Heart Surgery Cost In India

Medical inflation in India is among the highest globally. Similarly, heart surgery and other CVD treatment costs are rising. In the previous year, heart-related insurance claims accounted for nearly 20%. Moreover, heart surgery costs have risen by 47% to 53% in the past year. This indicates the need for adequate health coverage.

High blood pressure, and diabetes, combined with urban sedentary lifestyles contribute to the increasing cost of heart surgeries in India. This is particularly affecting people under 40 years of age. Read more to explore everything about heart surgery costs in India.

traordinary Facts

The average cost of heart surgery in India increased from INR 4 to 5 Lakhs in 2019-2020 to INR 12 to 15 Lakhs in 2023-24. This indicates a significant need for adequate health coverage. Similarly, costs for major treatments like coronary artery bypass grafting and heart transplants have also risen.

What Is A Heart Surgery?

Heart surgery refers to any surgical procedure performed on the valves, blood vessels, arteries, or a complete heart transplant. The doctors may opt to do minimally invasive or open heart surgery depending on your medical condition.

The cost of a health insurance surgery in India depends entirely on the severity of your overall health and the medical condition of your heart. In some cases, emergency heart surgeries are performed like heart attacks.

Different Types Of Heart Surgeries In India

The various types of heart surgeries performed are mentioned below

1. Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

   One of the most critical open heart surgery for the treatment of coronary artery diseases. This surgery is also known as CABG. When the arteries that supply blood to the heart become narrowed or blocked, the doctors perform this surgery.

2. Heart Valve Repair or Replacement

   A surgical procedure that cures the problems of the heart valves. Heart valves are the structures that control the blood flow throughout the heart.

3. Heart Transplant

   When the condition becomes incurable, the doctors suggest for heart transplant. In this case, they replace the damaged heart with the healthy heart from a donor.

4. Endovascular Aneurysm Repair

   A minimally invasive surgical procedure that is used to treat abdominal aortic aneurysm, which is a bulge in the aorta, the main artery that carries the blood from the heart to the other parts of the body.

5. Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery

   It is a type of heart surgery that involves making smaller incisions in the chest, rather than a large, open incision. This allows surgeons to access the heart and perform procedures with less trauma to the body.

6. Cox-Maze Procedure

   The Cox-Maze procedure is a surgical technique used to treat atrial fibrillation, a heart rhythm disorder where the upper chambers of the heart (atria) beat irregularly and rapidly.

7. Heart Arrhythmia Surgery

   Heart arrhythmia is a condition where the heart beats irregularly. To cure this, doctors suggest implanting a pacemaker in the chest to help regulate the heart’s rhythm.

8. Robot-assisted Surgery

   It is the heart surgery assisted by the robots and artificial intelligence. In this case, the surgeons use the help of computers and robotic arms to make incisions and get access to the heart to perform minimally invasive surgical procedures.

   POV- Other types of heart surgeries can be suggested by the doctors. But the main question comes, is your heart surgery covered by health insurance in India?

When Do You Require A Heart Surgery?

There are multiple health conditions wherein your doctor might suggest surgery. One of the most common reasons is a heart attack caused due to blocked arteries. Other common reasons include:

• Plaque buildup in the arteries
• Increasing blood flow within the blocked arteries
• Restoration of heart valve
• Reducing the risk of stroke
• Improving overall physical health which has been limited by angina (chest pain)
• For stent placement

Does Your Health Insurance Cover The Cost Of Heart Surgery?

Yes, as per the guidelines by IRDAI, it is mandatory for all health insurance plans to cover the cost of heart surgery. However, some specific plans cover open heart surgery costs and other advanced procedures.