Fontan Procedure Cost in India

The Cost of the Fontan Procedure in India starts from USD 9,000. The cost can be less or more depending on several factors including your medical condition, experience of the surgeon and the type of hospital you choose.

The Fontan procedure is a medical procedure used to treat cardiac conditions such as tricuspid atresia, hypoplastic left heart syndrome, and others. In this procedure, the doctor changes the cardiac anatomy so that certain areas of the heart can be bypassed and blood can flow to the lungs more effectively.

In layman’s terminology, the Fountain procedure uses surgery to divide blood that is oxygen-rich from the blood that is oxygen-poor, but it does not restore a normal circulatory pattern. As an illustration, the two lower heart chambers, called ventricles, function as pumps in a healthy heart, with one pumping blood to the body and the other to the lungs.

Only one chamber pumps blood after the Fontan procedure, and it needs to be powerful enough to draw blood that is already passively moving through the lungs into the heart before pumping it out to the body.

Fontan surgery purpose

Is to Direct blood from the lower part of the body to the lungs.
It aids in preventing the blood from passing through the skin to absorb oxygen.
In infants with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, high-oxygen blood combines with low-oxygen blood from the lower part of the body.
During a Fontan procedure, high-oxygen blood and low-oxygen blood no longer mix. The heart benefits from only pumping blood with a high oxygen content.

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Cost of Fontan procedure in India

In India, the Fontan procedure is significantly less expensive than in other nations, making it more accessible to patients. In addition to this, India is home to some of the best cardiac surgeons in the world who have a great deal of training and experience performing the Fontan procedure.

According to estimates, patients from Western nations can save thousands of dollars by choosing to have Fontan surgery in India.

The Cost of the Fontan Procedure in India starts from $9,000 with approximately

10-14 days in the Hospital including the ICU admission
4-7 hours in surgery
25 days in the country

Factors to consider India as the preferred destination for the Fontan procedure

India is the preferred destination for Fontan because of:
Highly experienced cardiac surgeons in India
The best Cath labs for Fontan
Well-equipped ICUs for Fontan
Availability of advanced Fontan methodologies in India
Well trained Nursing staff and Paramedics for Fontan
Supportive Fontan Post Surgery care

Factor affecting the cost of Fontan procedure in India

Doctors’ teams, surgeons, and cardiologists
Surgical fees
Pre- and post-operative tests, as well as medication costs
Rent for a cabin and other related costs

The minimum physical requirements for Fontan surgery

Due to the operation’s complexity and degree of intrusion, there are a number of demanding physical requirements.

Before deciding to have Fontan conversion surgery, the patient must meet the requirements listed below so that the procedure is most effective.

Strong and efficient pumping is required for the heart valve to function.
A smooth, unhindered, unrestricted bloodstream must travel through the heart and blood vessels.
There must be a difference between the blood pressure in the body and the blood pressure in the lungs.

Different types of Fontan surgery

A Fontan operation can be carried out in a variety of ways. The types are primarily determined by the type of heart defect. The following three methods will help to restore blood flow:

Extracardiac Fontan: This procedure is additionally referred to as extracardiac total Cavo pulmonary connection. Here, the blood flow is changed by cutting the IVC from the heart and connecting it to a tube that runs along the underside of the pulmonary artery.
Lateral tunnel Fontan: The medical term for this procedure is intracardiac total Cavo pulmonary connection. The lower portion of the pulmonary artery that leads to the lungs and the upper portion of the right atrium is connected here by a lateral tunnel.
Atriopulmonary connection: A connection is made between the right atrium and the pulmonary artery during the original Fontan procedure, also known as the aortopulmonary connection technique.

Why is Fontan Surgery carried out?

Atypical ventricular septum formation in newborns with congenital heart defects causes blood admixture. The following are the main factors that could cause blood admixture:

Tricuspid Atresia: A congenital heart defect in which the tricuspid heart valve is missing.
Pulmonary Atresia with an underdeveloped right ventricle.
Double inlet left ventricle: A congenital heart defect that affects valves and chambers of the heart.
Double outlet right ventricle with associated abnormalities that prevent medical intervention.
Hypoplastic left heart syndrome: A congenital heart defect that affects the healthy circulation of blood.
Other defects that cannot be fixed by different types of surgery
Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) is, a condition in which the left side of the heart is underdeveloped
It should be noted that Fontan is only advised in extreme circumstances when the typical, less dangerous repair methods fail to deliver the desired results.
The main goal of this procedure is to increase the flow of oxygenated blood while decreasing the flow of venous blood to lessen the workload on the heart.

