacement heart valves are either natural (biologic) or artificial (mechanical):

• Natural valves are from human donors (cadavers).
• Modified natural valves come from animal donors. (Porcine valves are from pigs, bovine are from cows.) These are placed in synthetic rings.
• Artificial valves are made of metal.

If you receive an artificial valve, you will need to take life-long medication to prevent blood clots. Natural valves rarely require life-long medication.

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Fortis Healthcare- source to overcome cardiac problems

In earlier days cardiac surgery is considered as a risky undertaking operation and people are afraid to undergo this operation but now a wide range of heart operations are performed worldwide with success ratings. The major organ which pumps blood to whole body is heart which is more sensitive but it depends on coronary arteries for its own blood circulation. So coronary arteries are considered as an important functioning part of the heart which pumps oxygen to heart muscle to avoid cardiac problems.

Obstruction of blood flow occurs due to mixture of pure and impure blood. Due to this obstruction there is a chance for deficiency of oxygen which leads to cyanosis. So many surgical procedures such as Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery, Minimally invasive surgery, major aortic surgery etc are followed by many surgeons at Fortis healthcare hospitals in order to fade away your cardiac problems. Acquire benefits from Fortis Healthcare at affordable prices.

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Reduction of Cardiac Problem through Fortis Healthcare

Recently it is estimated that due to obesity in teens today there are chances that one will suffer from cardiac problems in future. People can suffer from any of the heart problems in future because of them being overweight today.

Doctors have explained that the teen has the greater chances of developing danger of heart problem during his adult life because of their overweight. To reduce the threat of cardiac disease one should undergo the perfect treatment.

Fortis healthcare provides the paramount treatment for cardiac disease with great heed and attention at an affordable cost.

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Cardiac Surgery - Treatments and Surgery for Cardiac Problems

With the advancement of medical technology and technological growth, cardiac surgery in India is treated with international standards. Cardiac surgery refers to the surgery of the heart, which receives less blood supply and so cardiac surgery includes major surgeries such as heart transplants and other heart disorders. Cardiac surgeons in India are competent to handle cardiac surgeries such as congenital heart disease and heart transplantation, congestive heart failures, mitral valve prolapse and myocardial infraction.

Fortis healthcare hospital provides all these above mentioned cardiac surgeries and medical services related to healthcare. The hospital provides best medical treatment and provides comfortable facilities for international patients who wish to undergo the cardiac surgery treatment in India at affordable prices!!!

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Heart Disease and Heart Bypass Surgery in India

The cardiac surgery treatment options in India are very excellent as compared to the growing demand of medical tourism. Medical tourism has revolutioned the field of cardiac surgery with different trreatment options and more developed technologies for treating those cardiac surgeries.

The open heart bypass surgery, Bypass cardiac surgery and many other heart related surgeries are perfoemed at Fortis healthcare hospitals in India at less cost than other hospitals and with excellent hospitality services. There are chances of arteries getting blocked and the blood flow to the heart muscles gets reduced.

A report recently says that nearly 2,60,000 people undergo bypass surgeries in the United States alone. Thus it means that the hight technology should be used to reduce the numbers of cardiac attack patients. If you would like to undergo cardiac surgery in India at affordable rates, the Fortis healthcare hospitals is the exact destination for all your cardiac and other health related problems.

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