Do not delay your heart bypass surgery due to Covid-19

"Early heart bypass surgery can reduce the risks of post operative death by two-third"

Have you or your loved one been advised a heart bypass surgery lately? Do not delay the treatment in view of Covid-19 for no one knows when the pandemic is going to over. In six months, one year or more? Sadly, some experts are of the opinion that Covid-19 like few other coronaviruses is going to stay for ever.

Also, it is to be noted the delayed surgery is associated with high rates of bleeding, dialysis, intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) support, prolonged hospital stay and inflated hospital bill. It may also involve two-third higher risk of post-operative mortality.

Until when the surgery can be delayed

Semi-urgent and non-urgent bypass cases should not be delayed more than six weeks and twelve weeks respectively. Emergent and urgent cases must be dealt with immediately.

Urgent cases constitute patients with:

left main coronary stenosis (>70%),
triple vessel disease (>70%),
weak heart (EF < 30%),
diffused (long) blockages (> 1 cm),
continued angina (chest pain) even after taking medicines,
coronary artery disease coupled with valve leakage / stenosis
valve problem coupled with enlarged heart

For patients with the above, it may be like sitting on a time bomb. Surgery should and must be done immediately in such cases.

Fly to India

Unfortunately, heart bypass surgical facility is not available in Fiji. In Australia and New Zealand, the facility is there but the cost is exorbitant. Given that, the best option would be to fly to India. There are some special flights operating between the two countries at the moment as regular commercial flights remain suspended due to international border closures. We, Medivisor Health, can help you with your tickets and visas.

Yes, traveling to India (or for that matter to any parts of the world) may be risky these days but delaying the treatment may not be a safe bet either. In fact, it may be riskier.

If your doctor has told you that the condition is critical and it demands immediate surgical intervention, you should not mind traveling to India much (delaying the treatment will do no good). Do note that when it comes to medical treatment - both possible risks and expected benefits must be evaluated side-by-side to arrive at a better decision. Here, both Covid risk and delayed treatment risk must be analysed together for a wise call.

As far as India is concerned, it may be good to know that the country has been able to rein-in the Covid-19 disease well. The infection rate has dropped to a little over 10,000 per day (currently) from nearly 100,000 in September, 2020. Recovery rate has soared to ~98% and mortality rate has dipped to ~1%. The numbers are expected to get only better (sooner) with a mega anti-covid vaccination programme rolling out in the country (India has already started vaccinating high-risk people).

Hospitals are taking additional measures during this pandemic time. Everything is being cleaned continually, disinfected with chemicals. Any individual who may have COVID-19 is isolated from other patients. Those patients go into the section of the hospital which is away — quite a bit away — from where the standard stuff is going on. Patients who have COVID, or suspected COVID, are not even close by a long shot to where the heart surgery patients are.

Treatment can start soon after you arrive. You will not have to undergo any institutional quarantine and head straight to the hospital / hotel from New Delhi airport if you are coming with negative RT-PCR Covid report.

Stay at our guest house

Should finances be a constraint, you can choose to stay at our guest house to save on the cost.

There are some very good hospitals, including Max Hospital, Metro Hospital, Yashoda Hospital around the apartment; you can choose any of them to get treated at. We can help you with your hospital visit, consultation, investigations, admission, discharge and review. You may have one of our team members guiding, escorting and assisting you all the time.

Contact us for hospital quotation and booking

You may write to us at indiaoffice@medivisorhealth.com or fill-up the below box for more information, hospital quotation and booking. You can also visit us at our Medivisor Health, Suva Office (201, Bhans Tower, Opposite CWM Maternity Hospital, Ph: 9470588) if you are based in Fiji.