Pacemaker Surgery in India: What Global Patients Need to Know Now

Pacemaker surgery in India

Pacemaker surgery is a type of surgery to insert a small electronic device (pacemaker) in your chest or abdomen that helps to control abnormal heart rhythms (especially a bradycardia slow heart rate or heart block).

What is a Pacemaker?

A pacemaker is a machine, which uses batteries and transmits electrical signals to the heart and keeps it at the normal rate and rhythm.

It normally possesses:

• Pulse generator- it holds battery and electronics.
• Leads (wires) - transports electrical signals between the heart and the pulse generator.

Why Pacemaker Surgery?

You could be advised to use pacemaker by doctors when you have:

• Irregular or slowness of heartbeat (bradycardia)
• Signal delay at the level of heart block (sync delays between ventricles and atria)
• Some rhythm diseases of the heart following heart attack or heart surgery
• In some instances, heart failure (special type: biventricular pacemaker)

Kinds of Pacemakers

• Single-chamber- transports transmission to one of the heart chambers (usually, right ventricle).
• Dual chamber -orchestrates the signals between the right atrium and right ventricle.
• Biventricular (CRT) stimulates the two ventricles to heart failure patients.

Best pacemaker surgery hospitals in India

• Artemis Hospital, Gurgaon
• Medanta-The Medicity, Gurgaon
• Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurgaon
• Max Hospital, Saket

Factors Affecting Pacemaker surgery cost in India

The following are the definite drivers which affect the cost of pacemaker surgery in India, according to latest and trusted sources:

Pacemaker Type of Device

• Single chamber: Rustic and cheapest.
• Dual-chamber: Medium price.
• Biventricular (CRT): Most advanced type of device and is used in heart failure patients; expensive.

Hospital-Related Costs

• High-profile facilities are usually expensive 
• It also depends on geographic location: in metros such as Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore, the prices are generally higher 

Surgeon anaesthetist

• Prices vary according to the skills and fame of medical team. The most skilled cardiologists are more expensive to hire 

Preoperative and Diagnostic Tests

• The addition of ECG, echocardiogram, blood work, imaging etc adds to overall expense.

Hospitalization & length of stay

• The type of room (general ward or private room), the use of the ICU and how long they stay influences the daily costs.

Post-surgery Care & Medication

• Subsequent visits, treatment, and potential therapy come at increased charges.

Conditions and Complications specific to Patients

• Additional care or additional tests may be necessary due to underlying conditions (e.g. diabetes, heart failure), which raises costs 
• Surgery complications are also part of the bill they handle 

Location, City Variation

• Adds additional costs of surgery (device + procedure) depending on the city and the facility.

Top pacemaker surgeons in India

• Dr. Amit Kumar Chaurasia
• Dr. Naresh Trehan
• Dr. Anil Bhan
• Dr. (Col) Manjinder Sandhu
• Dr. Udgeath Dhir
• Dr. Balbir Singh

Factors Affecting Affordable pacemaker surgery in India

Kind of Pacemaker Equipment

• Basic single-chamber pacemakers are the least expensive, and newer and specially designed models such as dual-chamber devices or CRT (biventricular) may also have higher costs.

Type & Location of Hospitals

• The price offered in government hospitals and trust institutions is substantially as compared to those offered by the private hospitals. 
• The prices in any tier-2 or tier-3 city are usually cheaper as there are fewer overheads as compared to metros 

Surgery Skill Level & Hospital Quality Ranking

• The level of expertise of the surgeon and the hospital make up more fees. More experienced cardiac surgeons and well equipped hospitals offer higher results at a high cost.

Diagnostic & Procedural Charges

• Pre-med surgery (ECG, echocardiogram, blood work etc.) further increases the cost. The cost is increased with procedure fees such as surgeon, anaesthesia and operating room.
• Total cost could be added by hospital stay (room charges) according to type of accommodation 

Post-Operative Care

• Total cost may be increased with follow-ups, medicine and rehabilitation.

Underlying Conditions

• Comorbid patients (having conditions, such as diabetes, kidney disease, or heart failure) can require a more complicated course or stay, which makes it more expensive.

Permanent pacemaker surgery in India

• Length: About 1-2 hours
• Anaesthesia: Sedation in local anaesthesia

Steps:

• Preparation: IV access, ECG monitoring, and sterilization of the chest area.
• Incision: Under the collar the cut is made small.
• Lead Insertion: The leads are run through a vein to the heart with the help of an X-ray.
• Placement of a Device: The leads are connected to the pacemaker generator implemented beneath the dermis.
• Testing & Closure: Pacemaker is tested on proper functioning and the incision sewed up using stitches.

Recovery

• Hospital stay: typically 24-hour period.
• Do not lift heavy items or bring the arm above the location of implants during 4 to 6 weeks after the surgery.
• Resumption of normal activity after 1 2 weeks.
• Proper follow-up to view the functioning of devices.

Life Post-surgery

• Pacemaker follow-up investigations 3-12 months (usually by telemonitoring).
• Stay away from magnetic and electrical fields.
• The daily activities such as exercise are safe after the recovery process.

Pacemaker surgery in India by GetWellGo

GetWellGo helps international patients with their planning and managing the healthcare process in India starting at the stage of planning and continuing to wellbeing. According to their Web site:

• They put you in touch with finest hospitals and doctors in India that suit your individual medical requirements.
• All of this is managed by a specialized relationship manager: he or she will share your case, estimate costs, provide room choices and arrange your treatment and homecoming.
• Notably, there is no service fee to be paid by the patients to GetWellGo their facilitating is free.

Why Choose GetWellGo for Pacemaker Surgery?

GetWellGo is regarded as a leading supplier of healthcare services. We help our foreign clients choose the best treatment locations that suit their needs both financially and medically.

We offer:

• Complete transparency
• Fair costs.
• 24 hour availability.
• Medical E-visas
• Online consultation from recognized Indian experts.
• Assistance in selecting India's top hospitals for Pacemaker surgery.
• Expert cardiologists/cardiac surgeon with a strong track record of success
• Assistance during and after the course of treatment.
• Language Support
• Travel and Accommodation Services
• Case manager assigned to every patient to provide seamless support in and out of the hospital like appointment booking
• Local SIM Cards
• Currency Exchange
• Arranging Patient’s local food