WHAT IS CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE?

The arteries, which start out smooth and elastic, get plaque on their inner walls, which can make them more rigid and narrowed. This restricts blood flow to your heart, which can then become starved of oxygen.

The plaque could rupture, leading to a heart attack or sudden cardiac arrest.

How does Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) develop?

From a young age, plaque can be formed in your blood vessel walls. As you get older, the plaque develops & inflames the vessel walls. It raises the risk of blood clots and heart attack.

Inflammatory cells, lipoproteins, calcium & other objects travel in your bloodstream and mix with the plaque.

As more of these inflammatory cells join in along with cholesterol, the plaque increases, both pushing the artery walls outward and growing inward. That makes the vessels narrower.

Eventually, a narrowed coronary artery may develop new blood vessels that go around the blockage to get blood to the heart. However, if you’re pushing yourself or stressed, the new arteries may not be able to bring enough oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle.

In some cases, when plaque ruptures, a blood clot may block blood supply to the heart muscle. This causes a heart attack.

If a blood vessel to the brain is blocked (usually from a blood clot) an ischemic stroke can happen.

If a blood vessel within the brain bursts, most likely as a result of uncontrolled hypertension, a hemorrhagic stroke can result.

Studies have found that taking low-dose aspirin each day may help prevent heart attacks and strokes in people who are 50 or older and at risk for heart disease.

What Is Ischemia?

Cardiac ischemia is a condition when Oxygen-rich blood flow is restricted to your heart because of an artery becomes narrowed usually by plaque or fatty materials. This can cause heart attack with or without chest pain and any other symptoms.

Ischemia happens most during:

·         Exercise or other exertion 

·         Eating  n Excitement or stress                     

·         Exposure to cold

CAD can get to a point where ischemia happens even when you’re at rest. This is a medical emergency and may lead to a heart attack. Ischemia can happen without any warning although it is more common in people with diabetes.

What are the Symptoms of CAD?

The most common symptom is angina or chest pain.

Angina can be described as :

·         Heaviness 

·         Pressure 

·         Aching 

·         Burning 

·         Numbness

·         Fullness   

·         Squeezing 

·         Painful feeling

It can be mistaken as indigestion or heartburn.

Angina is usually felt in the chest, but may also be felt in the:

·         Left shoulder 

·         Arms 

·         Neck 

·         Back

Symptoms are often subtler in women. Nausea, sweating, fatigue, or shortness of breath can join the typical pressure-like chest pain.

Other symptoms that can occur with CAD include:

·         Shortness of breath 

·         Palpitations

·         Weakness or dizziness

Diagnosing CAD:

To find out your risk for CAD, your health care team may measure your blood pressure, cholesterol, and sugar levels. Being overweight, physically inactive, unhealthy diet and smoking tobacco are risk factors for CAD. A family history of heart disease also increases your risk for CAD. If you’re at high risk for heart disease or already have symptoms, your doctor can use several tests to diagnose CAD.

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Good to GREAT !

How DESUN’s Critical Care Team delivers stunning clinical outcomes!

Constantly implementing techniques based on latest global standards has transformed DESUN Hospital Services from Good to Great!

IN THIS ISSUE WE WILL ELABORATE ON :  Advanced technical approach towards CAD at Desun

In the previous issue of DESUN Update we had discussed about the superiority in performing CABG at DESUN. In this issue we shall discuss about Advanced Technical Approach Towards CAD at DESUN.

Test                                                             What it Does

ECD or EKG (electrocardiogram)      Measures the electrical activity, rate, and regularity of your heartbeat.

Echocardiogram                                      Uses ultrasound waves to create a picture of the heart.

Exercise Stress Test                              Measures your heart rate while you walk on a treadmill. This helps to determine how well your heart is working when it has to pump more blood.

Chest X-Ray                                              Uses X-Rays to create a picture of the heart, lungs, and other organs in the chest.

Cardiac Catheterization                       Checks the inside of your arteries for blockage by inserting a thin, flexible tube through an artery in the groin, arm, or neck to reach the heart. Health care professionals can measure blood pressure within the heart and the strength of blood flow through the heart’s chambers as well as collect blood samples from the heart or inject dye into the arteries of the heart (coronary arteries).

Coronary Angiogram                            Monitors blockage and flow of blood through the coronary arteries. Uses X-Rays to detect dye injected via cardiac catheterization.

