It was in the early 1990s that a young heart specialist, Dr. Bimal Chhajer, had a question that made senior doctors uncomfortable: “If heart disease is caused by lifestyle, can’t we reverse it with lifestyle too?”
At the time, heart disease treatments were all about stents and bypass surgery. Patients were told that once the arteries were blocked, knives and machines were the only way out. But Dr. Chhajer, who had spent years at AIIMS, was seeing something different: patients who altered their diet, their stress levels, and their daily habits often showed improvement. And that journey gave way to SAAOL Heartcare Delhi. And now in 2025, what was once a radical concept has turned into India’s most powerful non-invasive heart treatment, with 6 lakh+ of patients having been treated for heart disease without surgery via EECP treatment in Delhi/NCR combined with guided lifestyle programs. For many, it has been the bypass surgery alternative they never knew was an option, evidence that reversing heart disease is possible without surgery.
What is Heart Disease?
Heart disease means any problem that affects how your heart works or how blood flows through its arteries. Most often, when people say “heart disease,” they are talking about coronary artery disease (CAD). This happens when the arteries that supply blood to the heart get narrowed or blocked by fat, cholesterol, and plaque.
When blood flow slows down:
- The heart doesn’t get enough oxygen.
- You may feel chest pain, shortness of breath, or fatigue.
- If an artery gets completely blocked, it can cause a heart attack.
But heart disease is not only about blockages. It also includes:
- High blood pressure (hypertension) damages the heart over time.
- Heart failure (when the heart becomes weak and can’t pump well).
- Arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats).
- Valve problems (when heart valves don’t open or close properly).
In short: Heart disease = any condition that stops your heart from getting or pumping enough blood.
Why Heart Disease Needs a New Approach in 2025
Early Heart Attacks
India is quietly sitting on a time bomb of heart disease. We are getting heart attacks at least 10–15 years earlier than people in the West. By middle age, most people’s arteries have started to harden, a process that underlies most cardiovascular disease. And most don’t even realize it until an unexpected chest pain, a shocking angiography report, or a doctor’s warning for “immediate surgery” is there.
Evidence-based Heart Disease Reversal without Surgery
International studies now concur that lifestyle modifications can clear and prevent heart blockages. Why are more than 1.5 lakh bypass surgeries performed in India each year?
The fact is, heart disease is not just a plumbing problem of clogged pipes. It is a whole ecosystem problem: your food, your stress, your inactivity, your environment. A stent can’t fix that. A bypass can’t fix that. That’s why SAAOL created a model that not only treats symptoms but also addresses the cause. That’s exactly the reason SAAOL Heartcare has been reversing heart disease for 30+ years now.
What Makes the SAAOL Heartcare Model Different
At its core, the SAAOL model rests on three strong pillars:
| Pillar | What It Means | Why It Works |
| Zero Oil Cooking/Diet | A diet that removes visible oils but keeps taste intact with smart cooking methods. | Reduces cholesterol deposition in arteries. |
| EECP Treatment | A U.S.-FDA-approved, non-invasive therapy that improves blood flow and opens natural bypasses in the heart. | Boosts oxygen supply, improves ejection fraction, and relieves angina. |
| Stress Management & Lifestyle Modifications | Yoga, breathing techniques, medical counseling, and holistic health plans. | Lowers stress hormones that directly damage arteries. |
These together are not a short-term solution. It’s a scientific, effective, and sustainable reversal method.
Lifestyle Modifications: The Hidden Prescription
When you go to a heart specialist, how much time does he (or she) spend talking about your stress, your sleep, your food? Probably 2 minutes. The rest are procedures, medications, and tests.
But, according to the World Heart Federation, 70-80% of heart disease can be reversed or avoided with lifestyle changes alone.
- You can decrease bad cholesterol 25–30% in about 3 months on a plant-based, no oil diet.
- EECP therapy boosts the heart’s pumping ability by 10–15% in patients with the most severe blockages.
- Stress reduction decreases cortisol, the stress hormone that, when elevated, causes inflammation of the arteries and blood to become thicker.
SAAOL Heartcare is not only telling people what to do, but is walking with them through this change. That’s why it works.
Science Meets Humanity: The SAAOL Model Demonstrates the Way
Bypass surgery alternative
Just imagine a patient who has just learned that “You need emergency bypass surgery.” The fear, the helplessness, and the financial stress have all come at once.