How can Lyfboat assist you getting Fontan Procedure in India?

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Lyfboat is a free advisory platform; we do not charge any fees from patients. In fact, we negotiate the price that Indian hospitals offer. In some cases we are able to reduce the cost by negotiating upto 20% of what Hospitals generally offer. We advise the best treatment from the top hospital/surgeon at best price.

Diagnosis of Fontan Procedure in India

The patient must come and be admitted to the cardiac ward for the preliminary tests one or two days prior to the scheduled surgery because this is an invasive cardiac procedure.

Physical examination
Echocardiogram
Electrocardiogram
Chest x-ray
Cardiac catheterization
Several blood tests
Measurements of height, blue blood, weight, and other vital signs

Symptoms

There is a chance that the doctor will diagnose a congenital heart defect at the time of birth. These are cardiac defects that existed at the time of birth.

Here are the symptoms that point to heart defects, though, if the child’s delivery was smooth.

A common sign of blood admixture is pale grey or blue skin tone or cyanosis.
Breathing quickly or having trouble breathing
Swollen legs, stomach, or eyes
Poor feeding, poor weight, etc.

Fontan Procedure in India

This complicated cardiac procedure is performed while the patient is asleep and takes about 4-7 hours to complete.

First, general anesthesia is administered prior to the procedure.
It usually takes 4-6 hours to complete this.
By disconnecting the blood supplies from the pulmonary arteries, the oxygen-poor blood is first redirected to the lungs during the procedure.

The pulmonary artery and inferior vena cava, which return blood to the heart from the lower half of the body, are connected during the Fontan procedure. The oxygen levels after a Fontan activity will be almost normal.

The “lateral tunnel” and “additional cardiovascular” techniques are the two most popular approaches for performing the Fontan conversion.

A Lateral Tunnel Approach: The chamber has a tunnel-like patch installed inside it so that blood returning from the inferior vena cava is directed through it. The bottom of the pulmonary artery and the end of the top right chamber are connected.

Cardiovascular Technique: To direct blue blood (deoxygenated blood) outside the heart, the inferior vena cava is connected to a synthetic tube (Gore-Tex) and sewn to the bottom of the pulmonary artery.

The superior vena cava is then severed from the heart and directed into the pulmonary arteries to create a shunt. The inferior vena cava, however, is unharmed.

In most children, a small hole is drilled, and it eventually closes on its own. However, if the hole is large enough, it must be closed through a catheterization procedure 6 to 12 months after the surgery.

Post-operative care and the recovery process

Following surgery, the patient is taken to the recovery room, where his or her vital signs are watched over for a few hours.
The patient is moved to the cardiac ward as soon as they are stable.
In order to manage pain following surgery, doctors may prescribe painkillers.
The patient will likely spend a few days in the hospital. Additionally, for a few days following surgery, eating and drinking are restricted.
The patient is given a light diet and fluids after the patient’s bowel movements start to return to normal. It might take two to three days to complete this.
Until the patient resumes eating normally, the medications and fluids are infused through an IV line.
During the patient’s stay in the hospital, the dressing is changed daily.
Within the first three months following surgery, the majority of patients are able to resume their regular activities. They are instructed to gradually increase their activity levels and to avoid overexerting themselves.
A 14-day hospital stay is recommended for close vital monitoring
Once or twice a week, or as directed by the doctors, the patient must have blood tests and be checked by a cardiologist after being discharged from the hospital.
The dosage and check-up schedules will gradually decrease over the next few months.
Additionally, the ability to consume fluids will increase, and the patient can resume normal activities.

The average hospital stay following surgery lasts one to two weeks.

Although the life expectancy following a Fontan procedure is slightly lower than that of the general population, with proper care, one can live a long and healthy life until old age.

Risks

Pulmonary hypertension (increased pulmonary blood pressure) is caused by stenosis (narrowing) of the pulmonary arteries.
Blood can backflow from the atrium into the ventricle due to atrioventricular valve regurgitation.
The conduit or tube that was surgically inserted has stenosis (narrowing).
Blood clot and emboli formation, including pulmonary embolism.
Liver damage (cirrhosis), liver failure, liver cancer, and elevated blood pressure in the liver blood vessels (portal hypertension) are all results of increased pressure in the IVC.
Ventricular failure results in ischemia, infarction, and the inability to engage in demanding exercise.
Breathlessness and a longer hospital stay are caused by pleural effusion, a collection of fluid around the lungs.
Exercise intolerance
There may be issues with the liver, such as hepatic fibrosis, etc.
Occasionally, after a few years, patients might need a heart transplant.

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