Best Doctors in India for Congestive Heart Failure treatment
- Cardiac Surgeon, New Delhi, India
- Over 30 years’ experience
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Z S Meharwal is a well-known cardiac surgeon in India who has performed over 20,000 cardiac surgeries, including some of the most complex and high-risk cardiac procedures.
- Dr. Meharwal is a member of the founding team that started the Fortis Escorts Heart Institute and has been associated with the hospital since then.
- His interest lies in Minimally Invasive Cardiac procedures, valve repair, and replacement, and heart transplants among other major vascular and thoracic surgeries.
- Cardio Thoracic & Vascular Surgeon, Gurugram, India
- Over 35 years’ experience
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Anil Bhan is an excellent Cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon who has performed more than 15,000 cardiac and vascular surgeries that include heart transplant surgery, aortic aneurysm surgery, pediatric cardiac surgery, valve repairs, and peripheral vascular surgery among several others.
- He is one of the best pediatric cardiac surgeons in Delhi/ NCR and is credited with performing heart bypass surgery on the youngest patient in India in 2007 (18 months).
- He performed the first extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and was the first to use a harmonic scalpel for harvesting radial mammary artery conduits in India in 2000 and 1995 respectively.
- Cardiac Surgeon, Gurugram, India
- Over 40 years’ experience
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Naresh Trehan is one of the most highly skilled and globally recognized cardiothoracic and vascular surgeons.
- He started his career as a Cardiac Surgeon at New York University Medical Centre where he performed over 3000 coronary artery surgeries and returned to India in 1988 and founded the Escorts Heart Institute and Research Center in New Delhi.
- Dr. Trehan is the Founder Chairman of Medanta- The Medicity in Gurugram, a premier multi-specialty hospital with state-of-the-art infrastructure and equipped with the latest and advanced technologies.
- Cardio Thoracic & Vascular Surgeon, New Delhi, India
- Over 16 years’ experience
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Mukesh Goel is a reputed Cardio-Thoracic and Vascular surgeon serving as a Senior Consultant of the specialty at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, New Delhi.
- He carries an experience of 16+ years and has performed more than 3000 different cardiac surgeries. Dr. Mukesh Goel is constantly on the lookout to develop new and innovative techniques to perform cardiac procedures that help in quick recovery with minimum incisions.
- His expertise lies in on and off-pump bypass surgeries and also finds interest in beating heart bypass surgery, open-heart surgery, minimally invasive heart valve surgery, and pediatric cardiac surgery among several others.
- Dr. Mukesh Goel received his training in CTVS from one of the most renowned cardiac surgeons in India, Dr. Naresh Trehan, and has been using the exposure to perform various advanced and complex heart surgeries.
- Before joining Indraprastha, Dr. Goel has been associated with other prestigious heart centers in India like Escorts Heart Institute, Apollo Hospital in New Delhi, and Medanta in Gurugram where he helped in starting the Heart surgery unit.
- He frequently gets invited to attend cardiology conferences and seminars to deliver lectures and present papers. He also regularly takes part in workshops and CMEs for cardiac surgeries.
- Dr. Mukesh Goel is a keen researcher and has published a number of papers and articles on CTVS in renowned national and international medical journals.
- Heart & Lung transplant Surgeon, Hyderabad, India
- Over 20 years’ experience
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Sandeep Attawar is a highly recognized Heart and Lung transplant surgeon in India who has over 2 decades of experience as a cardiac surgeon and has performed more than 10,000 cardiac surgeries on adult and pediatric patients.
- Dr. Attawar specializes in all types of surgeries for adults as well as pediatric heart patients and finds interest in heart and lung transplant surgery, congenital heart surgery, Aortic aneurysm repair, and implantation of heart failure devices.
- Cardiac Surgeon, Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Vascular Surgeon; Chennai, India
- Over 45 years’ experience
Profile Highlights:
- Padma Bhushan awardee Dr. Girinath M R is a senior cardio-thoracic Surgeon in Chennai having experience of more than 45 years in Cardiac Surgery.
- Dr. M R Girinath was a fellow of Coronary Artery Surgery and Congenital Heart Surgery at the University of Wisconsin, USA.
- He provides consultation and diagnostic services for Mitral/Heart Valve Replacement, Cardiac Pacing, Invasive Cardiology, ABPM, Balloon Mitral Valvuloplasty, CT Angiography, etc.
- Cardiac Surgeon, Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Vascular Surgeon; Chennai, India
- Over 37 years’ experience
Profile Highlights:
- LF Sridhar is a well-known Cardiothoracic & Vascular Surgeon in Chennai, now working at Apollo Hospital in Greams Road, Chennai, and has an experience of 37 years in this arena.
- Some of the services available with the doctor are Mitral/Heart Valve Replacement, Cardiac Pacing, and Intra – Arterial Thrombolysis, Pacemaker Implantation, and bypass surgery besides the regular OPD procedures.
