Best Doctors in India for Atherosclerosis Treatment
- Cardiac Surgeon, Gurugram, India
- Over 30 years’ experience
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Murtaza A Chishti is one of the most well-known and distinguished Cardio-Thoracic and Vascular surgeons in North India
- He has more than 3 decades of experience in the field of cardiac surgery with a specialization in heart and lung transplantation surgeries.
- He has performed more than 6000 cardiac procedures that include Total Arterial revascularization, aortic surgery, complex and re-operative coronary surgery, CABG, and several other cardiothoracic surgeries.
- Cardiac Surgeon, Mumbai, India
- Over 36 years’ experience
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Nandkishore Kapadia is one of the leading Cardiothoracic and vascular surgeons in India excelling in heart and lung transplant surgeries.
- He has 36+ years of experience in the field during which he has performed over 10000 CABGs, 2000 heart valve repairs, and 800 minimally invasive cardiac surgeries.
- He has also performed more than 5000 open heart surgeries, 200 heart and lung transplant surgeries, and 150 VAD and ECMO implantation procedures.
- Cardio Thoracic & Vascular Surgeon, New Delhi, India
- Over 30 years’ experience
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Rajneesh Malhotra is a distinguished cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon in India with over 30 years of experience.
- He is an expert in all kinds of cardiac surgeries with a special interest in Robotic Cardiac surgery along with minimally invasive cardiac surgery and other traditional heart surgeries.
- Dr. Rajneesh Malhotra has performed several complex and high-risk cases and also specializes in heart transplant surgeries and surgeries for heart failure.
- Cardiac Surgeon, New Delhi, India
- Over 26 years’ experience
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Surendra Nath Khanna is a leading cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon specializing in minimally invasive cardiac surgeries, heart valve repairs, and heart failure surgeries.
- Dr. Surendra Khanna has 26+ years of experience in cardiac care and has performed more than 17000 surgeries that include beating heart surgery, mitral and aortic valve surgery, and double valve replacement surgery.
- His expertise lies primarily in adult cardiac surgeries and has done some of the most complex cardiac surgeries in India
- Pediatric Cardiac Surgeon, Mumbai, India
- Over 33 years’ experience
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Suresh Rao is a highly experienced cardiac surgeon specializing in congenital heart diseases and has performed more than 12,000 surgeries for congenital heart diseases and disorders.
- Dr. Rao holds an extensive experience of over 33 years in Pediatric and congenital cardiac surgery and has performed numerous simple and complex heart defect surgeries with successful outcomes.
- Dr. Suresh Rao introduced the Modified Ultrafication procedure after congenital heart surgery in India and has used the procedure in the treatment of a large number of pediatric as well as adult patients.
- Cardiac Surgeon, Mumbai, India
- Over 30 years’ experience
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Suresh V Joshi is a cardiac surgeon in Mumbai with expertise in undertaking complex surgeries as a result of congenital heart diseases.
- He holds an extensive experience of over 3 decades in cardiac surgery and specializes in Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG); specifically Beating Heart CABG and Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgeries.
- He is an expert in all kinds of coronary and interventional cardiac procedures and has performed over 15,000 cardiac surgeries for different kinds of heart defects and disorders.
- Chairperson Heart & Lungs Transplant, New Delhi, India
- Over 20 years’ experience
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Sushant Srivastava is a renowned cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon specializing in heart transplantation.
- He specializes in performing Beating Heart Bypass surgeries and is credited with performing the procedure on the oldest patient in India (96 years old). He also performed the first awake CABG in North India.
- He has taken up close to 10000 cardiac cases in his career and performed 3000+ cardiac surgeries related to Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG), redo coronary artery surgery, heart failure surgeries, heart valve surgeries, and various other types of cardiac surgeries.
- Cardiac Surgeon, Bengaluru, India
- Over 30 years’ experience
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Vivek Jawali is a renowned Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeon in India and has performed more than 18,000 cardiothoracic and cardiovascular surgeries.
- He has several firsts to his credit that including the first beating heart bypass surgery in 1992 and the first Minimally Invasive Heart Bypass surgery in 1994 in India.
- He performed the first Awake Cardiac Surgery in 1999 which is done without general anesthesia or ventilator but under continuous high thoracic epidural. He also performed the first awake open heart surgery in the world without general anesthesia or ventilator on a 74-year-old patient for triple bypass with aortic valve replacement.
- Cardiac Surgeon, New Delhi, India
- Over 30 years’ experience
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Yugal Kishore Mishra is a well-known cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon in Delhi specializing in Minimally Invasive and Robotic cardiac surgeries.