With SAAOL, we’ve seen these same patients return weeks later smiling, after realizing they can avoid bypass surgery safely. They learn that the body has a natural healing system, collateral circulation, that can be stimulated by EECP treatment. They learn that diet and stress aren’t side notes, but the main treatment.
This combination of science + compassion is what makes the model powerful.
In 2025, multiple studies confirm what SAAOL heartcare has practiced for years:
- EECP treatment increases nitric oxide release, which naturally relaxes blood vessels.
- Arteries can show a 7–10% increase in lumen diameter after intensive lifestyle modification, according to Dean Ornish’s research.
- Cholesterol plaques can actually shrink when patients follow a plant-based, zero-oil diet for over 6–12 months.
So the myth that “blockages can only be fixed with stents or bypass” is outdated. The body has the tools; it just needs the right environment to heal.
Why Many Patients Still Choose Surgery
If this heart disease reversal really works, why do so many people still opt for the surgery every year? The explanations are simple, but disappointing:
- Fear – You tell a patient, “Your artery is 90% blocked,” and they flip out. They don’t all realize, however, that the percentage of blockage doesn’t always mean danger.
- Time – The patients are frequently taken to surgery within 48 hours of the angiogram & have no time to search for options.
- Monetary Incentive – Surgeries are one of the biggest money makers for most hospitals. Lifestyle medicine is not.
- Ignorance – Very few patients hear about non-surgical methods such as EECP because not every hospital provides it.
And here comes SAAOL Heartcare Delhi, sort of different – Educate First, Then Treat!
SAAOL Heartcare Model EECP vs Bypass Surgery: A Real Comparison
| Factor | Bypass Surgery | SAAOL Model (EECP + Lifestyle) |
| Invasiveness | Major chest-opening surgery | Non-invasive, external therapy |
| Hospital Stay | 7–10 days | Outpatient, walk in-walk out |
| Recovery Time | 3–6 months | Immediate symptom relief, no downtime |
| Risk of Complications | Infections, stroke, repeat blockage | Minimal (FDA-approved) |
| Cost | ₹3–6 lakhs | 40–60% cheaper |
| Addresses Root Cause? | No, only reroutes blood flow | Yes, targets diet, stress, lifestyle |
| Sustainability | May need repeat surgery | Long-term reversal possible |
This table reflects a story – surgery may bypass blockage, but SAAOL bypasses the surgery!!
Real Stories from SAAOL Patients who Reversed Heart Disease Without Surgery
- A 52-year-old businessman of Noida was recommended an urgent bypass. Instead, he enrolled in the SAAOL program. Only 6 months after EECP and a zero-oil diet plan, his treadmill test improved by 40%, and chest pain vanished.
- There were 3 blockages in a 65-year-old woman from Delhi. Following 40 EECP treatments, her heart pumping increased from 35% to 48%. Her doctor was surprised.
- A school teacher from Gurugram who couldn’t climb stairs due to angina now walks 5 km daily after reversal therapy.
These aren’t miracles. They are science applied with consistency.
Final Word: The SAAOL Promise
Heart disease in India doesn’t just need more ICUs; it needs more awareness. It needs doctors and patients willing to look for all the options available for heart disease treatment, and also look toward the science of healing.
Dr Bimal Chhajer and SAAOL Heartcare Delhi have already proved for 30 years that such a thing is possible. In 2025, it is no longer just a theory; it is a sure-fire alternative to bypass surgery, a way to reverse heart disease without surgery, and a safer future for millions.
The choice is yours. Surgery is one way. But healing, science, and reversal, that is the SAAOL way. Contact SAAOL Heartcare today and know your non-surgical heart treatment options.
FAQs Patients Ask for Non-Surgical Heart Disease Treatment
Q: Is it actually possible to reverse heart disease without surgery?
Yes. Arteries can heal with the right diet, lifestyle, and EECP treatment.
Q: How long does it take for EECP to work?
Most patients notice improvement in the chest pain within 10 to 15 treatments.
Q: Is bypass surgery safer than EECP?
Bypass surgery is riskier because it’s invasive. EECP is non-invasive, safer, and FDA-approved.
Q: What if I had a bypass or stent before?
You can still take EECP. It helps the blood flow better in the arteries that are still there.
Q: Can SAAOL heart care help me stay away from a second surgery?
Yes. Most of the patients in SAAOL are those who have been recommended for the second bypass. With the heart disease reversal program, they avoid it.