Why Desun Angiogram is Different from Others?

A) Comprehensive Closed Ended Package :

Desun offers unique close-ended package for angiogram which includes all pre-operative investigations, cost of dye, procedure charge, instrument cost etc.

B) Unique Pre-operative screening Method :

Desun is having a facility of unique pre-operative screening method which mainly maintains the transparency of package in terms of any clinical abnormalities.

At the time of admission we perform pre-operative screening procedure at 1/3rd price of the package.

Finally after getting confirmation from clinicians we proceed for further procedure which ultimately reflects the clinical accuracy & cost-effectiveness.

C) Advanced Technical Approach :

In Desun 99% cases are done through Radial approach, resulting:

·         Lesser chances of haematoma

·          Fastest recovery in the same day

·          Better clinical outcome

·          Clinically safe & secure in comparison to femoral approach

D) Day-Care Procedure :

As Desun is doing the day care procedure, we ensure the earliest & hassle free discharge in the same day.

E) Availability of 24x7 full timer Consultant :

·         Full time expert consultants are available round the clock for 365 days to handle each emergencies and every complex cases.

·          24x7 availability of assistance for Cardiac Cath-lab.

·          Radiology, Cardiology with other diagnostic & pharmacy are functional 24 hours.

F) Clinically Safe Comparison to Conventional Procedure :

Only at Desun within this cost-effective package we are regularly using the non-ionic dye which is the safest procedure for renal impaired patients.

Severe Burn ? DESUN's Burns Unit is your Best Choice!

Burns are caused intentionally or accidentally by dry heat (such as fire), wet heat (steam or hot liquid), radiation, friction, electricity & other highly corrosive agents.

Pain management for burns differ in type & severity :

1) First Degree burn is considerably mild than other burns, resulting pain & reddening of the epidermis (Outer layer of the skin).

2) Second Degree burn (Partial thickness burn) affects both the epidermis & dermis (Lower layer of skin). It causes pain, redness, swelling & blistering.

3) Third Degree burn (Full thickness burn) is the most severe form of thermal injury, goes through the dermis & damages deeper tissues, muscles, nerves, blood vessels even bones.

What is special about DESUN's Burns Unit?

·         DESUN has the most ultramodern and specialized facility for treating burn patients.

·          The "Burns Unit" of DESUN is actually a "Burns ICU" which has all  the support facilities of a modern ICU like ventilators, 7 parameter haemodynamic monitors, syringe pumps, pulse oxymeters,    defibrillators etc.

·          The Burns Unit is a totally separate enclosure having 6 beds with special mattresses to support the burn patients.

·          The air-conditioning system maintains humidity and temperature as per international standards recommended for Burns ICU and also has special feature of releasing Ozone. Inside the Burns Unit Ozone is maintained at an optimal level. It stimulates local cell regeneration thereby helps to heal faster.

·          Specially trained nurses and doctors handle the patients for Dressing, Grafting and Plastic Surgery.

·          One of the biggest problems faced during treatment of burn patients is infection. Here again in Kolkata, DESUN Hospital has Steel OTs and good infection control practices which reduces chance of infection during Grafting, Plastic Surgery and all stages of recovery process. 

For the above mentioned reasons the chances of a burn patient's survival is usually higher at DESUN than other hospitals.

60% Burn Patients Saved at DESUN

Mrs. Madhumita Chakraborty of South 24 Parganas was brought to DESUN with 60% burns at about 10 pm. She was in her late 40s, obese, and was in extremely bad condition. Her family was in panic as local nursing home had announced that cure was impossible and she may die. The family came to DESUN with a ray of hope and Mrs. Chakraborty got admitted in DESUN's Burns Unit. A team of doctors comprising of Plastic Surgeon, Internal Medicine, Cardiologist, Clinical Nutritionist and General Surgeon immediately put her on the Latest Life Support Systems of DESUN's Burns Unit. When the family brought her here, she was already suffering from high infection levels and most of her clinical parameters were unstable. Advanced tests were performed and accordingly the latest medicines were administered to heal her extremely weak condition. Once she was slightly stabilized and the infection was within control, the consultant doctors took her through a series of surgeries in DESUN's Steel OT. The surgeries spanned over a period of 6 weeks, because, after each surgery time had to be given to recuperate.

