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Can alternative medicine avoid Heart Bypass Surgery?

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We were with my mom in the temple for my dad’s 80th birthday. Her 70th birthday was just 3 months away. We were in the process of our Pradakshina, which is when I think my mom got a mild attack.

After watching too many Indian movies we assume a person at the time of heart attack will be sweating like crazy, they will feel dizzy etc, nothing like that ever happens to my mom. That is one reason her heart has been damaged – she has had a series of minor attacks and none of us knew about it 🙁

Mom sits down in the temple after feeling uncomfortable
Mom sits down in the temple after feeling uncomfortable

She got the worst birthday gift from us – an angiography.  The results as expected was bad news to us, she needed a bypass ‘immediately’. We scheduled the operation but before the scheduled date she had a massive attack. In Jan 2009 I wrote about India’s 911 service.

Many are under the wrong impression about heart diseases are male-centric, not true. Women tend to develop heart disease later than men, probably related to hormones and the protective effects of oestrogen.

My father was always against the bypass surgery [Reuters],

  • 52 per cent more likely to die within three years
  • It damages the veins and leads to heart attacks
  • The study of 3,000 patients found veins removed by the endoscopic technique were significantly more likely to become clogged within a year or so
  • At the 12- to 18-month mark, 47 per cent of the patients had at least one of their bypass grafts fail, versus 38 per cent for whom the blood vessels were removed by the older method
  • Three years after the heart surgery, the risk of death or a non-fatal heart attack was 38 per cent higher among the patients whose leg vein was removed endoscopically.
  • When the pros and cons are explained, most still choose the endoscopic technique, worrying less about the long-term risks than the short-term benefits.

My father attends all senior citizen meets with great enthusiasm. In spite of being 80, he is as curious and hungry to learn more like a youngster. He has been reading a lot about alternate therapy for my mom’s heart condition. Unfortunately, none of the family members supported him and we went ahead with the bypass.

Bypass Success Rate – 98%

Unfortunately, her bypass did not go well. She had some minor problems after 2 weeks after her bypass, way too early to fall sick after the bypass.  We went back to the same hospital. The surgeon refused to believe she had an attack, he was and continues to be an egoistic person. The doctors advised her to again undergo another operation and gave no guarantees whatsoever regarding the success rate.

The success rate of the bypass was supposed to be 98%. Failures happen, unfortunately, we happened to be in the 2%. None of us was angry or shouted at any of the doctors, we took it in the right spirit and decided to move on.

This time the family decided to simply obey my father!

Natural Bypass / Biochemical Angioplasty

My father learnt about a therapy being offered by Saaol.  He immediately enrolled her for,

  • Natural Bypass – The basic idea here is to use the branches of arteries [Capillaries] to supply blood to the heart. The machine artificially increases the flow of blood in the coronary channels by directly increasing the pressure at the root of the coronary arteries.  About 200 centres in the US, 10,000 centres in China use this machine.
  • Biochemical Angioplasty – The patient is injected with chemicals that clear the blocked arteries. (I must admit we were a little concerned about this therapy as a foreign object was being injected, but I guess we did not have a choice)

My mother is nearing the completion of this therapy. It appears it has helped her. Now and then she has little problems but we have learnt to accept it.

It should be noted that I have expressed my personal experience about this alternative therapy. Using it or not is your decision.

Disclaimer: By no means, this post must be seen as a medical recommendation. I have no expertise in medicine. I have written this post just to share our personal experience.

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Comments

  1. I have undergone bypass surgery, and no problem facing from the removal of veins from the legs.I underwent this opertion in 2005 and hitherto there is no problem. Since it is the problem of heart,I always stand on the advise of my doctors. trying a different method is risky.

  2. Please let em know detils of this therapy.I had done my angioplasty 2 yrs before. from very begining i can’t walk because of knee problem. i need guidance what shoul di do? for the excercise and if i walk my heart gets heavy even in 200-300 steps.
    I have 3 stents in artery.
    Any suggestion . I don’t want to go through bypass.which way i can desoolve palques.
    any natural mediicne?
    thanks
    mayuri

  3. I would be interested in knowing more about this treatment. I intend writing to Dr.Chhajer with all my reports, so that when I visit India I will have his advice and take further course of action. I have been reading his book and following his websites. I would appreciate your response through my email.