- Cardiac Surgeon, Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Vascular Surgeon, Chennai, India
- Over 25 years’ experience
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. K Madhan Kumar is a well-known Cardiac Surgeon in Tamil Nadu, having many years of experience in the domain.
- His experience came from practice and teaching. These days, he is associated with Apollo Hospital Greams Road in Chennai as a Senior Consultant Cardiothoracic & Transplant Surgeon.
- Dr. Kumar has also completed Fellowships in Cardiothoracic Surgery at SGH in London as well as ECMO, VAD, and transplantation at HH in London.
- Cardiac Surgeon, New Delhi, India
- Over 29 years’ experience
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Kulbhushan Singh Dagar, a pioneer and an expert in the cardiology field earned his reputation through his exceptional performance in the field of complex congenital heart defects, especially for newborns.
- With over 29 years of experience, Dr. Dagar has dedicatedly performed complex surgical procedures by implementing innovative techniques and cutting-edge technologies in his procedures and is currently considered an asset to the cardiac industry, not just nationally, but internationally too!
- Interventional Cardiologist, Gurugram, India
- Over 30 years’ experience
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Praveen Chandra is one of the most well-known and respected Interventional Cardiologists in India and performs over 5000 percutaneous and diagnostic interventions every year.
- He specializes in devising techniques that help minimize open surgeries. Dr. Praveen Chandra performed the first Percutaneous Aortic Valve implantation without surgery in India.
- He also developed techniques to reduce the number of patients requiring bypass surgeries and has been trying to make angioplasty techniques more accurate to help with the treatment of multiple blocked arteries.
Best Hospitals in India for Congestive Heart Failure treatment
Lilavati Hospital & Research Centre, Mumbai
- City: Mumbai, India
Hospital Highlights:
- Lilavati Hospital & Research Centre is India’s premier multi-speciality tertiary care hospital and has been recognised as a global medical excellence centre.
- Lilavati Hospital & Research Centre has built an unrivalled level of trust with its patients over the years, thanks to a solid foundation that comprises cutting-edge facilities, the best medical competence, research, education, and charity endeavours.
- The hospital is quite proud of the fact that it now serves patients from all kinds of backgrounds, not just from the United States but from all around the world.
- The hospital has a total of 323 beds, one of the largest Intensive Care Units (ICUs), 12 Operation Theatres with modern amenities, over 300 consultants, and almost 1,800 personnel.
Venkateshwar Hospital, Dwarka, New Delhi
- City: New Delhi, India
Hospital Highlights:
- State-of-the-art technology and devoted healthcare professionals have been brought together under one roof at Venkateshwar Hospital to provide genuine medical care. The hospital’s professionals work together as a team to deliver the best possible treatment to their patients, using the most sophisticated equipment and information technology.
- Venkateshwar Hospital’s mission is to attain global excellence in healthcare by employing evidence-based, ethical clinical practices and cutting-edge technology by a team of highly skilled experts.
Marengo Asia Hospital, Faridabad
- City: Faridabad
Hospital Highlights:
In the sprawling city of Faridabad, where healthcare needs are diverse and ever-evolving, one institution has consistently stood out as a beacon of excellence in the field of medicine—Marengo Asia Hospital. Established with a vision to provide world-class healthcare services to the community it serves, Marengo Asia Hospital has emerged as a trusted name synonymous with quality, compassion, and innovation in healthcare.
MGM Healthcare, Chennai
- City: Chennai, India
Hospital Highlights:
- Located in Chennai, India, MGM Healthcare is a top multispecialty hospital that provides all medical services under one roof.
- Since its founding in 2019, MGM Healthcare has quickly become a leading national referral centre, creating several innovative flagship initiatives.
- MGM Healthcare combines next-generation medical and digital technologies to provide better patient results.
- With 12 centres of excellence, more than 400 inpatient beds, 100 intensive care unit beds, and 24/7 emergency care, MGM Healthcare leaves no chance in redefining the patient experience in Chennai.
- MGM Healthcare boasts 250+ expert doctors across 30+ departments, including Cardiology, Pulmonology, Neurology, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, and more.
- They house 12 specialized Centres of Excellence, including Neurosciences, Orthopaedics, and Multi-Organ Transplantation.
- Their team of doctors, nurses, and paramedics works together to give every patient individualized treatment.
Congestive Heart Failure
Congestive heart failure is a progressive condition affecting the pumping of blood. It occurs when the muscles of your heart fail to pump blood efficiently. This is mainly because of certain conditions like coronary artery disease (narrowing of arteries in your heart) and high blood pressure that weaken your heart. This results in inefficient filling of blood in your heart and pumping further.
Types of Heart Failure
- Left-sided Heart Failure – There is shortness of breath as the fluid backs up in the lungs.
- Right-sided Heart Failure – There is swelling because the fluid backs up into the legs, feet, and abdomen.
