Bharti Airtel has collaborated with Apollo 24|7, the digital business unit of The Apollo Hospitals Group to support India’s battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. The partnership aims to bring together Airtel’s Pan-India network reach and Apollo Hospital’s digital healthcare platform – Apollo 24|7 to raise awareness and break the chain of spread of COVID-19. Apollo 24|7 has launched a free digital self-assessment test on Airtel Thanks app to enable its customers to check their COVID-19 risk profile. The test, which has been developed by Apollo 24|7, uses artificial intelligence-based technologies to allow users to assess their COVID-19 risk profile by answering a few simple questions. Based on the user responses, the digital tool generates a risk score and suggests the next best action including online consults on Apollo 24|7 free, dialing COVID non-prescriptive helpline from the app itself, self-care tips, social distancing guidelines and other important prevention steps as suggested by WHO and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Apollo 24|7 free COVID helpline has over 100 Apollo expert doctors answering questions and clearing doubts of all those who are taking the scan. These initiatives are designed to help Airtel customers alleviate any anxieties or doubts relating to COVID-19 and ensuring that the country at large, stays safe. Ms. Shobana Kamineni, Executive Vice Chairperson of Apollo Hospitals Group said, “With the free COVID-19 scan AI tool, Airtel customers across India will get validated data and Apollo’s resources to take care of their health, well-being and safety.” Mr. Gopal Vittal, MD & CEO (India and South Asia) Bharti Airtel said, “These are unprecedented times and we are working hard with our partners such as Apollo 24|7 to leverage digital technologies to help the nation. Airtel Thanks platform reaches millions of people in India and we hope this innovative tool can provide a sense of urgency around the need for social distancing to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19. Airtel remains fully committed to serving the nation in this difficult hour and support the efforts of the Government.” Through a deeper integration, the tool also allows users to also check the COVID-19 risk profile of their region through an India wide COVID-19 heat map grading regions from high to low risk based on aggregated responses from these locations. This enables users to be more aware of the evolution of the situation within the country, and be more adept at maintaining social distancing to break the COVID-19 chain.

To ensure affordable, safe rooms overnight and clean environments, Apollo Hospitals has joined forces with Hindustan Unilever, State Bank of India, Deutsche Bank, Oyo Rooms, Lemon Tree, Ginger hotels and Zomato to launch a social impact initiative on isolation care called “Project Stay I” (Stay Isolated). The Apollo Hospitals Group took forward its comprehensive response plan to COVID-19, Project Kavach, which was announced on March 26 2020. Isolation is an important part of the break the chain of transmission strategy. Project Stay I is an innovative initiative to strengthen the bulwark against COVID-19 by creating isolation rooms in hotels with light medical supervision for quarantine and creating a barrier to ensure people recover without spreading the virus, and or be supervised so they can move to medical care at the right time. These isolation rooms have been rolled out at Hyderabad, Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore and Delhi, starting with approximately 500 in Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, going up by 50 rooms every three days, to reach an eventual target of 5000 rooms across the country. The ramp up in the number of rooms will be calibrated as per the need. And cities will be added based on government requests, support of local healthcare providers and support for CSR. Dr Sangita Reddy, Joint Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals Group said, “The steps taken by the Government of India in screening, testing and keeping high risk individuals in state quarantine facilities to prevent the extensive spread of the disease is indeed commendable. However, with increase in the scale and scope of testing, the number of positive cases are expected to increase. A significant number of these individuals will be positive but asymptomatic. There will also be a rise in the number of individuals requiring to be quarantined due to contact with COVID-19 patients. This will put a huge load on the government facilities for quarantine. This is the time for the private sector to step up to the challenge to aid, augment, and support our Government. Our attempt is just a small showcase model. Others can replicate. We are happy to share our technology backbone which is facilitating this model”. She added, “Many families in India have 4-5 members and most of them share the same facilities and toilets, this fails the purpose of self-isolation if one the family members is at high risk of COVID-19. Especially since the virus is as asymptomatic for the first week. Project Stay I will not only reduce the load on the healthcare system by creating clean, comfortable isolation and quarantine facilities for individuals who have no need for active medical intervention but also provide a solution to such families.

