Heart Surgery Cost in India: Types and Prices Explained
Heart Surgery Cost in India: Types and Prices Explained
Medical science has made progress by leaps and bounds. Today, every city and town in the country has multiple speciality hospitals providing state-of-the-art facilities. But the flip side of that is the rising cost of treatment. While tests have improved the diagnosis and sophisticated surgeries guarantee quick recovery, one may need to spend lakhs for those procedures. In such a scenario, imagine one learns that he/she has a heart condition. Well, being aware of the costs enables you to know what to expect in terms of the associated expenses in availing quality treatment. Read on to learn more about the heart surgery cost in India.
What is a Heart Surgery?
Heart surgery, also known as cardiac/cardiovascular surgery, refers to surgical procedures for treating cardiac ailments. It can involve the arteries, valves, heart muscles, or other components relating to the heart. However, not all heart-related problems require surgery. When medications, lifestyle changes, or non-surgical methods fail to address the issues, doctors recommend heart surgery.
Although surgery is not always necessary, it is usually recommended in case of blocked arteries, heart failure, abnormal heart rhythms, faulty or diseased heart valves, or for correcting congenital heart disease when surgery is the only way to fix the heart. In some cases, cardiac surgery becomes an emergency when the person suffers a heart attack.
Types of Heart Surgeries in India
The different types of heart surgeries in India are –
1. Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG)
This is the most common type of heart surgery to treat coronary artery disease (CAD). In CAD, the coronary arteries supplying oxygen and nutrients to the heart muscle get narrowed or blocked due to fat build-up within the artery walls. CABG involves bypassing the blocked portion of the artery with another healthy artery or vein taken from elsewhere in your body. The grafted artery or vein creates a new path for blood to flow to the heart muscle. While one end of the graft is attached above the blockage, the other end is attached below the blockage. Thus, the blood is rerouted around, or bypasses, the blockage through the new graft to reach the heart muscle.
2. Heart Valve Repair or Replacement
In this procedure, the surgeon either repairs the damaged heart valve or replaces it with an artificial/biological one to restore proper blood flow. Valves manage the blood flow through your heart, and when it doesn’t function properly, surgery is done to allow the valve to open or close properly so that blood flows in the right direction.
3. Heart Transplant
The diseased heart is replaced with a healthy heart from a donor. This is usually the last option for people with heart failure when medications or electrical devices fail to revive the heart.
4. Arrhythmia Surgery
Doctors opt for this surgical procedure when you have abnormal heart rhythms such as atrial fibrillation, your heart beats too fast, too slow, or in an irregular pattern. To bring the heart rhythm back to normal, the surgeon creates scar tissue in your heart to block the abnormal electrical signals that cause atrial fibrillation.
5. Aneurysm Repair
This surgery involves repairing or replacing the damaged part of the artery or heart wall with a graft or artificial artery.
6. Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery
Also known as keyhole heart surgery, the surgeon makes small incisions in the chest (between the ribs) to access the heart. Surgical tools like small cameras are inserted through the incisions. In this procedure, there are smaller scars and less pain, and recovery is faster than open-heart surgery.
Cost of Heart Surgeries in India
The cost of heart surgery in India ranges between Rs 1.5 lakhs and Rs 25 lakhs, depending on several factors, such as the severity of the condition, type of surgery, location, hospital, surgeon’s expertise, etc. If you have a health insurance policy, check if the plan covers the costs of treatment.
Type of Heart Surgery | Cost |
Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG) | Rs 1.8 lakhs to Rs 3.6 lakhs |
Angioplasty and Stent Placement Surgery | Rs 1.5 lakhs to Rs 3.2 lakhs |
Heart Valve Repair/Replacement Surgery | Rs 2.4 lakhs to Rs 5.7 lakhs |
Aorta Graft Surgery | Rs 5.6 lakhs to Rs 11.5 lakhs |
Pericardiectomy | Rs 1 lakh |
Septal Myectomy | Rs 2 lakhs to Rs 4 lakhs |
Heart Transplant Surgery | Rs 18 lakhs to Rs 25 lakhs |
Conclusion
A heart surgery is done to correct problems of the heart when medications and non-invasive methods prove to be ineffective. Although heart surgery has risks, it can improve the quality of life and increase life expectancy for people with cardiac ailments. If you are at risk of heart-related problems, opting for critical illness insurance as an add-on to your standard health insurance or a standalone policy is advisable.
FAQs
1. Is heart surgery expensive in India?
The cost of a heart surgery depends on many factors, such as the patient’s condition, type of surgery, surgeon’s expertise, location, hospital, etc. It can cost you anywhere between Rs 1.5 lakhs and Rs 25 lakhs.
2. Will my health insurance cover heart surgery?
Yes, but the sum insured by your standard health insurance policy may not be adequate. If you have a risk of developing heart problems, you can opt for critical illness insurance along with your base healthcare plan. Critical illness insurance will provide a lump sum compensation for being diagnosed with a heart attack or stroke.
Disclaimer: The above information is for illustrative purposes only. For more details, please refer to the policy wordings and prospectus before concluding the sales.
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