When people hear terms like heart failure or heart attack, they think both mean the same thing. Medically, they are two very different conditions. And therefore, understanding the difference between the two is the first step towards getting the right care, whether it be timely Heart Failure Surgery in Delhi or long-term Heart Failure Surgery options for advanced cases.
What Exactly Is Heart Failure?
Heart failure does not mean the heart has stopped working. It simply means the heart is weak or too stiff to pump blood effectively. This weakness often develops over months or even years due to conditions like high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, valve problems, or cardiomyopathy.
Symptoms may include shortness of breath, swelling in the legs, fatigue, or the inability to lie flat. For many patients, symptoms are managed with lifestyle modifications, medications, and heart failure therapy that is closely monitored; however, for others with advanced or complex disease, surgical options may be indicated, wherein Dr. Sujay Shad excels in treating high-risk patients with Heart Failure.
What is a heart attack?
A heart attack occurs suddenly when the flow of blood to the heart muscle is blocked-usually by a clot. If not treated at once, part of the heart muscle will begin to die within minutes. Symptoms may include severe chest pains, sweating, nausea, and breathlessness.
While a heart attack is an emergency, heart failure is a chronic condition. Ironically, severe or untreated heart attacks can eventually lead to heart failure later in life because the damaged heart muscle has become weakened over time.
How are they treated differently? Let's know
Heart Failure Treatment & Surgery:
Treatment ranges from medication to sophisticated surgeries, depending on how badly the heart is affected. Known for conducting complicated surgeries like heart transplantation, bypass surgery, aortic surgery, and mitral valve repair-surgeries that save the lives of patients in advanced stages of heart failure-Dr. Sujay Shad is an expert in his field. His experience also makes him one of the few specialists who manage long-term heart failure therapy holistically.
Heart Attack Treatment:
Acute care is mainly directed towards rapid restoration of blood flow by emergency angioplasty, stents, or clot-dissolving medications. If it is about long-term medical care, it usually involves the use of medications, lifestyle modifications. Occasionally, may also include bypass surgery, especially if many arteries are blocked.
Why Knowing the Difference Matters?
Knowing whether it is chronic symptoms of heart failure or the sudden onset of a heart attack can dramatically alter treatment outcomes. Heart failure requires consistent medical supervision, while a heart attack requires emergency assistance within minutes. With an experienced Heart Surgery Specialist in Delhi, like Dr. Sujay Shad, patients not only receive an accurate diagnosis, but also access to some of the most advanced surgical and therapeutic options available in the country.