Apollo Hospitals Group has announced a new initiative – Project Kavach (shield) – a comprehensive and integrated response plan and approach to protect people across the nation from the COVID-19 pandemic. The plan encompasses all aspects from information, preventive measures, online self-assessment for risk, testing, isolation/quarantine rooms, treatment and hospital beds, and ICU facilities for critically ill patients. ‘Never been seen in the last 100 years’ Making the announcement at a virtual press conference, Founder and Chairman Dr. Prathap C Reddy said: “The pandemic we are seeing now has never been seen before in the last 100 years. The Apollo Hospital Group has been leveraging its experience of the last 30 years and its protocols for the safety of patients and health personnel to face the unprecedented challenge of COVID-19. The Apollo family has come together with their expertise and commitment to face the challenge and tackle the pandemic successfully”. He also mentioned that they would work with the Government and use the Group’s technology and Artificial Intelligence to reassure people, through sample collection facility at their homes, testing clinics and in-patient service. Fighting for generations “We are fighting a war not just for this generation but also for the generations to come. The pandemic knows no borders, makes no distinction between religion, caste creed or social status. It will require all of us to come together to break the chain,” Dr. Reddy said. “Project Kavach is the Group’s pledge and will augment the Government’s initiatives to address the COVID-19 pandemic. All other private hospitals are also doing their best,” he said. Ms. Shobana Kamineni, Executive Vice Chairperson, Apollo Hospitals Group said they designed an AI-based coronavirus Risk Assessment and it is available in the form of an App and on the website to guide individuals about the potential risk through simple interactive questions. Based on the risk people are guided to contact the certified Help centre. Tele-consultation She said over 8.5 million people across 30 countries had already gone through screening on the Apollo 24×7 app and website, and it is expected that over 10 million Indians will use the scan to know their risk score. The group also offers virtual and tele-consultation with all doctors at Apollo Hospitals to enable people seek healthcare from home. All the 3,800 Apollo Pharmacy outlets across 18 States will serve people with medicines, consumables. Stocks have been doubled, prices are being monitored strictly, and home delivery capability has been enhanced to even serve 10 lakh people if needed. Ms. Sangita Reddy, MD of the Group, said that most Apollo Centres have been cleared for COVID-19 testing. There are provisions for home collection of samples and drive through testing in accordance with government guidelines for testing. Dedicated fever clinics were being set up to screen people and those who qualify for tests would pay the government recommended charges. 5,000 rooms across the country With more screening, more positive cases may come up and the Group has launched isolation rooms in the vicinity of Apollo Hospitals with medical supervision for quarantine. This would address the situation where over 50 per cent of cases would need only isolation and medication. The isolation rooms under Project Stay-I are available in Chennai, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Bangalore and Delhi and have started with 50 each and going up by 50 rooms every three days to reach a target of 5,000 rooms across the country. Ms. Suneeta Reddy, MD, said over 250 hospital beds were kept aside for COVID-19 patients and it could be ramped up to 500 if needed. The group has 1,000 ventilators and enough of them could be freed for COVID19 -patients since only emergency cases are being taken up at present. When asked what kind of support they were expecting from the government, Dr. Reddy said, “The government was aware that the health care sector was going through trying times. Its support would not stop with COVID-19 alone, and the sector would require its support to tackle all illnesses of people all through.” Red Book A collection of Covid 19 Protocols and Processes, powered by Apollo Hospitals Group Download Red Book

Apollo Hospitals has launched Amazon Alexa Skill- the Ask Apollo skill, which will enable users to find the nearest Apollo Hospitals, clinics, pharmacies and book appointments with doctors of their choice using simple voice commands. Apollo Hospitals Group has always been at the forefront of adopting the latest technology to make healthcare more accessible and this is one such innovative digital initiative. The Ask Apollo skill, developed by MobiSprint Consulting, would provide users access to over 5,000 super-specialties and multispecialty doctors spread across 72 Apollo Hospitals throughout the country. The skill would also enable users to choose their preferred Apollo clinics and access to over 3,500 pharmacies, covering the largest geographical reach in the country. Once enabled, the skill would allow users to interact with Apollo Hospitals through voice commands on all Echo range of devices such as Amazon Echo Show, Echo Plus, and Echo Dot as well as Alexa built-in devices. The skill can also be accessed via the Alexa app available on iOS and Android. Users can simply say, “Alexa, open Apollo”“Alexa, ask Apollo to find me a doctor for consultation” “Alexa, ask Apollo to book an appointment”“Alexa, ask Apollo to find me a surgeon” “Alexa, ask Apollo to book an appointment with a Family Physician” “The mass adoption of artificial intelligence in the lives of people has fueled the shift towards voice applications and the number of IoT devices have given voice assistants more utility in a connected user’s life. With our Alexa skill, Apollo Hospitals has become the first and largest healthcare group in India to power voice-assisted hospital search and appointment booking. We will be adding more features to the skill in the near future,” said Dr. Sangita Reddy, Joint Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals Group. The integration of Apollo Hospitals experience with Amazon Alexa would also help users to schedule consultations on the basis of doctor name and specialty; search nearby hospitals, clinics and pharmacies, thereby avoiding the hassle of calling the call centre or travelling to the hospital to book an appointment.

