Thursday, August 25, 2022

Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery in India

 The life-saving coronary artery bypass was first performed in the USA in 1960 by Robert Goetz, but the surgery though successful could not extend the life span beyond thirteen months. Discouraged perhaps he did not repeat the efforts. It was in 1962 that David Sabiston performed the next which was not successful, anyway the process had started, and eventually, coronary surgery success came much later after some of these disheartening results.

India has a long history of understanding heart functions right from the Vedic Times onwards. The palliative and curative roles of Yoga and transcendental meditation were understood well, and effectively applied but these were more lifestyle improvement factors that assisted the heart functions. Yoga and TM are still in vogue for improvement in general health including vital organs.

In spite of our heritage knowledge dating back to 4000 BC, there was a gap in the research and development of surgical interventions that are being used today to treat various cardiac malfunctions.

Our knowledge is acquired from dominant institutions and scientific fraternity pioneers in the research and development of health sciences. Nevertheless, with a solid healthcare system empowered by sacred institutions of learning and well-equipped hospitals, we are providing the best health treatments at much lower costs than in many other countries.

India has some of the finest surgeons that excel in cardiac surgery and doctors experienced in the noninvasive treatment of ailments.

Modern Cardiology in India was established in the post-World War II period. The Cardiology Society of India was formed in the year 1948 thus opening the door for future surgeries and treatments. . Interestingly this was before the American College of Cardiology in the year 1949. In a short time, many societies and communities were formed which contributed to the development of cardiac science in India.

The first positive developments in cardiac surgical treatments took birth in AIIMS New Delhi. Subsequently, an army of teachers proliferated medical colleges and some of the complex surgeries were performed by doctors in Indian hospitals in that era.

CABG has now become a common surgical intervention and more than 800,000 surgeries are performed globally. The first CABG was performed successfully by doctor K.M. Cherian in Chennai in India.

The global coronary artery bypass graft market size was a whopping 77.6 million in the year 2016 with an annual CAGR of 5.8 percent. The key drivers are the introduction of technology besides the rise in the prevalence of CAD, CHD, and MI. The rise in the prevalence of heart-associated diseases and hypertension is also a contributory factor that is propelling CABG.

Modern lifestyle factors are worsening human health and contributing to various ailments. Some of the common lifestyle factors are excessive consumption of alcohol, smoking, consumption of junk food universally, and a sedentary lifestyle among the affluent.

CABG was first performed in India in the year 1975 almost a decade later and since then the country performs more than 60000 CABG or coronary artery bypass graft surgery every year. As a matter of fact, stent implants and bypass surgery are routinely performed in many hospital chains spread all over the metros and two-tier towns. Stents are manufactured in India for those undergoing angioplasty and stent implants.

Both open heart and beating heart surgeries are performed in the country. While the former is done using a heart and lung machine, the off-pump or beating heart procedure is performed without the machine. This is done by stabilizing the part of the heart the surgeon is operating on using a special medical device. Beating heart surgery is a low-risk option besides early discharge from the hospital and quicker recovery are the other benefits that accrue. Many different types of procedures are performed nowadays using the off-pump or beating heart procedure.

In an open procedure where the beating comes to rest, a restart is required after the procedure is over and this can be risky if the tissue is damaged during the process known as reperfusion.

India offers coronary artery bypass surgery in the top hospitals at a reasonable cost thus fortifying its status as a hub of health care delivery hub in Asia. The success rate of cardiac surgeries including CABG is as high as ninety-eight percent. The cost of this procedure ranges from 100000 t0 500000 INR.

The prices are lower in smaller hospitals and those established in smaller towns. Nevertheless, the service is and medical outcomes stand good with an equal rate of success. The varied hospital setup and availability of a large number of specialists assure low-cost treatments of cardiac ailments in the country.

Cost ranges higher in the best hospital chains established in metros and major towns of India. The augmentation is due to the luxuries and amenities provided, some of which are tantamount to the luxury of five-star hotels. Even with all the star facilities and ambiance, the cost of CABG in the country is far lower than that provided by most Asian and EU Countries including the USA.