PRNewswire
Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], July 15: Rapid changes in lifestyle, dietary patterns, environmental factors, and stress levels are significantly impacting heart health. As the risk of cardiovascular disease continues to rise, adopting heart-healthy habits and seeking timely preventive care have become more important than ever.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) affects an estimated 422 million people worldwide, according to Global Burden of Disease study data, with the largest share of that burden concentrated in South Asia. With the advent of this era, technology and treatments are also catching up. With the rising complexity in cardiac patients, Zydus Hospitals has evolved its capabilities to match and has built its cardiology services around this shift, positioning itself as a hub for cardiac patients across Western India, extending treatment beyond routine procedures to the most advanced surgeries across all ages, from paediatric to the elderly.
Merging cutting-edge technology and state-of-the-art imaging and intervention techniques, in their Cath labs, such as IVUS (intravascular ultrasound), Rotablation angioplasty, OCT (optical coherence tomography, which offer higher resolution than standard angiography), along with a dedicated Heart Rhythm clinic, the department has performed many path-breaking procedures in the field. In addition to routine procedures, they also offer complex procedures such as TAVI (transcatheter aortic valve implantation) or TAVR (transcatheter aortic valve replacement). Additionally, their heart transplant programme is backed by a multi-disciplinary team of cardiac surgeons, cardiologists, and other highly trained specialists and support staff.
Though angioplasty is a rather routine procedure for partially occluded vessels, in some patients, the coronary arteries of the heart can be 100% blocked since many years (Chronic Total Occlusion). In them, angioplasty can be tricky and approached in two ways. The standard, antegrade approach advances the wire forward through the blockage in the direction of normal blood flow. When that's not feasible, interventional cardiologists use a retrograde approach and enter the artery through a different artery, threading the wire through small collateral vessels and then crossing the total occlusion from the reverse side (retrograde CTO).
Dr. Bhavesh Roy, Sr. Interventional Cardiologist, recalls a similar case of a patient with a chronic total occlusion (CTO), "We couldn't use the routine antegrade approach, as there was no entry point from the forward direction and a chance to pierce the arterial wall that could lead to a cardiac emergency, and we would have to then convert from a minimally invasive procedure to an open-heart surgery. Instead, we used special wires to cross the occlusion via a retrograde approach that turned out to be extremely effective and the patient recovered fast." Dr. Bhavesh Roy has performed many such cases, even in international patients who travelled to Zydus specifically for complex CTO management.
Even when the standard antegrade approach is used, comorbidities can complicate a case. "In another CTO case, we used an IVUS catheter pullback from a side branch to map the cross-section of the occluded vessel, which let us identify the exact site to cross the wire with a micro catheter based on the patient's anatomy," Dr. Bhavesh Roy said. "What made this case particularly challenging was that the patient was on dialysis, with a creatinine of 3 mg/dL and haemoglobin of 7 g/dL," he added. This meant the team had to manage significant renal impairment and anaemia alongside the procedure, and despite the combination of risk factors, the procedure was completed successfully.
In patients with faulty valve function, valve replacement surgeries are done where bioprosthetic valves are implanted to resume regular functioning. These typically have a functional lifespan of around a decade, and a second surgery on an older or previously operated patient carries its own risk. "A 75-year-old man had previously undergone an open-heart surgery followed by a surgical aortic valve replacement a decade earlier, and that valve had begun to show signs of degeneration. Third open-heart procedure carried considerable risk given his age and history, so we opted for a non-surgical modality by performing a Valve-in-Valve TAVI, instead," Dr. Bhavesh Roy said. "During the procedure, he was under conscious sedation instead of general anaesthesia. A new transcatheter valve was implanted inside the existing surgical valve, without removing it that restored normal function without risking a second open-heart surgery. The procedure went smoothly, and he recovered well, and was discharged on the third day," he added. Navigating through complex cases like these are not possible without the acumen of such skilful cardiac specialists.