Ms. Firoza Sarwari, 70 years of age, a resident of Afghanistan who was suffering from a rare tumour in her chest, was successfully treated by Dr. Suresh Singh Naruka, Consultant – ENT, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals along with his team of doctors who performed a highly complicated retro sternal hemi thyroidectomy surgery removal of tumor from the neck and chest. Ms. Firoza Sarwari, presented with a history of swelling in the neck accompanied by difficulty in breathing and swallowing. Post – evaluation it was revealed that she had developed a massive tumour in the chest, which seemed to be arising from the thyroid gland in the neck. Dr Bhabha Nanda Das, Cardio Thoracic and Vascular Surgeon, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals said, “On imaging, patient was found to have a tumour in chest that was compressing the wind-pipe and food-pipe and was also affecting the heart vessels. The tumor was lying very close to the heart vessels therefore posing danger of injury to the heart vessels at the time of surgery. Although, the tumour was arising from thyroid gland; it had mainly spread in the chest area. This resulted in many other complications such as risk of loss of voice, permanent hole in the neck, damage to large vessels/arteries of heart leading to torrential hemorrhage (excessive bleeding) which posed a high risk to the patient’s life and could lead to death of the patient during surgery. Thus, the line of treatment which the doctors were to adopt needed to be thorough and intricately precise in nature so that no other organs or blood vessels were damaged in the process of surgery.” After thorough evaluation, a multi-disciplinary effort was adopted for treatment with a team of doctors from various specialties coming together to treat the patient. The team comprised of Prof. Dr. Ameet Kishore (Senior Consultant, ENT Surgeon) and Dr. Venus Rawat (Registrar). The immediate line of treatment adopted was removal the tumour via an open chest surgery to access the tumour and to avoid heavy bleeding from the large vessels located in heart. Dr Suresh Singh Naruka, Consultant ENT, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals said “We decided to perform Retro Sternal Hemi Thyroidectomy surgery to completely remove the tumour and to avoid any intraoperative complications. Such surgeries are extremely rare, technically challenging and requires a team of specialized surgeons and multi-disciplinary approach. Efficient and thorough planning by the team helped to deal with this case resulting in complete removal without much complications and minimal loss of blood. Patient was discharged after the second day of surgery and is planning to fly back to her country soon.” Dr Ameet Kishore, Senior Consultant surgeon, ENT, at the Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals said “This was a case of a rare tumor and required the combined efforts of multidisciplinary team of doctors. Such cases are splendid examples of the clinical excellence shown by our doctors”

Apollo Hospitals, Bhubaneswar performed the first ever cadaveric transplant in Odisha on February 4, 2020. The whole process of organ retrieval and transplantation was conducted by the team of Apollo Hospitals. The family of the donor was counselled regarding organ transplantation and it was their generosity that made them consent for donation. After a marathon surgery of six hours, the team of doctors in Apollo Hospitals, Bhubaneswar successfully conducted the first cadaveric kidney transplant in the state of Odisha. The other kidney harvested by Apollo Hospitals was transported to SCB medical College & Hospital, Cuttack for transplantation. The donated kidneys belonged to a 26-year-old girl from Ganjam, Odisha who was undergoing treatment in the ICU of Apollo Hospitals, Bhubaneswar since 26th January 2020, for the injury sustained in a road accident. She was under the treatment of Dr. Amit Chanduka, Consultant – Neuro Surgery and was declared brain dead by the ICU team lead by Dr. Sharmili Sinha. After receiving consent from the family the administration at Apollo Hospitals informed SOTTO at SCB Medical College & Hospital on the February 3, 2020. Upon information, Nodal officer SOTTO Dr. C. R. Kar coordinated with the DMET Prof.