Treatment and diagnostics for abroad

Treatment of heart failure abroad

Heart failure is a condition in which the pumping function of the heart decreases. The volume of blood released per heartbeat decreases, and the body suffers from a lack of oxygen. It develops against the background of heart defects, hypertension, and heart attack.

If finances allow, you can come abroad for treatment of heart failure. We have advanced diagnostic equipment, first-class surgeons, and the latest developments abroad.

Treatment of heart failure abroad — review

Chemical blood tests, blood pressure measurements and daily monitoring, and studies of target organs, such as the lungs and abdominal organs, are performed for diagnosis.

Modern PET-CT and PET-MRI machines are good at detecting the slightest malfunction of the heart, the presence of plaques, the condition of blood vessels and even small capillaries, ischemia, and most importantly, the cause of the problem. Depending on the results obtained, surgery or medications are prescribed.

Surgical operations for the treatment of heart failure abroad

Coronary artery bypass surgery

This is done when the coronary arteries are severely narrowed or clogged with cholesterol plaques. In fact, this is a transplant of healthy vessels from the shin or chest to the heart. Healthy vessels are connected to narrowed arteries, and blood can circulate bypassing the pathological site along new routes — shunts.

Relatively recently, minimally invasive bypass surgery has been practiced abroad. The operation takes place with minimal incisions and does not require cardiac arrest and connection to an artificial circulatory system. Such operations are performed in Israel and Germany.

Balloon angioplasty and vascular stenting

This is a worthy alternative to open-heart bypass surgery. A catheter is inserted into the femoral artery and a microscopic balloon is inserted through it to the narrowed artery or vessel. The surgeon inflates it, dilating the vessel. The balloon is later removed.  Stenting is the strengthening of the vessel walls from the inside with a special mesh. The mesh is connected to the vessel in the same way as the balloon.

Valve replacement

In case of pathologies of the heart valves, they are replaced with a silicone or biological prosthesis. A biological prosthesis is taken from a donor or from an animal's heart. In Germany, valves are replaced by minimally invasive methods and on a closed heart, through blood vessels or the apex of the heart (TAVI technique).

Implantation of pacemakers

Electrodes are connected to the heart, and an electronic device is sewn under the skin, which stimulates heart contractions of the required strength.
A new analogue of stimulants, the baroreflex module, has appeared in Germany. Its action is based on preventing stress hormones from going to the heart. The module is sewn under the collarbone, and the electrodes are connected to the carotid arteries. As a result, blood pressure and the load on the heart decrease. This method helps even those patients for whom the only way out was a transplant.

Laser myocardial revascularization

This is a new experimental method of surgical treatment of heart failure abroad. Several microscopic holes are made in the myocardium using a laser. Oxygen-rich blood flows through the formed channels. After a few months, the "holes" in the heart will close, and the result of the operation will last for several years.

Heart transplant

If all methods have been tried, and the patient's condition worsens, then the only way out is to transplant a donor heart. India is considered the world center of transplantation. Surgeons here have extensive experience in performing such operations, but it is difficult for a foreigner to get a transplant due to the long queue of citizens waiting for surgery.