The human heart is a remarkable organ that tirelessly pumps blood throughout our lives. Within this intricate machinery lies the mitral valve. The mitral valve is a crucial part of the heart that ensures the unidirectional flow of blood. The unidirectional flow of blood is from the left atrium to the left ventricle. However, when this valve becomes diseased or damaged, it can lead to severe health complications, necessitating medical intervention. Mitral valve replacement is one such procedure of significant concern.
India has emerged as a top destination for mitral valve replacement due to its world-class healthcare infrastructure and affordable healthcare costs.
The cost of Mitral Valve Replacement in India is approximately Rs. 4,00,000.
What is Mitral Valve Replacement?
The mitral valve is 1 of the heart’s four valves. It lies between the left atrium and the left ventricle. Mitral valve replacement is a surgical procedure that replaces a damaged or diseased mitral valve with an artificial one. The artificial mitral valve is known as a prosthetic valve. This procedure is usually recommended for patients with severely compromised valve functionality. This may lead to conditions like mitral valve stenosis (narrowing) or regurgitation (leakage).
Why is Mitral Valve Replacement Done?
Surgery to replace a mitral valve may be performed if you have mitral valve disease, including the following:
- Mitral valve regurgitation: The leaflets (flaps) of the mitral valve do not close tightly. This causes blood to leak backward. It is common in people with mitral valve prolapse. Mitral valve repair surgery is recommended for severe mitral valve regurgitation symptoms.
- Mitral valve stenosis: In this condition, the valve leaflets become thick or stiff and may fuse. This results in valve narrowing and reduces blood flow through the area.
What Does Mitral Valve Replacement Involve?
Mitral valve replacement may involve the following:
- Open-heart surgery involving a cut (incision) in the chest.
- In Minimally invasive heart surgery, smaller incisions in the chest are done by the Cardiac Surgeon. The surgery involves a shorter hospital stay, quicker recovery, and less pain as compared to open-heart surgery.
- In Robot-assisted heart surgery, the surgeon uses robotic arms to perform the surgery.
- The catheter-based procedure involves inserting a thin, flexible tube (catheter) in a vein and guiding it to the heart. The catheter can be used to deliver tools to repair/replace the mitral valve.
Who Needs to Have Mitral Valve Replacement?
Surgeons will try to repair your valve, rather than replace it, whenever possible. However, if repair surgery has a low chance of success, then your surgeon will recommend valve replacement.
Repair might not be successful if:
- Endocarditis has severely damaged your valve
- Rheumatic heart disease has severely damaged your valve
- Your valve has extensive calcium deposits or scarring
- There’s a lot of damage to your papillary muscles or chordae. These are your valve’s support structures.
Talk with your medical provider about your options. It’s a good idea to go to a high-volume hospital where surgeons perform many valve surgeries every day) for evaluation. Surgeons at these hospitals are experienced in evaluating valve anatomy. They’re highly skilled at deciding that a replacement would be better for you.
What Are the Complications of Mitral Valve Replacement?
Complications of valve surgery include:
- Arrhythmias
- Bleeding
- Blood clots
- Heart block
- Heart failure
- Infection
- Stroke
These complications may happen soon after your surgery or down the road. Talk to your healthcare provider about all possible complications and how to lower your risk.
What is the Cost of Mitral Valve Replacement in India?
The cost of mitral valve replacement in India is as follows:
- Bangalore: Rs. 185,000 – Rs. 300,000
- Chennai: Rs. 175,750 – Rs. 285,000
- Delhi: Rs. 194,250 – Rs. 315,000
- Hyderabad: Rs. 185,000 – Rs. 300,000
- Mumbai: Rs. 203,500 – Rs. 330,00
Which Cardiac Surgeons in India Perform Mitral Valve Replacement?
Some of the leading cardiac surgeons in India performing mitral valve replacement are listed below:
Dr. Naresh Trehan
- With an experience of more than 40 years, Dr. Trehan is one of India’s most successful Cardiovascular and Cardiothoracic Surgeons.
- He has performed over 48000 cardiac surgeries.
- His expertise lies in cardiothoracic surgeries like transmyocardial laser revascularization, Cardiomyoplasty, myocardial total arterial revascularization, heart port access surgery, reduction ventriculoplasty (Batista Operation), aortic valve surgery, and robotically-assisted cardiac surgery.
- He specializes in thoracic surgeries, including chest wall defects, heart failure, heart attacks, video-assisted minimally invasive cardiac surgeries, heart disease, lung cancer, etc.
Dr. Y K Mishra
- With an experience of over 32 years, Dr. Y K Mishra is a renowned Cardiac Surgeon in India.
- He has successfully performed over 14,000 open heart surgeries, & more than 500 robotic surgeries.
- His expertise lies in minimally invasive cardiac surgery, beating heart coronary artery bypass, robotic surgery, and aortic surgery.
- He has a keen interest in clinical work, training, and research work & has been invited as a guest lecturer from around the world.
Dr. Nandkishore Kapadia
- Dr. Nandkishore Kapadia is one of India’s most reputed Cardiothoracic Surgeons, with a thriving experience of over 28 years.
- Dr. Kapadia has performed 10000+ CABG, 5000+ other open-heart procedures, 500+ minimally access cardiac procedures and 190+ heart and lung transplants, 150+ ECMO and VAD implantation.
- He has devised many new techniques, hybrid cardiac procedures, and modified immuno-suppression protocols to suit Indian heart transplant recipients.
- The Mayor of Paris has awarded him the prestigious Mayor Choix de Chirurgien.
Dr. Vivek Jawali
- Dr. Vivek Jawali is a well-known Cardiac Surgeon with an experience of over 40 years.
- He has performed 18,000+ cardiothoracic & vascular surgeries so far.
- He specializes in laparoscopic surgery, cardiac ablation, cardiac catheterization, carotid angioplasty & stenting, coronary angiogram, heart valve replacement, device closure, and several other procedures.
- He also performed India’s first beating heart bypass surgery in 1992 and India’s first minimally invasive surgery in 1994.
Dr. Bhaba Nanda Das
- Dr. Bhabha Nanda Das is among the top Cardio-Thoracic Surgeons with an experience of over 36 years.
- His expertise lies in CABG on beating heart, double valve replacement/aortic valve replacement/mitral valve replacement, aortic aneurysm surgery, all congenital anomalies & intra-cardiac repair.
- He has performed more than 20,000 heart surgeries to date.
- He started aneurysm surgery in North India and performed the first heart transplant in India.
To Conclude
Mitral valve replacement is a critical procedure for individuals suffering from mitral valve diseases, and the cost of Mitral valve replacement in India can be a significant concern. Indian hospitals have emerged as a leading destination for mitral valve replacement due to cost-effective healthcare, skilled medical professionals, advanced infrastructure, and minimal wait times.