- Systolic Heart Failure – There is a pumping problem as the left ventricle cannot contract vigorously.
- Diastolic Heart Failure – Also known as heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, the left ventricle cannot fill fully or relax fully in this condition. This indicates a filling problem.
Causes of Congestive Heart Failure
When other conditions damage or weaken your heart, you may experience Heart Failure. This can also occur due to the stiffness of the heart. The ventricles (main pumping chambers of your heart) become stiff and don’t fill properly between the beats causing heart failure. In some cases of Heart Failure, there are weakened and damaged heart muscles. Due to this, the ventricles dilate (stretch) up to a point that the heart fails to pump blood efficiently throughout your body.
With the passage of time, the heart fails to fulfil the demands of pumping blood to the entire body. An ejection fraction helps to determine the pumping capacity of your heart while helping to identify Heart Failure for appropriate treatment. If the heart muscle becomes stiff due to high blood pressure, it may result in Heart Failure.
- High Blood Pressure or Hypertension- If you are suffering from hypertension, then your heart needs to work strenuously for circulating the blood throughout the body. This makes the heart muscles either stiff or weak for efficient pumping of blood.
- Cardiomyopathy- Also called the heart muscle damage, it has causes like infections, the toxic effect of drugs, diseases, alcohol abuse, and genetic factors.
- Coronary artery disease- It is a common form of heart disease and a common cause of heart failure. It occurs due to the buildup of plaque (fatty deposits) in your arteries. This reduces the flow of the blood causing heart attack.
- Congenital heart defects- These are the heart defects you are born with. If the chambers and valves of your heart don’t form correctly, the heart needs to work harder for pumping blood. This may cause Heart Failure.
- Faulty heart valves- The valves of the heart maintain the blood flow in a proper direction through your heart. Coronary artery disease, heart defects, or heart infection may damage the valve of your heart. This again forces your heart to work strenuously and weaken it with the passage of time.
- Heart arrhythmia– Also called the abnormal heart rhythm, it causes faster beating of your heart and creates extra work for it. However, Heart Failure may also take place due to slow heartbeats.
- Myocarditis- It is an inflammation of the muscles of the heart. Most of the viruses cause myocarditis which ultimately leads to left-sided Heart Failure.
- Other diseases- Chronic diseases like HIV, hypothyroidism, diabetes, hemochromatosis (buildup of iron), hyperthyroidism or amyloidosis (buildup of protein) may cause Heart Failure.
Symptoms of Congestive Heart Failure
- Edema (or swelling) in your legs, feet, and ankles
- Ascites or swelling of your abdomen
- Dyspnea or shortness of breath upon lying down or normally
- Reduced ability to exercise
- Nausea
- Weakness
- Persistent coughing or wheezing with blood-tinged phlegm
- Lack of appetite
- Fatigue
- Decreased alertness or difficulty in concentrating
- Irregular or rapid heartbeat
- Coughing up foamy, pink mucus
- Chest pain
- Increased urination during the night time
- Sudden and severe shortness of breath
Diagnosis of Congestive Heart Failure
Your doctor will note down a careful medical history, perform a physical examination, and review your symptoms to diagnose Heart Failure. Your doctor might check for risk factors like diabetes, blood pressure, and coronary artery disease. He or she might check for congestion in the lungs with the help of a stethoscope. This also helps in detecting abnormal heart sounds indicating Heart Failure. He or she will also check for fluid buildup in your legs and abdomen.
Blood tests
Electrocardiogram
Chest X-ray
Echocardiogram
Stress test
Stress test measures your heart’s health by evaluating the response of the heart to exertion. Your doctor might ask you to walk on a treadmill while an ECG machine is attached. Sometimes, the test is done wearing a mask that measures the ability of your lungs and heart to take in oxygen while breathing out carbon dioxide. Your doctor might use imaging techniques to visualize the heart while the test is on.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Computerized Tomography Scan
Myocardial Biopsy
Coronary Angiogram
Treatment options for Congestive Heart Failure
Medications
- Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors: ACE inhibitors help people with systolic Heart Failure feel better. They are vasodilators and widen the blood vessels to reduce blood pressure. This improves the blood flow and decreases the workload on the heart.
- Angiotensin II receptor blockers: They have benefits similar to the ACE inhibitors and are an alternative for the people who can’t tolerate ACE inhibitors.
- Beta-blockers: These drugs slow down the heart rate and reduce blood pressure. This helps in limiting or reversing the damage to your heart if you have systolic Heart Failure. They reduce the risk of abnormal heart rhythms and improve heart function.
- Diuretics: These drugs make you urinate frequently and prevent the collection of fluids in your body. They also decrease fluid in the lungs for better breathing.
- Aldosterone antagonists: They help people with systolic Heart Failure to live longer.
- Inotropes: Your doctor will prescribe these drugs if you had severe Heart Failure to improve the pumping function of the heart and maintain the blood pressure.