indya: Hi all! A very good afternoon and welcome to the chat! This time on indya.com, we are back with a chat that is really close to the heart!
indya: Yes! Dr Devi Prasad Shetty, the famous heart surgeon, the man known for his skills, deeds and most important, his big heart.

indya: Hi, Dr. Devi Shetty, welcome to the chat on indya.com
Dr.DeviShetty: Thank you!

sap_r1: Hi Dr Shetty, how does it feel to be here in the indya.com chat room?
Dr.DeviShetty: Great!
guest31: Did you always want to be a doctor, what made you decide on this profession?
Dr.DeviShetty: Ah… I always wanted to be a doctor. My brother is a doctor and moreover in India, doctors are really respected, that's one of the reasons why I became a doctor! guest31: How did you start your profession?
Dr.DeviShetty: I studied in Kmc Manipal College, then I joined a hospital in England, I went on to be trained as a heart surgeon.
guest38: Can you please share with us, the experience on your very first operation...
Dr.DeviShetty: That was a long ago, I was a very young man. During my intership, a patient had to undergo a small surgery on the forehead and I had to remove the sist, the blood oozed out and it was not a very pleasant experience!
guest34: There is a misconception that people believe in. They feel that any ailment related to the most sensitive parts of the body, like heart, can only be cured through a foreign surgeon... Is it because Indian doctors do not use advanced technology?
Dr.DeviShetty: Indian surgeons are lot more experienced with the heart, in Europe when a doctor retires, he would have done atleast 2000 surgeries, but here in India, a doctor in his/her mid 30s would have done a lot more than that! The out come of heart surgeries is interaction between the man and the machine.
guest43: What is the most difficult part of being a heart specialist? Why did you choose to be one?
Dr.DeviShetty: One is long hours! You need to be trained for atleast 20 years, lot of heart work is involved and you have to work everyday for atleast 15 hours. I chose it because that was very close to my heart!
guest32: Every house wishes to have a doctor and parents wish their children to become doctors, but now-a-days, the trend is changing and children today wish to become a software engineer and move abroad... What's your take on it?
Dr.DeviShetty: It's changing now again, young people are aspiring to become doctors again! Young people were lured by the prospects of being engineers, but now again, they are getting attracted back towards being doctors, as there are more opportunities in this profession as well as a great opportunity to serve the people
guest31: What is the first thing you tell your patient who needs to go through a surgery?
Dr.DeviShetty: First we explain to them that there is no option, and also tell them that the risk is less if they go through the operation…
guest13: Why did you feel the need to start Narayan Hrudayalaya?
Dr.DeviShetty: We wanted to create a heart hospital for a common man where all kinds of heart surgeries can be done, a place that a common man can afford. Establishing multi-speciality hospitals that are expensive becomes pointless.
guest25: What is "non-ischemic" cardiac death?
Dr.DeviShetty: This occurs because of some electrical disturbance in the heart which can be prevented.
sap_r1: Doctor, my mother is suffering from diabetes. I want to ask you whether there is any chance this could affect her heart? When she walks fast, she has a burning sensation in the heart.
Dr.DeviShetty: All diabetes are vulnerable to heart blockages so, she has to get it evaluated by a Cardiologist by doing a Echo TMT (Tread Mill Test)
guest30: Tell us about the proper diet to prevent heart ailments...
Dr.DeviShetty: Reduce the oil content in the food for three to four tea spoons per day, avoid red meat, so no mutton, beef or no pork. Although, green veggies, fish can be consumed.
guest34: Apparently, some one once said, normal hearts face sudden cardiac deaths. Kindly explain
Dr.DeviShetty: Normal heart with electrical problems can lead to sudden death. Without the electrical problem in the heart, there is a battery cell and there are wires, when there is a short circuit, then the heart does not pump effectively, there is a electrician on the heart, an Electro-physiologist will take care of it - they do all the tests.
guest35: Superior medical facilities in India could be the bridge to build human relations between India and it's neighbours. Do you agree?
Dr.DeviShetty: India is already offering high-tech facilities, in about five years, more patients from aboard will come to India because of the quality we are offering.
guest35: How can women with high Blood Pressure prevent problems during pregnancy?
Dr.DeviShetty: BP during pregnancy should be treated by medicines, they will need to take good care of it, extra salt should be avoided by someone who has heart problems.
guest35: Cocoa intake is linked to lower Blood Pressure and reduced risk of death, how is it possible?
Dr.DeviShetty: There is no relation, cocoa is an intoxicant, no major relation between that and the heart
