Thousands of people are choosing medical tourism as a fast, affordable way of dealing with both necessary and elective medical treatment.
One procedure readily available to the medical tourist is angioplasty. This coronary care treatment is used in a vast selection of medical tourism destinations.
What is Angioplasty?
Angioplasty is a procedure in which a narrowed section of the coronary artery is dilated with a balloon catheter. It is less invasive and has a shorter recovery time than coronary bypass surgery. Most of the time, stents are placed in the narrowed artery during the angioplasty procedure.
The stent is a meshlike metal material, and because of this, cells lining the blood vessel grow through and around the stent to help secure it to the arterial wall.
Reclosure of the blocked area is much less likely to occur when a stent is inserted than after an angioplasty without the stent.
The Procedure
The patient is given a mild sedative, which will make the person relaxed and sleepy, but he will usually remain awake during the procedure. A catheter (a thin, flexible tube) is inserted in the groin or arm through an artery and is carefully guided up the aorta into the blocked coronary artery.
Once the catheter has reached the blocked artery, a balloon at the end of the catheter is inflated. If a stent is used, this inflation pushes the stent open. Then the balloon is deflated, leaving the stent in place, and the catheter is removed. Blood flow to the affected area of the heart should then improve.
What to Consider:
One of the greatest benefits of the angioplasty is that, unlike bypass surgery, it does not require open-heart surgery. It is far less invasive. There is less risk of immediate complications. Evidence suggests that the long-term outcomes of both angioplasty and bypass surgery are similar. This makes angioplasty an ideal procedure to consider for medical tourism. There is a wide range of world-class facilities offering coronary care in many medical destinations.
In my opinion, Singapore, India and Thailand doctors are the best in doing the angioplasty procedure.
As with any medical procedure there are risks involved.
Preparations for Angioplasty Procedure:
Your doctor will probably want to do a number of tests, including x-rays, an electrocardiogram (ECG), and blood tests. You should inform your doctor of any medications you are taking, and any allergies you may have, especially allergies associated with the contrast materials necessary to create the x-ray images of the blood vessels.
You should not eat or drink after midnight the night before the procedure. Ask your doctor to advise you regarding any medication you may be taking.
What to Expect After Treatment:
After the angioplasty procedure, you will be moved to a recovery room or to the coronary care unit. Heart rate, blood pressure and pulse will be closely monitored. The site where the catheter was inserted will be checked for bleeding.
There will be a large bandage or compression device at the groin and catheter insertion site to help prevent bleeding. If the catheter was inserted through the groin, you will be instructed to keep your leg straight.
Usually you can start walking within less than 12 hours of the procedure. The average hospital stay after an angioplasty without any complications is one to two days. You may be able to resume exercise and driving after several days.
The relatively short hospital stay and quick recovery time make the angioplasty an ideal procedure for medical tourism. The benefits of medical travel include greatly reduced waiting time and significantly lower costs, and these should be considered.
The five top medical destinations in Asia offer world-class cardiology specialists and clinics. If you are considering an angioplasty, why not look into the possibility of medical travel to Asia? You can save time, costs, and enjoy a pleasant holiday abroad while taking care of your medical needs.
Nancy Wee is dedicated in telling the world that Asia is THE place for medical tourism and the right place to come and seek medical help. Asia has so many things to offer to the world, she simply want to tell people WHY. For more information go to http://www.medical-travel-asia-guide.com and order your ebook copy of Sun & Surgery: Your Concise Guide to Medical Tourism in Asia. Discover quality health care at one third the cost. Learn how to undergo the medical procedures you need safely and soundly, overseas and enjoy the same quality without spending more money.
