I'm not a doctor so I shouldn't give any medical advice:o
So I will correct myself & give the following advice:
Your friend should do some homework to find out if there are non-surgical alternatives. He should get a 2nd opinion from a doctor who believes in alternative treatments & not just expensive surgical procedures.
Go to the Impian Emas Medical Centre in Skudai JB & speak to the doctor there & see if his condition can be treated non-surgically.
http://www.impianemasmedicalcentre.com/ecp-2/
Be sure to bring a credit card & some $$$ because the doctor will probably want to do some tests e.g. EEG, Xray, echo test, blood test, .. & if he has any Xrays or taking any medication, he should also take that along for the doctor to take a look.
Your friend probably talked to a cardiologist in Spore who would only recommend stents or surgery. From my experience the doctors in Spore will ONLY recommend expensive drugs & procedures.