After 3 months, Mrs. Madhumita Chakraborty walked out of the hospital. She still comes to the hospital every month for doctor's consultation and corrective physiotherapy to improve her body's functions.

Corollary:

 

DESUN Hospital's Burns Unit has been specially made to offer best treatment to the Burn Patients. DESUN is the only hospital which helps you in arranging Ambulances during such emergencies. A special Ambulance Cell works round the clock which picks up patients even at midnight from any locality, be it anywhere in Kolkata or the districts.

The 24 Hours Helpline Number is 90 5171 5171. Do save this number in your mobile now as one day it may save your life.

HEART SURGERY NOW? PAY IN INSTALLMENTS LATER

Your heart Patients Can Avail Desun’s Easy Installment Scheme !

Background -  In 2008 price of petrol was 38, now it is over 70 per litre.  However, in 2008 Coronary Angiogram (CAG) at DESUN was 7000 and even today it is still 7000.  We perform the largest number of CAG in this part of the country and also the highest number of Angioplasty and Bypass. Still there are a large number of patients requiring intervention after CAG but are not in a position to do so, because of the large ONE TIME payment involved.  DESUN is trying to address this problem in a patient – friendly manner.

DESUN ushers new era of Easy Payments for Advanced Heart Procedure:

For the first time in India DESUN has ushered in a new era of affordable advanced heart treatment for a wider section of our society.  Advanced heart procedures like Pacemaker, Angioplasty with Stent, Heart Valve Replacement, ICDs CRT are life saving but at the same time considered expensive by a large section of the society.  By breaking up the large one time upfront cost of these lifesaving procedure in easy monthly instalments such procedures have been brought within the reach of many by DESUN.

Non Treatment of Serious Cardiac Problems for being costly :

Of the people who are diagnosed with cardiac problems and need to undergo advanced heart procedures more than 70% of them are not in a position to de so, as they are unable to bear the burden of expenses involved at ONE TIME.  Hence they are often deprieved of such life saving treatment.

Ideal Medical Requirement not fulfilled because of the necessity of ONE TIME payment :

Most patients requiring Angioplasty are not in a position to pay the required amount at ONE TIME.  Therefore, doctors are left with no other alternative, but to save the life of the patient by implementing life saving measures.  For example, in such cases, less expensive non-medicated stent  within the patient’s budget, may have to be used when ideally ‘drug eluting’ stent i.e. medicated stent is recommended.  Same is the case of Pacemakers.  The developed world has shifted to Double Chamber Pacemakers more than 10 years ago as they are more effective and foolproof.  However, in India, even today more than 90% of the Pacemakers used are the old Single Chamber Pacemakers which have its own limitations, as they are less expensive than Double Chamber Pacemakers.

DESUN Easy Installment Scheme is a boon for patients with limited financial means :

Through DESUN’s Easy Installment Scheme life saving heart procedures will be within the reach of many more people.  Moreover, compromises need not be made as proper and latest technology can be implemented for the benefit of the patient, and that too within their means and financial capability.

DESUN’S INSTALLMENT SCHEME – WHAT YOUR PATIENTS NEED TO DO ?

1.    Provide us with copies of (no originals please)

●Last 3 months medicine prescription

●Last 6 months test reports.

●Copy of your prescription advising heart procedure.

2. Submit all the above documents EITHER

To the Assistant Manager (Installment Scheme) at DESUN HOSPITAL’s Admission Counter.

OR

Send the above documents by Speed Post addressed to the

“Assistant Manager, Installment Scheme”. DESUN Hospital & Heart Institute, Desun More, E.M. Bypass, Kolkata 700 107.

3.    Patients must write their own name and mobile number on the envelope.  We shall get in touch with them and also with you in the next few days.

FEEDBACK FOR PHYSICIANS, CARDIOLOGISTS & REFERRING DOCTORS :

Even when a patient opts for DESUN’s Easy Installment Scheme:

1)   We shall intimate you immediately along with the estimated cost.

2)   You may also be present during the procedure or surgery inside the OT or Cathlab.

3)   We are extremely regular in giving proper and timely feedbacks wherever you are.  You need not depend on someone visiting your area an d then only you will get the feedback of the patient.  At DESUN there is a separate CARDIAC PRODUCT TEAM that maintains contact with physicians and cardiologists regarding patients’ conditions and feedback. For further information on regular association with DESUN you may call 9903996804, 9007055111.