(Dr.) C. B. K. Mohanty and Joint DMET, Prof (Dr.) Umakanta Satpathy to retrieve the organs. After completing all the procedures as per theTransplant Act, the retrieval was started by Dr. Samirandas Adhikari, Sr. Consultant Urology and Dr. K. P. Satapathy, Sr. Consultant, Urology and team from Apollo Hospital with Dr. Sabyasachi Panda from SCB Medical College in presence of Prof.(Dr.) Datteswar Hota and Prof. (Dr.) Chittaranjan Kar. Once both the kidneys were retrieved, they were allocated to the patients in the waiting list of Apollo Hospital and SCB MCH prepared as per the NOTTO guideline by Dr. Rudrashis Samal, (Joint Director, SOTTO.) and approved by the Kidney Committee. The transplant operation of a patient was undertaken by Dr. Samirandas Adhikari and his team at Apollo Hospital, Bhubaneswar. The Nephrology team of Apollo Hospitals Dr. Nishit Mohanty, and Dr. Bibekananda Panda were also present. Post-transplant the recipient is doing well. Due to various difficulties which includes infrastructure, trained healthcare workers, lack of protocols in brain dead declaration etc, cadaver organ transplantation were not possible earlier. However, the role of SOTTO and State Government are worth commendable for their support in this endeavor, said Shri Sudhir M Diggikar, Central Region CEO (Odisha, Chhattisgarh & Andhra Pradesh) of Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Limited. Odisha Government is proactive and can play a lead role in creating awareness on organ transplantation, he added.

The Exelsius GPS Spine Surgery Robot, the most advanced 3rd generation spine robot, launched in Chennai at the Apollo Institute of Spine surgery. The institute was launched by Honorable Health Minister of Tamil Nadu Dr. C. Vijayabaskar in the presence of Dr. Prathap C Reddy, Founder and Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group and Dr. Preetha Reddy, Vice Chairperson of Apollo Hospitals Group. Read more about the Apollo Institute of Spine Surgery, Chennai

Hospital emergencies are never planned. Organising finances is one of the challenges of dealing with the entire process of hospitalisation. Apollo Hospitals Group has teamed up with Bajaj Finserv to ensure patients and families are provided an easy hassle-free payment avenue while dealing with hospitalisation. Apollo Hospitals Group has launched a first of its kind co-branded Health EMI Card in association with Bajaj Finance Limited. The Apollo Hospitals-Bajaj Finserv Health EMI Card is a unique offering for people to enable easy access to Asia’s best of medical care without worrying about finance. Users of this co-branded Healthcare card will be able to convert their medical expenditure into easy no cost EMIs that can be repaid over a period of 12 months. The Apollo Hospitals-Bajaj Finserv Health EMI Card offers easy EMI financing and quick loan processing with minimal paperwork thereby avoiding the hassle of documentation. The Apollo Hospitals-Bajaj Finserv Health EMI Card offers several features such as instant activation, a high credit limit of up to Rs. 4 lakhs, the emergency line attached to the card, priority access and add-on benefits like complimentary personal accident insurance cover, discount vouchers, and coupons. Covering the entire family, the Apollo Hospitals-Bajaj Finserv Health EMI Card will be accepted across the entire Apollo Hospitals network. Apollo Hospitals Group and Bajaj Finserv had previously joined hands to offer up to 100% finance on all healthcare and diagnostic services. This new initiative will help people facing a medical emergency, as well as those who are not able to bear the cost upfront for even planned treatments. The Apollo Hospitals-Bajaj Finserv Health EMI Card will also benefit patients who do not have health insurance or whose insurance limit is lower than the cost of the treatment. Speaking at the national launch of the card, Dr. Prathap C Reddy, Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group said, “As the nation’s first corporate hospital, our vision has always been to make world class healthcare accessible to all. The quality of care, especially in a life-threatening emergency is the differentiating factor between a positive and a negative medical outcome. The Apollo Hospitals-Bajaj Finserv Health EMI Card will empower patients to access the best world-class