The leading cause of death in Sri Lanka is ischemic heart disease. Ischemia, where the heart does not receive enough blood due to the build-up of plaque or a blood clot can lead to a heart attack, irregular heartbeat, chest pain or even sudden death. Durdans Hospital Heart Centre is a cutting edge facility devoted to the wide ranging care of cardiac conditions and also promotes preventive care for cardiac health.
Dr Naomali Amarasena, Consultant Cardiologist at Durdans Hospital says, “At-risk individuals for ischemic heart disease are those with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, family history, history of smoking, obesity and sedentary lifestyle. Healthy Diet and lifestyle changes can drastically reduce the risk of developing heart diseases.”
Regular heart screenings are encouraged for at-risk individuals as early intervention can reduce adverse outcomes. To evaluate and assess the condition of the heart, individuals may undergo a series of tests for blood pressure, weight and body mass index calculation, cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose(blood sugar) and other factors. Besides blood tests and chest X-rays, tests usually also include echocardiograms, cardiac stress testing and EKGs to test the electrical activity of the heart.
Vascular and cardiac interventions may vary from open surgery to minimally invasive surgical and catheter based management. Procedures performed include Angioplasty, Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG), Valve Repairs and Replacements (Mitral and Aortic), Atrioventricular Septal Defect Surgery, Artificial Heart Valve Surgery, Stent Placement, and advanced treatment for heart failure which includes Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (CRT). For heart rhythm problems, the implantation of permanent pacemakers, Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators (ICDs) and other devices is employed.
Durdans Heart Centre has an elite panel of highly skilled cardiac specialists and is backed by a state of the art cardiac care facility. Together, the Centre has the capacity to treat heart conditions ranging from common to complex, including high risk procedures without adverse outcomes. For cardiac consultation appointments call the Durdans Heart Centre on 011 2 140 205/6.