Best Doctors in India for Pericardial Effusion 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 Pericardial Effusion Treatment
Pericardial Effusion
A pericardial effusion is a condition in which there is an excess of fluid between your heart and the sac surrounding the heart, which is termed the pericardium. Although most of them are not harmful, they can sometimes make the heart work poorly.
The pericardium is a tough and layered sac. When the heart beats, it slides easily within it. The sac’s two layers have around 2-3 tablespoons of clear and yellow pericardial fluid. When you suffer from pericardial effusion, an excess of fluid sits in the sac. Small ones may contain 100 milliliters of fluid, while large ones may have more than 2 liters.
Symptoms
In some cases, you might have significant pericardial effusion without having any signs or symptoms. This may be the case if the fluid has increased slowly.
When symptoms of pericardial effusion occur, they might include one or more of the following:
- Shortness of breath or difficulty while breathing
- Chest pain, which occurs usually behind the breastbone or on the left side of the chest
- Discomfort in breathing while lying down
- Swelling in the abdomen or the legs
- Chest fullness
If you feel chest pain that lasts over a few minutes, then it might be best to call a doctor or emergency services.
Causes
Pericardial effusion may be caused due to inflammation of the pericardium in response to an ailment or injury. It might also occur when the flow of pericardial fluid is blocked or when blood collects within the pericardium, such as from chest trauma. Some other causes of this condition can include the following:
- Autoimmune disorders like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis
- Inflammation of the pericardium after a heart attack or a heart surgery
- Spread of cancer particularly lung cancer, breast cancer, leukemia, melanoma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, or Hodgkin’s disease
- Cancer of the pericardium or heart
- Chemotherapy treatments for cancer
- Radiation therapy treatment for cancer if the heart was within the radiation field
- Waste products in the blood caused by kidney failure
- Underactive thyroid
- Trauma or puncture wound near the heart after an open-heart surgery
- Viral, bacterial, parasitic, or fungal infections
- Certain prescription drugs
Diagnosis
Since in many cases, a pericardial effusion has no symptoms, they can include the following exams:
Physical Examination
During a physical exam, your doctor might hear abnormal sounds over the heart which might suggest an inflammation. However, pericardial effusions can’t be usually found through a physical exam.
Echocardiogram
This method uses sound waves in order to create real-time images of the heart. This test can allow the doctor to see how much fluid has collected in the space between the two layers of your pericardium. An echocardiogram can also help in showing how effectively your heart is pumping blood. It may also help in diagnosing tamponade or a collapse in any of the chambers of the heart.
Electrocardiogram
In this method, electrodes placed on your chest help to trace the heart’s electrical activity. Certain patterns on the electrocardiogram can signal a pericardial effusion or the inflammation that causes it. If it is suspected, an echocardiogram may be used to confirm it.
Once the effusion has been identified, your doctor will need to figure out its size and severity. Usually, it’s small and doesn’t cause any serious problems. However, if it is large, it may even compress your heart and hamper its blood-pumping ability. Known as cardiac tamponade, this condition can be life-threatening.
Treatment
Treatment for pericardial effusion generally depends on the amount of fluid present, as well as the underlying cause, and whether you have or not you are likely to be having cardiac tamponade. Treating the cause of pericardial effusion may often correct the problem.
If you don’t have tamponade or there is no threat to it, then your doctor might prescribe an anti-inflammatory drug in order to reduce the pericardium.
If anti-inflammatory treatments don’t correct the problem, or you are likely to have tamponade, then your cardiologist might recommend one of the following procedures for draining out the fluid or to prevent further accumulation of fluid.
Drain the fluid
Your doctor can insert a needle into the pericardial space and then use a small tube or catheter to drain fluid. This procedure is termed pericardiocentesis. In order to guide the catheter into the right position, your doctor is going to use echocardiography or a type of X-ray imaging known as fluoroscopy.
Open-heart surgery
If there is bleeding into the pericardium, caused by recent heart surgery or any other complications, then open-heart surgery might be done to drain the pericardium and repair any damage. Occasionally, a surgeon might also create a passage that can allow fluid to drain into the abdominal cavity, where it can be absorbed.
Open the layers
Although performed rarely, there is a procedure called balloon pericardiotomy, in which a deflated balloon is inserted between the layers of the pericardium and then inflated to stretch them.
Remove the pericardium
For people who are having recurring pericardial effusions despite undergoing catheter drainage, the surgical removal of all or part of the pericardium might be considered.
Complications
Depending on how fast the pericardial effusion develops, the pericardium can stretch somewhat to accommodate any excess fluid. However, too much fluid can cause the pericardium to put pressure on the heart, which may prevent the chambers from filling completely.
This condition, which is known as tamponade, can result in poor blood flow as well as a lack of oxygen to the body. Tamponade is not only life-threatening but can also require emergency care.