- He has 3 decades of experience in CTVS and has performed more than 19,000 open heart surgeries to date that including various types of minimally invasive cardiac procedures such as the port access approach for valve surgery and ASD closure.
- He is the founder of the Robotic Cardiac Surgery Program at Fortis Escorts Heart Institute where he has performed over 500 robotic cardiac surgeries.
- Cardiac Surgeon, Mumbai, India
- Over 24 years’ experience
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Zainulabedin Hamdulay is one of the best cardiac surgeons in Mumbai, India, and specializes in devising new and innovative techniques for cardiac surgeries.
- He has 24+ years of experience and has performed over 8000 cardiac surgeries that included complex valve repairs, congenital cardiac surgery, CABG, and several minimally invasive cardiac surgeries.
- With a motive to provide the best, affordable and comprehensive cardiac care to all his patients, he founded the Hamdulay Heart Foundation to provide aid to the economically backward community.
Best Hospitals in India for Atherosclerosis Treatment
W Pratiksha Hospital, Gurgaon
- City: Gurugram, India
Hospital Highlights:
- W Pratiksha Hospital, Gurugram, is one of the best hospitals in the NCR region. It is also a top hospital in India for IVF. Since its inception, the hospital has performed over 5500 successful IVFs. The hospital also specializes in gynecology.
- With over 20 years of experience in providing quality healthcare, the hospital is known as one of the most trusted and valued health providers in India.
- Equipped with world-class medical facilities and advanced technology, the hospital’s doctors and clinicians also have a track record of delivering excellent results. The hospital is also known for focusing on preventive well-being as much as on curative treatment.
- The hospital has earned the trust of its patients, by providing the best available treatments at affordable costs.
Narayana Superspeciality Hospital, Gurugram
- City: Gurugram, India
Hospital Highlights:
- Situated near DLF Cyber City, Gurugram, Narayana Superspecialty Hospital is one of the top medical facilities in the Delhi NCR region, catering to the needs of the people. Known for its commitment to quality medical care and patient service, the hospital is a state-of-the-art facility with planned and well-equipped sections, which includes a spacious OPD area as well as comfortable patient rooms.
- It is the closest super-specialty hospital from Indira Gandhi International Airport towards Gurugram, and also the nearest super specialty hospital from DLF Cyber City. It is also close to major residential areas in Gurugram.
- It is part of the renowned Narayana Health Group. Established in 2000, by Dr. Devi Shetty, a renowned cardiac surgeon, it has grown to be one fo India’s leading healthcare groups.
Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi
- City: New Delhi, India
Hospital Highlights:
- Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi is known to provide the latest medical procedures with the latest technology in all of its units.
- The hospital has a team of reputed doctors, nurses, and healthcare professionals that ensure that patients receive quality care at affordable costs.
- Staffed with a team of highly qualified doctors, dedicated nurses, and paramedical and non-medical staff, the hospital aims to lead in healthcare delivery, medical education, training, and research.
- As per the vision of the founder, the hospital also provides free treatment to the economically weaker sections of society.
- Sir Ganga Ram Hospital also provides training to young doctors under the Diplomate in National Board(DNB) program. The DNB program at the hospital was started in 1984 and it is known for currently running the maximum number of DNB specialties in the country. It also has the distinction of having the first bone bank in India.
KIMS Hospital, Hyderabad
- City: Hyderabad, India
Hospital Highlights:
- KIMS Hospital (a brand name of Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences) is one of the largest and best multi-speciality hospitals in Hyderabad. The hospital provides various treatments to an enormous number of patients.
- The hospital has a capacity of more than 3000 beds. KIMS Hospitals offers different healthcare services in more than 25 specialities and super specialities.
- The hospital is equipped with modern medical equipment and technology. It has robotic equipment to provide minimal invasive techniques for patients.
- The hospital is aimed at providing world-class healthcare facilities and services at an affordable cost for patients.
- The various specialities and departments of the hospital include neurosciences, gastroenterology & hepatology, robotic science, reproductive sciences, dental science, oncological sciences, organ transplantation, heart and lung transplantation and mother and child care.
Fortis Hospital, Shalimar Bagh
- City: New Delhi, India
Hospital Highlights:
- Fortis Hospital in Shalimar Bagh is a multi-super specialty hospital that strives to provide world-class patient care by leaving no stone unturned.
- Fortis, Shalimar Bagh, with 262 beds and a 7.34-acre footprint, provides the best level of medical care through its team of doctors, nurses, technicians, and management professionals.
