Monday, 20 January 2014

Stents in Angioplasty- The Global Lifesaver



Changing work patterns supplemented with unhealthy lifestyle and food habits is taking its biggest toll on the human heart. In the last 20 years, heart ailments and related issues have proved to be the biggest killer among people of all age groups and class. More than 16 million people are inflicted with the Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) globally making it the most common form of heart disease. CAD is a regressive heart ailment caused by a condition called Atherosclerosis. In this condition, the heart vessels are clogged with fat molecules, cholesterol, calcium deposits and blood clotting fiber called fibrin. These depositions greatly restrict the flow of blood to the heart leading to weakening of cardiac muscles and inefficient functioning. Heart surgeons recommend several interventional for performing angioplasty.  The most commonly practiced procedures are as follows

1. Balloon angioplasty

2. Stent

3. Rotoblation

4. Atherectomy

5. Cutting Balloon

Among all the above processes, use of the stents in angioplasty is the most common and effective.

Inserting the Stents: The Overview of the Process

Coronary angioplasty is referred to as Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA). The process of inserting stents into the coronary arteries is called as Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI).  The balloon catheter is inserted into the blocked vessel using endoscopic camera assisted by robotic arms. The balloon catheter is inflated and the stents expand into the blocked artery wall. Once locked into the position, the stent expands to fit into the blocked space and gets fixed to the inner walls of the coronary vessels. The stent stays there permanently, preventing the operated artery from collapsing against blood pressure. In many ways, it resembles a module of a spring. The balloon catheter is, then, burst and pulled back. In a lot of instances, there is a strong possibility that the artery can be blocked again. This condition is called Restenosis.

There are 2 medically approved stent types: As per FDA norms, these are:

• Bare-Metal Stents (BMS)

• Drug Eluting Stents (DES)

To prevent restenosis, modern day stents are loaded with molecular agents that prevent fats from depositing on the walls. The agents include aspirin, thrombin and Brillinta. Unlike bypass surgery, stenting requires minimum invasion.  Patients are administered local anesthesia unless multiple stents are to be inserted. This procedure is a safe process and the patient can resume normal chores within 8-10 days post surgery. Despite its effectiveness over the long run, some precautions must be taken after the insertion of stents. Avoiding strenuous exercise or heavy lifting must be followed. Not adhering to regular follow ups may leave the stent wound from damages. The chances of it paving way for infection, blood clots and eventually may lead to death also in certain cases.

Thus following of doctor’s advice is highly advisable to live free of heart risks.

Monday, 6 January 2014

EECP: Keeping heart with care


Introduction:

There was a time when the heart diseases were one of those problems, which were feared by the people more than any problem. It is not that they are not feared in today’s time, but the various treatments, which are available to cure them or to control them, have made people relax on this thing a bit. The time when people used to die suddenly with these problems is long gone. Now the medical science has found the best treatments. Treatments and death rate are increased in comparison to past, but still heart attack is a major disease. Heart attack is the result of many causes, but the primary one is the heart, which cannot move the blood flow as required.

The common reasons of heart failure are high blood pressure, viral infections and diabetes. The medical science has developed many treatments to cure heart failure, but still it claims 6,00,0000 deaths per year.

There are a number of treatments, which can solve the problems related to heart these days and one of the most popular is the EECP treatment. The EECP is the acronym of Enhanced External Counter Pulsation and is considered as the most effective treatment for heart failure.

Process:

This is a treatment, which does not involve any medication before the treatment. There are pneumatic cuffs, which are attached to the legs of the patient from one end, and the other ends of these cuffs are attached to the necessary equipment. With these equipment, the practitioner is able to monitor the heart rate of the patient. The cuffs contract or expand as per the system of the electrocardiogram, which increases the preload and reduces the blood load.

Duration:

This therapy is continued with a person for 7 weeks, which include a session of 2 to 3 hours for five days in a week. This therapy affects the patients, and he feels very much active and peaceful after this treatment is over. This also increases the energy level of the patient.

Popularity:

As the time passes and the patients gain from this treatment, it is gaining more and more popularity in the medical field. Both men and women are equally benefited by this treatment.

Advantage:

This type of treatment has many advantages, which a patient can have. This is a beneficial treatment which takes the patient away from the horrors of surgery. Some of the benefits of EECP treatment are:

· This therapy makes it very easy for the practitioners treat their patients.

· This is a new kind of treatment, which does not need any opening to be made on the body.

