Ensure a #HealthyHeart

Protect your heart

It has been observed that the heart disease is becoming a major cause of death. The good news for you is that the eighty percent of heart disease can be prevented. Some of the important factors that contribute to heart disease which are beyond a person’s ability to change include genes, age, air pollution. But there are several factors that you can control to protect your heart, hence such factors are called as modifiable risk factors. These modifiable risk factors are the key factors for many of the heart disease. By adopting simple steps into your lifestyle, you can protect your heart.

·       Exercise often

Doing exercise regularly can reduce your risk of getting heart disease. Try to work out for 30 to 60 minutes

·       Keep your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar under control

Physical activity can help to reduce your chance of developing the factors such as high blood pressure; high cholesterol; and diabetes.

·       Maintain a healthy weight

Doing exercise helps you to control weight. Decreasing your weight to about five to ten percent can help to reduce your blood pressure; diabetes and also blood cholesterol level.

·       Don’t smoke or use tobacco

These contribute the major factor for developing the heart disease. The toxic chemicals present in tobacco leads to atherosclerosis, which in turn leads to heart attack. The carbon monoxide present in cigarette replaces the oxygen content in your body causing an increase in blood pressure and heart rate. This will cause your heart to work hard to supply adequate oxygen to your body. Smoking increases the chance of developing blood clots.

·       Eat healthfully

To protect your heart, your diet must be rich in vegetables; fruits and whole grains. Including fruits and vegetables in your diet not only prevent heart disease but also may prevent cancer and moderate diabetes too. Including certain fishes rich in omega three fatty acids in your diet decreases the chance of getting heart attacks. Healthy fats from plant-based sources, such as avocado, nuts, olives and olive oil, reduce the bad type of cholesterol. Try to reduce the usage of foods rich in saturated fats namely red meals; the diary products; coconut and palm oils.

·       Get enough quality sleep

Live happily for quite long after a heart surgery

Many people are concerned about what are the do’s and don’ts  after heart surgery. After your discharge from the hospital, you should be very careful in doing even your daily routines.

 The things should not do are given below

·       During the healing period, it is advised to avoid pulling and pushing activities with your arms.

·       During bathing, showers are allowed, but bath tubs are discouraged. Avoid the usage of creams, lotions, and soap in your incision area. Avoid bathing with hot water, which may cause you to feel weak.

·       After surgery, try to avoid driving your vehicle for more than four to six hours.

·       Avoid crossing your legs while sitting and lying in bed.

·       Avoid isometrics

·       Avoid the situations and people or conversations that will make you upset or angry. These changes cause your heart to work harder.

The things to be noticed and done are given below:

·       After your discharge from the hospital, you have to check your temperature at every morning for one week. You have to inform your doctor if your temperature stays above 101 F for more than one day

·       Like your temperature, you have to check your body weight every morning for two weeks after your discharge from the hospital. Inform your doctor if there happens a sudden weight gain

·       After your heart surgery, you have to contact your doctor if you are experiencing the chest pain which was experienced prior to surgery.

·       While travelling, carry your medical records and medications with you.

·       Always remember your diet, medications and physical activities are prescribed specifically for you. So don’t compare with other heart patients.

·       There is a chance of experiencing discomfort in your incision area. Don’t hesitate to use medications for pain relief. Contact your doctor if your medications can’t relieve your pain

·       No need to worry about the swelling or lumps in the incision area since this could be disappeared by several months. Contact your doctor, if there is excessive redness, oozing, and swelling in your incision area.

·       Contact your doctor if there is an increased  shortness of breathing.

·       You have to consult the doctor if your incisions don’t appear to be healing.

MITRAL VALVE SURGERY: PROCEDURE & BENEFITS

Mitral valve replacement is an open-heart surgical procedure done for the replacement of diseased mitral valve with either a bioprosthetic heart valve or a mechanical valve. Mitral valve replacement may be required for mitral regurgitation (a leaky mitral valve), mitral stenosis (tight mitral valve), or both. The reasons for mitral valve disease are the infection, calcification, inherited collagen disease or some other cause. Before choosing prosthetic heart valve, many factors are needed to be considered since, the choice of heart valve will affect the patient's age, medical condition, preferences with medication, and lifestyle. There are two types of artificial heart valves- mechanical valves and bioprosthetic tissue valves. Mechanical valves can last  a lifetime since they are made from metal and pyrolytic carbon. But the problem for the patients with mechanical valves is that they must take blood-thinning medications to prevent blood clotting. Even though in the case of patients with biological valves (tissue valves) can avoid blood thinners, these biological valves will last only for 10 to 15 years and must be replaced due to wear and tear. Hence biological valve may not be a concern for aged patients, due to the need for reoperation.

Procedures followed during a surgery

The patient will receive a general anesthesia. The incision is often created somewhat horizontally below the left breast, or vertically through the breastbone. When the heart is exposed, cannulae are placed to reroute blood to a heart-lung machine for cardiopulmonary bypass. An incision is created within the left atrium of the heart to show the left atrioventricular valve (mitral valve). The valve is then replaced with either a biological or mechanical valve. The left atrium is then closed, and therefore, the patient weaned from cardiopulmonary bypass. After surgery patients are usually taken to a medical care unit (ICU). Mitral valve surgery can now also be performed robotically. With the development of minimally invasive techniques such as TAVR, a valve replacement can be performed without the need for open heart surgery.

Benefits of mitral valve replacement surgery

• ·        Better quality of life
• ·        Prolonged life
• ·        Reduced heart symptoms

In the case of minimally damaged valves, mitral valves can be repaired instead of replacing it. The advantages for mitral valve repair are given below

• ·        Lower surgical mortality
• ·        Lower risk of stroke
• ·        Lower rate of endocardial infection
• ·        Improved long-term survival.
• ·        After mitral valve repair, blood thinners are not required