While structural and coronary interventions address blockages and mechanical valve failure, an equally important frontier in cardiac care is the heart's electrical system. Natural electrical impulses coordinate the contractions of the heart's chambers in a precise, choreographed sequence. When these signals go awry, consequences can range from debilitating palpitations and fainting to sudden cardiac arrest, independent of whether the vessels or valves are structurally sound.
Cardiac Electrophysiology (EP) is a highly specialised sub-discipline of cardiology dedicated to diagnosing and treating heart rhythm disorders. Patients typically present with palpitations, unexplained fainting, breathlessness, or symptoms of heart failure, and these are frequently attributed to other causes before the underlying rhythm disturbance is identified. In its most severe form, an uncorrected arrhythmia can cause sudden cardiac death, making early recognition genuinely lifesaving.
The hospital's dedicated Heart Rhythm Clinic offers comprehensive diagnostic and therapeutic management of full spectrum of arrhythmias, from common conditions such as atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, and supraventricular tachycardia to complex and life-threatening disorders such as scar-related ventricular tachycardia and channelopathies, supported by 3D mapping-guided ablation.
Dr. Niraj Yadav, Senior Cardiologist and Cardiac Electrophysiologist at Zydus Hospital, Ahmedabad, explains a case of a 7-year-old who presented with progressive heart failure. "Paediatric heart failure is commonly attributed to weakened heart muscle, but in her case, the cause was incessant tachycardia (continuous elevated heart rate over 100 BPM). This condition, known as tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy, is reversible if the underlying arrhythmia is corrected, but it requires identifying and eliminating the electrical source rather than simply treating the heart failure. She was first admitted to the ICU and was given anti-arrhythmic medications but did not respond. We then decided to ablate the source of her arrhythmia," Dr. Niraj Yadav said.
"A 3D mapping system revealed that the origin of her arrhythmia lay not on the inner wall of the heart, as is commonly the case, but lay on the outer surface - the epicardium (protective sac surrounding the heart). If not done correctly, heart could be punctured which would be catastrophic" he said. This procedure carries significant risk even in adults and is performed at very few centres in the region. In children, these challenges multiply. "We could successfully ablate the source of the arrhythmia. Her heart function returned to normal within weeks and she was discharged without needing any ongoing medication," he added.
"Most rhythm disorders we see can be cured through the procedure itself, and a significant share of patients need no medication afterward. In cases where a cure isn't possible, the procedure still meaningfully improves quality of life," Dr. Niraj Yadav said.
With a large team of experienced cardiologists, electrophysiologists, perfusionists, intensivists, and renowned cardiac surgeons across all its centres, Zydus has successfully established itself as a hub for all types of cardiac modalities and continues make a difference to a large number of patients.
Zydus's cardiac care programme spans all three centres in Ahmedabad, Anand, and Vadodara, bringing together an experienced team across every discipline. The cardiology team includes some of the renowned in the field, Sr. Interventional Cardiologists, Dr. Sunil Thanvi, Dr. Bhavesh Roy, Dr. Abhisheka Tripathi, Dr. Ketan M. Vekariya, and Dr. Niraj Yadav, Sr. Cardiologist and Cardiac Electrophysiologist. The cardiac surgery team has some of the leading surgeons in the field, Dr. Rajesh Desai, Sr. Cardiac Surgeon and Heart Transplant Specialist and Dr. Sandeep Agarwala, Cardio-thoracic and Vascular Surgeon, supported by a dedicated team of perfusionists led by Dr. Robert Joseph Benjamin. In Vadodara, the cardiology team at Vadodara consists of Sr. Cardiologist, Dr. Mahima Chhajer, and Interventional Cardiologists, Dr. Bipin Dasari and Dr. Saurabh Biswas. The cardiology team at Zydus Anand has Interventional Cardiologists, Dr. Raushan Ranjan and Dr. Rutvik Trivedi together with Cardiac Surgeon, Dr. Yogesh Shukla.
To know more about their services, click https://zydushospitals.com.
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