· The patients are more relaxed due to the nature of treatment and co-operate with the doctor more easily.

· This kind of therapy is effective for all the patients who are between the ages of 19 years to 97 years.

· With no involvement of any kind of medication, the treatment is free of any kind of potential risk.

Friday, 27 December 2013

Cure Your Heart Problem through EECP



Despite of an increase in the number of ways to cure the severe heart related issues, many patients are yet to get relief from this problem. For leading a healthy life, it is necessary to have a functioning heart, and this is possible only if you treat it on a regular basis. Heart treatment is usually considered being expensive, and there is no assurance of its healing. Thus, many people look for effective and less expensive ways to cure this problem. By-pass surgery has been one of the oldest methods to cure heart problem, but it is not recommended for everyone as medical health of the patient needs to be considered before suggesting this treatment. Angioplasty is another way of treating this problem, but it is usually avoided as it is expensive.
Moreover, patients cannot continue with their normal life, unless they completely recover from this problem. Thus, the demand for EECP treatment these days has increased tremendously. Not only it is considered to be safer than other methods, but it is also cheap. EECP, which is also called as Enhanced External Counter Pulsation, is a new method of curing serious problem related to heart. Through this process, the experts try to augment the flow of blood to the heart, which is required for proper functioning of the heart.

There are quite a few hospitals and doctors that practice EECPtherapy in India that excel in this treatment. In this technique of treatment, the patient is asked to lie on a padded table that is meant for treatment. Also, the doctor ties the thighs and hips with a strong cuff so that patients don’t make movement, while treatment.  In this process, an effort is made to increase the flow of blood, which is done by relaxing the heart and ensuring smooth blood flow into the coronary arteries. The patients don’t have to get admitted into hospital for getting treated. Rather, they can visit the hospital every time, and can continue with their work after getting treated.
Why is this method reliable?
a.         It is inexpensive
b.         EECP is more reliable, as compared to other methods
Choose the better hospital:
There are many hospitals that provide such treatment, and the details can be found from the net. Such treatment is usually provided in the form of OPD, and so the patients don’t have to get admitted into the hospital. They can visit the hospital for the number of weeks specified by the doctors, and get treated. Once the course of treatment has been done, they can continue with their routine works. As the expenses incurred for such treatment is less, many people of all age group prefer this process. The result is positive, however, if there is no relief, then, the patients can actually move on towards the advanced heart treatment.

Thursday, 12 December 2013

Healthy heart for healthy life



 Introduction:
As the lifestyle of people all around the world is changing, a number of diseases are making home in the human body. One of the serious problems that the present lifestyle is causing is the heart problem. A large number of people are suffering from the heart problems, and it is also considered as the number one health enemy of mankind. Some of them get hold of the problem in the early stages and are able to control the situation while the rest die out of these problems. There are a number of people who die with heart problems each year. However, this problem can be handled well if proper care is taken and necessary arrangements are made for betterment of heart functionality. There are numerous ways to make the heart work perfectly, which range from light to heavy medication to various surgical options. Medical science has found different surgical options to make the heart function normally after operation. But before understanding the different surgeries, one must understand the heart problem.
Problems:
The most common of the heart problems is the heart attack which is generally caused by the blockage in the main artery. This situation arises due to unbalanced lifestyle. However, if caught in the early stages, these problems can be solved. There are many people who are suffering from these problems, but still they do not like the idea of surgery. A lot many people like to choose the surgery free way as the options are available. In the past, the surgery was the only cure for these problems, but with the development of medical science, new techniques have been devised, which help the medical practitioners to help the heart patients without going in for a complicated surgery.
Why people choose these options:
Many of people are going for these surgery free options despite the fact that these options are taking a large sum of money out of their pockets. These therapies are working, as well as, surgery for the heart patients. There are many ways by which the problem of heart can be cured without surgery one of which includes the solution of dehydration, which is many times the root of the problem. The patient is treated for the heart problem by treating for the dehydration, which many times cause great diseases.
Popularity:
The heartcure without surgery has gained a lot of popularity in the recent years. People prefer to handle their heart with care, and thus, they do not take the way of scissors for its treatment. Many of the medical institutions are performing these therapies on patients who are willing to get these therapies and so far most of the cases of these therapies have proved to be successful.
In these therapies, along with curing the patients with a number of medication and physical activities the lifestyle of the person is also changed.