A condition where the heart is larger than normal is referred to as having an enlarged heart or Cardiomegaly. Your heart's response to something that makes it work harder to pump your blood around the body might cause it to grow. Managing the problem that is producing Cardiomegaly is the main goal of treatment for enlarged hearts.
If you have any underlying manageable cardiac issues, like an enlarged heart, our expert doctors at Metro Hospitals may recommend medicine and lifestyle changes to address them. If medication and lifestyle modifications are unsuccessful in managing your disease, a surgical treatment or other medical procedure may be required to treat an enlarged heart.
The following surgeries may be suggested for persons with Cardiomegaly:
- Heart valve surgery
- Heart transplant
- Coronary bypass surgery
Prepare Before Heart Enlargement Treatment
Make an appointment with the heart doctor if you suspect you have an enlarged heart or if you are concerned about the risk of developing heart disease, given your family's history of the condition. Your healthcare professional would prescribe certain medications to treat any underlying heart issues before beginning any surgery or other treatment.
These heart medications may include -
- Angiotensin - Converting enzymes and Beta-blockers help lower blood pressure and strengthen the heart.
- Medications called Antiarrhythmics that maintain a regular heartbeat.
- Diuretics, sometimes known as "salt pills" or "water pills," are used to reduce the quantity of sodium and water in the body.
Some lifestyle changes could also be beneficial for your heart health:
- Cut back on salt consumption.
- Lowering alcohol consumption and quitting smoking.
- Regulating your water consumption
- Schedule routine checkups to track the condition
Benefits of Heart Enlargement Treatment at Metro Hospitals
- Most recent & modern technology would be used for the treatment at Metro Hospitals.
- The heart will reduce back to its normal size if a pregnancy or any infection is the cause of the enlargement.
- Till the time the condition is not severe, or the heart is not responding to the initial treatments, a non-surgical procedure will be used for the treatment.
- Recovery will be faster (You will not have to face a longer hospital stay.)
- Treatment without pain or a lesser amount of pain and anxiety.
- Your heart will start functioning properly without any complications.
Eligibility for Enlarged Heart Treatment
By performing a few medical and clinical tests, your doctor will assess your situation. A plan will be created following the evaluation. The following tests may be carried out to assist in determining the cause of an enlarged heart (cardiomyopathy) and decide if the required procedure should be performed on the patient or not:
Blood Test - Blood testing can help validate or rule out illnesses that might cause cardiac enlargement. If an enlarged heart is associated with chest discomfort or other symptoms of a heart attack, blood tests may be performed to assess the amounts of chemicals in the blood generated by heart muscle damage.
X-Ray - The health of the heart and lungs can be determined through a chest X-ray. In most cases, more tests are required to confirm whether an X-ray-detected heart enlargement is genuine and to identify its cause.
Echocardiogram - And echocardiography visualizes blood flow through the heart chambers and aids in determining how well the heart is functioning.
Cardiac CT scan or MRI - You will be examined using a magnetic field and radio waves machine.
Cardiac Catheterization - To determine how vigorously blood pumps through the heart, the pressure inside its chambers can be measured during cardiac catheterization. Occasionally, a little portion of heart tissue is taken for testing (biopsy).
Exercise/Stress Tests - Exercise testing can show how the heart reacts to exertion.
Who is not Eligible?
If you can relate to any of the following, you might not be a good candidate:
- Pre-existing illness, such as blood disease or a disease of the heart valves
- Patients who have serious infections
- Severe illness in a different organ, like the lungs or kidneys.
- Patients who are allergic to or unable to use blood thinners.
- Advanced cancer, AIDS, liver failure, or severe dementia are examples of terminal illnesses.
The majority of people may effectively manage an enlarged heart with the correct treatment, even if the problem may not go away. The first step in controlling your disease is gaining an understanding of what is occurring in your body. As well as continuing to attend all of your planned visits, make sure to continue taking the medications that your doctor recommended for you.
Metro Hospitals have highly experienced heart surgeons & cardiologists along with certified nurses to provide an all-inclusive treatment. We resort to the patient-centric approach & always try to comfort the patient while keeping transparency at every step of the treatment.