    Thanks
    Swami – Vancouver, Canada

  4. Hi,

    I read ur post reg the alternative medicine to avoid Heart Bypass Surgery. My dad was advised to go for triple coronary bypass surgery. But we don’t want to go for a surgery, and searching for alternative treatments. I heard about the SAAOL heart center and their methods(ECCP and BCA). Are they really effective? How is your mother now? Hope she would be fine.

    We would like go for this treatment, but before that want to confirm whether it is really working and is safe.How long can the patient survive after this treatment if he follows suitable life style changes?

    Please mail me back ur suggestions. Thanks in Advance..

    Regards,
    Sasikumar K

  5. My brother got heart attack last tuesday and after finding 3 blocks, 70-80% LMCA and others 95% in LAD and 95% LCX has been fixed for by pass surgery tomorrow, Tuesday in a week. Two family members are not agreeable for oxymed treatment in Chennai and want Bypass. My brother, though would like to try oxymed, has to go with the decision of the two very cl0se relatives. The age of my brother is 71. We are desparate to know about the treatment to save my brother from surgery, though it is the last minute decision to take. Please advise.
    Thanks,
    Viji

  8. All the alternative therapies are not proven-can be used for prevention but the high risk person(age,blockage condition) should go for surgical treatment.

  9. I am strickly against any Bypass Surgeries, I have one Ayurvedic Medicine for Avoiding Heart Attack or Bypass Surgery.

    Basically I am giving much importance to Herbal Medicine, which is making your Heart Muscle Strong, its imporving Ejection Fraction [ Pumping capacity of your Heart ],

    If you have Heart Pumping capacity is more than 55% [ LVEF more than 55% ] then you dont need to do Bypass Surgery as per my knowledge.

    LVEF stand for Left Vascular Ejection Fraction. Well many peoples going to ByPass Surgery, but can any one tell me will not they will get Heart Attack Again ? Answer is for that YES and NO. In Bypass Surgery, Blockages in Left Vascular Arteries are remain same, it can’t be remove. But if you go through Ayurveda then definitely it will improve your Heart Pumping Capacity and helps to prevent heart attack and advoid Bypass Surgery.

    For More Details Email Me on
    dineshnimkar@gmail.com

  10. i know about angioplasty .can other method or ayurvedic medicine for angioplasty or stenting.bcoz i cnnot afford angioplasty.

  11. My father (73 yo)had a heart attack 7 months ago and following angiography was advised an immediate angioplasty (3 stents as there were 3 blocks according to the cardiologist at a famous hospital in kochi). But my father was against stenting as in his own words, he did not want ‘3 foreign objects put into his heart’. Due to ‘bad arteries’ bypass surgery was ruled out.

    A family friend of ours suggested Hridaya Care Heart Institute in Aluva, Kochi. There we met with Dr. Gopalakrishnan Pillai who is a cardiac surgeon. He explained all the options available and we decided to go in for EECP therapy (Enhanced external Counter pulsation) wherein the patient needs to undergo 35 one hour sessions once a day.

    There is a lot of info online on EECP so I will not go into it here, but I have to say that following the 35 sessions, my father’s EF improved – 34% to 68%!(Thallium scans were done pre and post the procedure) His LDL decreased (134 to 80), HDL increased (32 to 56), TGL decreased (271 to 175)! Also his angina pain went away (he had it for 4 years before).

    I have literally got my father back – his energy levels have improved phenomenally. Though part of the apex was damaged, the thallium has shown huge improvement in collateral blood flow. I was very skeptical about this treatment and proceeded only as we had no other option, but seeing the huge difference it made I thought I would share my story here with you.

    I hope this boon reaches many people. I would also like to comment on the professionalism and kindness with which Hridaya Care’s staff treated us throughout and wish them all the best.

  13. Dear All Heart Patient

    With the success of 26 center in india, we open a new center in Surat (Gujarat) where we provide EECP and Biochemical Angioplasty Therapy and we Start with very good result.

    Further any information call on +91-97264-47347

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