Reliance Hospital, Mumbai
- City: Mumbai, India
Hospital Highlights:
- Reliance Hospital is one of the best super-specialty care hospitals in Navi Mumbai.
- The main purpose of this hospital is to become a trustworthy place for the best health and hope for society. The hospital is well connected to the suburbs of Mumbai and Navi Mumbai.
- The hospital has various specialty departments, viz., Accident & Emergency, Anesthesiology, Dental Services, Dermatology, Diabetology, Dietetics Nutrition, Endocrinology, ENT, Gastroenterology, General Surgery, Gynaecology And Obstetrics, Hepato Pancreato Biliary Surgery, Infectious Disease, Internal Medicine, Interventional Radiology, Laboratory Medicine, Minimal Access Laparoscopic Surgery, Nephrology, Neurosciences, Opthalmology, Orthopaedics, Paediatrics, Pain Management Palliative Care, Physical Medicine Rehabilitation, Plastic And Reconstructive Surgery, Psychiatry, Pulmonary Medicine, Radiology, Rheumatology, Transplant, Urology Andrology, Vascular Surgery
Atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis is a condition which causes the arteries to narrow and harden. This leads to your arteries getting blocked, putting your blood flow at risk. It is usually caused by the build-up of fats, cholesterol and other such substances in and on your artery walls.
Atherosclerosis is a type of arteriosclerosis, though the terms are used interchangeably sometimes. The plaque can burst, which can trigger a blood clot. Atherosclerosis is often considered a heart problem, but it might affect any part of your body. This condition is preventable as well as treatable.
Causes
Plaque buildup as well as subsequent hardening of the arteries leads to the blood flow in the arteries being restricted, which prevents your organs and tissues from getting the required oxygenated blood. Some common causes of this condition include:
- High Cholesterol- Cholesterol is a waxy, yellow substance that is found naturally in the body as well as in some foods you consume. When the cholesterol level in your blood is too high, it can lead to the clogging of your arteries. It becomes a hard plaque that restricts or blocks blood circulation to your heart as well as other organs.
- Diet- It is also quite important to eat a healthy diet. An overall healthy diet should include a wide range of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, dairy products with low fat, nuts and legumes, etc.
- Aging- As one ages, their heart and blood vessels work harder to pump as well as receive blood. Your arteries may weaken and become less elastic, which makes them more susceptible to plaque buildup.
Symptoms
Mild atherosclerosis doesn’t usually have any symptoms. Usually, symptoms occur only after an artery is so narrowed or clogged that it is unable to supply adequate blood to the organs and tissues. Sometimes a blood clot can completely block blood flow or it might even break apart and can trigger a heart attack or stroke. Symptoms depend on which part of your body is affected.
- If you have atherosclerosis in your heart arteries, you might show symptoms such as chest pain or pressure.
- If you have atherosclerosis in the arteries which lead to your brain, you might have signs and symptoms such as sudden numbness or weakness in your arms and legs, difficulty in speaking, temporary loss of vision in an eye or your face muscles drooping. These signal a transient ischemic attack and if it is left untreated, it might lead to a stroke.
- If you are having atherosclerosis in the arteries in your arms and legs, you might show symptoms of peripheral artery disease, like leg pain when walking.
- If you have atherosclerosis in the arteries which lead to your kidney, you can develop high blood pressure or maybe even kidney failure.
Diagnosis
Your doctor first performs a physical exam to check for signs of atherosclerosis. They will check if your pulse is weakened or if there are any signs of an aneurysm, which is an abnormal or widening of an artery due to weakness of the arterial wall, slow wound healing, which can indicate a restricted blood flow.
A cardiologist might listen to your heart to check if there are any abnormal sounds. They will be listening for a whooshing noise, which can indicate that an artery is blocked. Your doctor will be ordering more tests if they feel you might have atherosclerosis.
These tests can include:
Blood test
A blood test to check the cholesterol levels in the body.
Doppler ultrasound
A Doppler ultrasound, which makes the use of sound waves for creating a picture of the artery that shows if there is a blockage.
Ankle-brachial index
An ankle-brachial index, which can look for blockage in your arms or legs by comparing the blood pressure in each of your limbs.
Angiogram
A cardiac angiogram, a type of chest X-ray, which is taken after they inject your heart arteries with radioactive dye.
Stress test
A stress test, also termed as an exercise tolerance test, which monitors your blood pressure as well as your heart rate, while you exercise on a treadmill or stationary bicycle.
MRA
A magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) or a computed tomography angiography (CTA) in order to create pictures of your body’s large arteries.
