Treatment to Remove Heart Blockages

Cardiac Surgery | by BMB

Heart blockage is a term commonly used for patients with coronary artery disease. As the name suggests, it means that there is a block that is restricting the free flow of blood toward the heart, which in turn affects the flow of blood toward other parts of the body as well. Coronary artery disease is one of the most common heart diseases, and that is becoming a reason for grave concern worldwide. In the year 2019 alone, it accounted for nearly 360,900 deaths and at present affects more than 18.2 million adults, above the age of 20. As life has become more convenient with private transport, lifts, escalators, online shopping, etc, people are finding more and more reasons to stay indoors and follow a stagnant lifestyle. Not only this, but unhealthy eating habits are also one of the major reasons responsible for coronary artery disease. You think ordering food from outside or eating out every now and then is not going to do you any harm. However, experts specialising in coronary angioplasty suggest that these foods contain fats, cholesterol and other unhealthy substances that can get accumulated in your arteries resulting in plaque formation. Luckily, there are effective treatments available nowadays that can help to remove heart blockages. We have discussed these in this blog with the help of the leading heart specialist in Kolkata.

Coronary artery bypass graft - Coronary artery bypass grafting does not cure coronary artery disease but rather helps to restore the normal flow of blood to the symptoms and improve the quality of the patient's life. During the procedures, the doctors will take a healthy blood vessel from any other part of the patient's body, usually the leg, and use it to create a route for the flow of blood. The two ends of this blood vessel are connected to the coronary artery just above and below the block area. As this happens the blood is redirected through the new root that has been created.

The surgical procedure takes anywhere between 3 to 6 hours depending upon the severity of the blockage and may be simultaneously performed for more than one blockage.

The procedure is performed under the influence of general anesthesia, using the conventional approach in which a long incision is made across your chest to access the heart and a heart-lung bypass machine is used to keep the blood flowing through your body. Such bypass surgery is commonly referred to as on-pump coronary bypass surgery. In some cases, the procedure may be carried out through a minimally invasive approach, by making a tiny incision in the chest and using detailed imaging guidance to guide the special surgical tools.

Another way of performing CABG surgery is beating heart surgery or off-pump surgery. It also uses the conventional approach, however, unlike the on-pump surgery, it does not require a heart-lung bypass machine. This procedure cannot be performed on everyone as it is highly complicated. You can find the best heart specialist in Kolkata who specialised in all the above-mentioned procedures.

Coronary angioplasty - Coronary angioplasty or percutaneous coronary intervention, is a minimally invasive procedure that uses cardiac catheterization approach. The catheter is a tiny, flexible tube fitted with a balloon on one of its ends. This is introduced inside your body through a small incision and directed toward the affected part of the coronary artery using detailed imaging guidance. Once the catheter is in the right position, the balloon is inflated to gently push the walls of the arteries and clear the blockage. If the doctors feel the need, a stent may be placed alongside to alleviate the risks of any such blockage in the future. The stent is a tiny tube made of wire mesh. That can prevent the artery from clogging again.

The top heart specialist in Kolkata suggests that coronary angioplasty comes with multiple benefits and as such, it is a highly preferred treatment option. Some of these benefits include a shorter procedural period, minimal loss of blood, faster recovery and better prognosis.

The procedure can be easily performed in a catheterization lab under the influence of local anesthesia to help you relax. Unlike the conventional surgical procedures, you will not require a heart-lung bypass machine, and the procedure will take anywhere between 30 minutes to 2 hours depending upon the severity of the blockage.

If you want to know more about heart blockage and how it can be treated, consult the expert from the best hospital in Kolkata today.