guest28: At what age are people prone to heart ailments... Dr.DeviShetty: Past the age of 40 in India and past the age of 50 in Europe, Indians are three times more vulnerable to heart ailments than Europeans, the average age of Indians prone to heart ailments are younger then the people in Europe. Moreover, Indians are genetically prone to the illness.
guest40: Tell us about the Noor Fatima case, there was lots of hype and talk...
Dr.DeviShetty: She was the first child who came in the Dosti bus and so it was filled with much hype and talk... Noor Fatima case gave a message to the world, it expressed what India feels about Pakistan… For us a child born in any country is the same!
guest48: What is the difference between Angiogram and angioplasty?
Dr.DeviShetty: Angiogram is a test to visualise the arteries of the heart, angioplasty is the technique of opening the blockages in these arteries.
guest47: What do you think of the level of medical facilities that is available in our country?
Dr.DeviShetty: Both extremes, it is a mix, we have high quality and in some places very poor services.
sap_r1: Is there any relationship between high pulse rate and heart rate?
Dr.DeviShetty: It's the same
sap_r1: I got ECG done for my mother many times, in every tests my mother's heart rate is more especially when she hears sudden noise, my mothers' heart rate become fast even when I get scared. So, what should I do?
Dr.DeviShetty: It is the normal response, so you need not worry about it.
guest48: What would be ideal recovery time for a person who has undergone open-heart surgery?
Dr.DeviShetty: Usually they are discharged in less than seven days from the hospital. They are advised to stay at home for two weeks and then they can start working, within three months, they are back to normal. They can lead a normal life, only restriction is the diet.
guest47: What is the way to a healthy heart?
Dr.DeviShetty: Healthy diet, no junk food, no cigarettes, no alcohol, lots of exercise, be spiritual and believe in God. Do yoga!
guest31: Can you share with us the most memorable or the most difficult operation, you conducted, till date?
Dr.DeviShetty: That was the first independent heart surgery in England, I was still in my 20s, it was a bypass grafting, it felt great, but I am sure the patient didn't know that it was my very first operation.
guest48: Does Narayana Hrudalaya conduct any completely free heart surgeries?
Dr.DeviShetty: Hundreds! We conduct free operations very regularly, there is a trust that takes care of it. We don't advertise about that.
guest59: When did you first loose your heart, I mean before you met your wife?
Dr.DeviShetty: (Laughs) I met my wife after I got engaged!
guest59: Was there an instance when you were scared to operate?
Dr.DeviShetty: No!
sap_r1: My father's cholesterol is 200. Is it dangerous for his heart. problem he takes alcohol also.
Dr.DeviShetty: I would ask him to reduce the alcohol, get a detailed evaluation of the heart too!
sap_r1: Is ECG not enough to know whether a patient is suffering from heart disease?
Dr.DeviShetty: No, you need further tests
guest59: What is your stress buster?
Dr.DeviShetty: I listen music
guest47: Is it bad for the heart to exercise half an hour after your meal? If yes, what is the appropriate time gap?
Dr.DeviShetty: It is preferable to exercise before the meals, and it is better one exercises in the morning, avoid heavy physical exertion for two hours after the meal.
sap_r1: My father takes red meat like beef etc, twice or thrice in a week, is it good? He is 56 years old.
Dr.DeviShetty: Red meat is bad! You must avoid it.
guest48: Could you give us the quick-recognition symptoms of a stroke and heart attack?
Dr.DeviShetty: Stroke starts with weakness of the body, or slurring of the speech, heart attack comes with just discomfort, followed by sweating and vomiting.
guest59: What is the tele-medicine project all about?
Dr.DeviShetty: It's about treating patients, who is at a distance using video conferencing and image transfer, 99 per cent of the illness can be treated by telemedicine.
guest48: Does heart burn have to do anything with the heart? People tell me it's just acidity.
Dr.DeviShetty: Common cause is acidity but heart disease can also cause it.

indya:  Last few questions!

guest59: My dad complains of regular pain in his chest, doctors say every thing is ok? What do you suggest we do? A second opinion please…
Dr.DeviShetty: It is better he goes through Echo and a TMT test
guest48: What is the exercise and diet routine that you would recommend to a post heart-operative patient?
Dr.DeviShetty: Diet, as I said earlier, and one hour of walk everyday in the morning, no smoking and no alcohol, I repeat!
guest47: Do you think more needs to be done in order to make heart treatment more accessible to the masses?
Dr.DeviShetty: India requires 2.5 million heart operations in a year, India does 70,000 heart surgeries a year only, so, everyone has to encourage health insurance programmes

indya:  Thanks a lot doctor for joining us on the chat today. Any messages for the people...

Dr.DeviShetty: Thank you! My message to all, is spend five minutes in a day to make somebody else happy, other than your family members and colleagues - someone else who you don't know!

indya:  Well, we have now come to the end of yet another chat on indya.com! Hope you have found answers to all your questions...
indya: Stay tuned for more exciting chats only on indya.com!