Electrocardiogram
An electrocardiogram, which can measure your heart’s electrical activity in your heart to look up to any areas of decreased blood flow.
Treatment
Most of the time, lifestyle changes such as healthy eating and exercising is the best and most appropriate treatment for this condition. However, sometimes when it is severe, medication and surgical procedures might be required.
Medications
There are various drugs that can slow or reverse the effects of atherosclerosis. Some common choices are:
- Cholesterol medications- These kinds of medications are used to lower the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol aggressively, as this may stop or even reverse the buildup of fatty deposits in your arteries. Boosting your high-density lipoprotein cholesterol can however help. Your doctor will guide you in choosing from a range of cholesterol medications.
- Beta-blocker medications- These kinds of medications are commonly used for coronary artery disease. They help in lowering your heart rate as well as your blood pressure and reduces the demand on your heart as well as relieving symptoms of chest pain. They can also reduce your risk of having a heart attack or heart rhythm problems.
- Anti-platelet medications- Your doctor might prescribe you anti-platelet medications like aspirin, to help reduce the likelihood that platelets will clump in narrowed arteries and form a blood clot which will even lead to further blockage.
- Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors- These medications might help to slow the progression of atherosclerosis by lowering your blood pressure and they also produce other beneficial effects on your heart arteries. ACE inhibitors can help in reducing the risk of recurrent heart attack as well.
- Calcium channel blockers- These medications can lower blood pressure can also be used for treating angina.
- Water pills (diuretics)- Diuretics can help in lowering blood pressure, as high blood pressure increases the risk of having atherosclerosis.
- Other medications- Your doctor might be suggesting some other medications to control specific risk factors for atherosclerosis, like diabetes.
Surgical procedures
Aggressive treatment can be needed sometimes to treat atherosclerosis. If you are having severe symptoms or a blockage that threatens muscle or skin tissue survival, you might be a candidate for a surgical procedure such as:
Angioplasty and stent placement
During angioplasty and stent placement, your doctor inserts a long and thin tube called a catheter into your blocked or narrowed part of the artery. A second catheter with a deflated balloon on its tip is next passed through the catheter to the narrowed area. Next, the balloon is inflated, compressing the deposits against the artery walls. To help in keeping the artery open, a mesh tube is usually left in the artery.
Endarterectomy
Sometimes fatty deposits need to be surgically removed from the walls of a narrowed artery. When Endarterectomy is performed on arteries in your neck (the carotid arteries), it’s termed as carotid endarterectomy.
Fibrinolytic therapy
If you have an artery that is blocked by a blood clot, your doctor might use a clot-dissolving drug in order to break it apart.
Bypass surgery
During Bypass surgery, your doctor may create a graft bypass for which he can use a vessel from a different part of your body or a tube, which is made of synthetic fabric. This can allow the blood to flow around the blocked or narrowed artery.
Risk factors
Hardening of the arteries can occur over time. There are quite a few factors which can increase the risk of developing atherosclerosis, which includes:
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- Smoking and using any such tobacco
- Having a family history with heart disease
- An unhealthy diet
- Lack of regular exercise
Complications
Depending on which arteries are blocked, atherosclerosis can lead to several complications, which can include:
- Coronary artery disease- When atherosclerosis narrows the arteries which are close to your heart, it can lead you to coronary artery disease. This can cause chest pain or a heart attack or even heart failure.
- Carotid artery disease- When atherosclerosis narrows your arteries close to your brain, this might lead you to develop carotid artery disease, which can lead to a transient ischemic attack or even a stroke.
- Peripheral artery disease- When atherosclerosis narrows down your arteries in the arms or legs, this can lead you to develop certain problems which are termed as peripheral artery disease. This can make you less sensitive to heat and cold and can increase your chances of burns or frostbites. Although it is rare, in some cases, poor circulation in your arms and legs can also cause tissue death.
- Chronic kidney disease– Atherosclerosis can also cause the arteries which lead to your kidneys to narrow, which will prevent oxygenated blood from reaching them. This can affect your kidney function over time keeping waste from exiting your system.
- Aneurysms- Atherosclerosis can also lead to aneurysms, which is a serious complication that can occur anywhere in the body. An aneurysm is basically a bulge in the wall of the artery. Many people with aneurysms usually show no symptoms. If pain and throbbing in the area of aneurysm occur, it is declared as a medical emergency. If an aneurysm bursts, it can cause life-threatening internal bleeding.
Prevention
Preventive measures can also help one against atherosclerosis. Quitting smoking, regular exercise and maintaining a healthy weight, eating healthy food can help a great deal