advanced healthcare without worrying about treatment expenses at a time when they are already under stress. The card will also help patients who require elective procedures and surgeries to proceed with the treatment immediately without waiting to collect funds for upfront payment, which could possibly worsen the condition.” Ms. Suneeta Reddy, Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals Group added, “Our mission to ensure accessibility and affordability continues to be easy for medical help when required. Through this Apollo Hospitals-Bajaj Finserv Health EMI Card, we will be able to provide immediate help where required. India is under-insured when it comes to health insurance, leading to families struggling to raise funds for treatment, especially in a medical emergency. The Apollo Hospitals-Bajaj Finserv Health EMI Card will help families ease the pressure and focus on the treatment and not the payment by availing this easy no cost EMIs.” Mr. Rajeev Jain, Managing Director, Bajaj Finance Limited said, “The Apollo Hospitals – Bajaj Finserv Co-branded Health EMI card will enable customers to avail easy EMI financing for healthcare. Our objective is to make quality health care affordable for our customers through a smooth and hassle-free process.” The Health EMI Card can be availed by submitting KYC documents as per RBI guidelines, such as PAN Card, Aadhaar Card, cancelled cheque and duly signed ECS mandate. Special counters have also been set up across Apollo Hospitals where patients and their families can visit and sign up for the card.

Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, Delhi has launched the most advanced version of TomoTherapy Radixact X9 for treatment of cancer patients. Tomotherapy comes as a boon for cancer treatment since it has a higher degree of precision, speed and accuracy. Patients find it more comfortable to be treated under this technology owing to the rotational helical mechanism, and also the set-up time is lesser as compared to other therapies. Cancer is the leading cause of death in India and worldwide. According to reports by National Health Profile, cancer cases have risen. Most of the cancers can be treated if diagnosed at an early stage. Tomotherapy is effective in treating cancer, irrespective of the stage, especially multiple metastasis. The best outcomes are for treatment of bilateral breast cancer, paediatric oncology and all other forms of cancer. At the launch , Ms. Suneeta Reddy, Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals Group said “The launch of the most advanced version of the Tomotherapy technology is truly a remarkable development in the field of Radiation Oncology. This will be a revolutionary step in the treatment of cancer. With this system we can deliver both fractionated radiotherapy as well as SBRT and Radiosurgery. The launch of the most advanced version of tomotherapy reinforces our commitment to delivering excellent radiation therapy treatment for cancer patients in Delhi/NCR and neighbouring states. The new generation radiation machine and our highly experienced team enables us to move ahead towards precise and personalized care, therefore improving the quality of life of cancer patients and ensuring better clinical outcomes.” Highlighting the key features of Tomotherapy, Mr. P ShivaKumar, Managing Director, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals said “We are taking precision and excellence to the next level with the revolutionary Radixact-X9: Tomotherapy,  a system powered by state-of-the-art 3D CT imaging. It uses a linear accelerator to deliver high-dose radiation to the tumour with sub-millimetre precision. With the most recent introduction of Radixact X9, radiation oncology has reached a new horizon in the race of effective curative treatment for cancer. Large field size can be targeted at once. 1.35 cms of length can be targeted without repositioning the machine” Radixact X9 enables a fully integrated platform for adaptive radiation, planning, data management and treatment delivery. With the addition of the Radixact system, The Radiation Oncology service at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals has become one of the best centres in the world. It complements well with the existing Novalis TX, Clinac and Brachytherapy modalities.

Apollo Hospitals, Bangalore has launched India’s first dedicated Robot-Assisted Cardiac Surgery Unit; a milestone in the history of cardiovascular surgery in the country. The Robot-Assisted Cardiac Surgery Unit will offer patients with complex cardiac disease treatment with robotic assisted minimally invasive cardiac surgery. The Robot-Assisted Cardiac Surgery Unit will be equipped with the advanced fourth-generation versatile ‘da Vinci Xi’ robotic surgical system and a dedicated team, led by Dr. Sathyaki P Nambala, Senior Consultant, Cardio-thoracic and Vascular Surgeon and Head of the Department, Robotic Cardiac Surgery Unit. Dr. K. Hariprasad, President, Apollo Hospitals said, “Our vision has always been to bring the most advanced medical technology to India to benefit our patients. We are continuing on this path with the launch of the dedicated Robot-Assisted Cardiac Surgery Unit, which will be the first in India to offer a full-time robotic heart surgery program. This will empower our doctors to deliver the best of cardiac care, armed with the latest in advanced medical technology. At Apollo Hospitals, the patient is at the center of all our efforts in providing accessible and affordable world-class treatment, and the introduction of the da Vinci Xi robotic surgical system is in furtherance of this objective. With 18 cases successfully treated to date with robot-assisted cardiac surgery, we are confident that the dedicated unit will change the lives of many more patients who cannot undergo conventional cardiac surgery.” Dr. Sathyaki P Nambala, Sr. Consultant, Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeon and HoD, Robotic Cardiac Surgery Unit said, “The development of a Robot-Assisted Cardiac Surgery program requires a tremendous amount of dedication and preparation, and we are proud to have launched a dedicated program for the first time in India. The innovative technology of the da Vinci Xi allows complex cardiovascular surgeries to be performed through smaller incisions and precise motion control, as compared to conventional open heart surgery, which involves opening up the chest by splitting the breastplate. The robot is docked near the operation table while the cardiac surgeon sits on a console from where commands are given to operate the smooth and dexterous robotic arms with a precision that would be impossible without the robot. A high-definition camera provides a clear, 3D view of the chest to the surgeon on a console screen. Davison PK, CEO, Apollo Hospitals, Bangalore said, “The Robot-Assisted Cardiac Surgery Program will now be accessible to patients, not just across the nation, but the world too, thus making India a one-stop destination for robotic surgery. One of the major features of the specialized unit lies is that it will help reduce strain on the surgeon, by providing excellent vision, along with an increase in comfort while performing long surgeries. Very few centres in the globe offer this service, and we are proud that Apollo Hospitals, Bangalore will be the first in India.” Dr. Nambala added, “Robotic heart surgery means minimal trauma, less blood loss and less overall discomfort for the patient. Since no bones are cut, there is no instability of the breast-bone or sternum after the surgery. Small incisions lead to negligible blood loss, eliminating blood transfusion in most cases and eliminating risks of blood borne infection. Other advantages include reduced pain, less post-operative wound infections, less post-operative scarring, and a positive effect on breathing. Recovery is rapid, with lesser hospitalization, faster mobilization and rehabilitation. Healing is usually complete in 10 days with return to normal life including driving or other activities within a few days. The reduction in chance of infection makes it an ideal procedure ideal in diabetics and older patients.” About da Vinci Xi Robotic Surgical System: The da Vinci Xi Robotic Surgical System approved by the USFDA, is one of the latest innovations of modern surgery and represents our dedication in providing the highest quality care to our patients. The da Vinci Xi provides high resolution 3D visualization, up to ten-times magnification of the operating field, movement scaling, and dual console systems for surgeon cooperation and training. The da Vinci® XiTM surgical system has advanced robotic computing and optical technology with tiny mechanical wrists that bend and rotate to mimic the movements of the human wrist, which assist the surgeon to perform complex surgeries with smaller incision and better precision. 3D high definition guided vision system allows the surgeon to have a magnified close-up view of the area being operated. The robotic arms give greater access for surgery, this results in better clinical outcome for patients with faster recovery and shorter hospital stay.

Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals, Kolkata treated a 48-year-old man with cancer in the temporal bone, an area of the skull above the ear. Mr. Shyam Bihari Tiwari, who was previously treated for cancer in his right temporal bone, suffered from the same condition in his left ear which was diagnosed after six months. It is considered as a rare condition as it affects just one in a million. Mr. Tiwari, a businessman from Uttar Pradesh had previously undergone a surgery followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy at Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals by Dr. Tanweer Shahid. A few months after the treatment for cancer on the right temporal bone, Mr. Tiwari came back to the hospital with the same problem in his left ear. Doctors found advanced squamous cell carcinoma of left temporal bone which had spread to his ear canal, involving the parotid glands. The tumour already had metastatic deposits to neck, parotid and skin infiltration going towards deep inside the brain. As per the doctors, the cancer in the right side had nothing to do with the cancer in the other side. “Ear cancer of the temporal bone is a rare condition with a prevalence of 0.8 to 1 in a million. Bilateral temporal bone cancer is even more rare with just about six cases being reported in medical literature worldwide,” said Dr. Shantanu Panja. The ENT and Head and Neck Onco-Surgeon and his team conducted an eight-hour long surgery to remove the tumour. The complex surgery, which involved reconstructive surgeon Dr. Saptarshi Bhattacharyya to remove the tumour measuring 15cm x 10cm, included lateral temporal bone resection, radical parotidectomy, wide local excision, modified radical neck dissection with reconstruction by scalp rotation flap and split skin graft. “It is extremely difficult to treat such tumours because of the complexity of surgery. We could remove the entire tumour. The following histopathology report shows the patient got rid of the cancer,” said Dr. Panja. Luckily, the cancer had not affected his hearing nerves, so he does not have any hearing problem. “My brother-in-law has been discharged from the hospital a couple of days ago and he is doing fine. He is staying with me so that he can follow up regularly with doctors,” said his relative Shyam Nandan. Read More about the rare cancer in the temporal bone

Apollo Hospital, Hyderabad has accomplished a rare and complex feat of performing combined procedures of Living Donor Liver Transplantation and Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) operation, on a patient in a single sitting. The surgery spanning over fourteen hours involved the expertise of multi-speciality teams including Cardiac, Oncology and Liver Transplant. The 67-year-old male patient from Hyderabad, Mr. Siva Prasad Rao, was suffering from Liver Cirrhosis and Liver cancer. During evaluation for a liver transplant, he was further diagnosed to have significant coronary artery disease with critical blocks in the blood vessels to the heart. The heart disease was found to be significant enough to preclude performing a liver transplant. Coronary stenting was not an option as, after stenting, the liver transplant could not be carried out for 8-12 weeks, and waiting was not an option as the patient’s liver cancer could spread during the waiting time. The multidisciplinary team at Apollo Hospitals decided to perform both the operation, Liver transplant and Coronary Artery Bypass at the same time. The patient’s 33-year-old daughter, Mrs. Rohini, came forward to donate a part of her liver. The operations were carried out on December 6th, 2019. CABG was done first followed by Living donor liver transplant. The Living-donor liver transplant is a surgical procedure in which a portion of the liver from a healthy living person, in this case, the patient’s daughter was removed and transplanted in the patient. The entire operation took 14 hours to complete. The donor was discharged on 6th Day after the operation and the patient was discharged on 12th day after the operation. Both the patient and the donor are doing fine. Meticulous planning, carefully timing of the donor and recipient surgery and availing all concerned speciality services when needed, as the recipient had to undergo cardiac bypass surgery first and then followed by a liver transplant, ensured incident-free treatment, says Dr Manish C. Varma. The treatment rendered for this patient is rarely performed as it is an extremely high-risk case. Performing such cases successfully requires a multidisciplinary approach involving critical medical and surgical specialities, very competent nursing, support staff and excellent hospital infrastructure. The team of Specialists involved in this dual surgery were Dr Manish C. Varma, Senior Consultant and HOD, Liver Transplant and HPB Surgery; Dr Naveen Polavarapu, Consultant, Gastroenterologist and Transplant Hepatologist; Dr Manoj Agarwala, Senior Consultant Cardiologist and Dr Sanjay Kumar Agarwal, Cardiothoracic Surgeon. Not just in India, even abroad, in the best of the medical centres, a patient in an advanced age coupled with multiple complications like liver cirrhosis, liver cancer and critical blocks in the heart, would have been avoided for further care. But the doctors at Apollo took on the challenge, as they were confident of their expertise and the back-up infrastructure and support at their disposal. This will be recorded in the annals of medical history and will serve as an inspiration for the Indian medical fraternity for generations, says Dr Hari Prasad.