Apollo Hospitals will render specialist health services in Tanzania following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding ( MoU ) between India and Tanzania. Three agreements were signed between India and Tanzania on Friday, among which the first one was a joint venture to increase trade and small-scale industries between the two nations. The second was to start a chain of Indian hospitals especially known for heart treatments in association with the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare of Tanzania. The third agreement was an agreement for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income. Apollo Hospitals Chairman Dr. C Prathap Reddy said that the prime motive of the group’s venture in the African nation would be to spread awareness and render preventive health care. “I am glad that we are at Tanzania, but this is not the beginning or the end of it. There are a lot of expansions going on. We are into 360 degrees of health care. This is why I have said that we have excelled in clinical excellence. We have got the service excellence, technological excellence, but using technology we are trying to build 360 degree of health in bringing awareness, bringing prevention, we have done world’s largest preventive check- ups apart (from) treating 20 million people, ” Dr. Reddy said. He further mentioned the concentration of their hospitals in Tanzania would be to provide world-class health facilities to the patients. This is going to be a brand new land, virgin land on which we are going to build a hospital which will suit our design to deliver tertiary and cardiac care hospital for people who do not have to go to other place majority of times.

Apollo centre for liver disease and transplantation has completed 100 liver transplantations in less than 4 years with over 90% success rate, creating a milestone in the history of medicine. There is a noticeable rise in the cases of liver diseases in India which will result in a greater need for treatment in the coming future than the current availability. As a pioneer in the healthcare sector, Apollo Hospitals is fortifying the facilities throughout the country to meet and battle the need. Addressing the Media, Dr. Prathap C Reddy, Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group said, “”Apollo is the only healthcare unit in India to establish a world class facility for an independent liver transplantation program. We offer the patients comfort and care in all aspects of treatment and we also try to provide them a compound financial package which helps them in planning and accounting expenses. Understanding that liver treatment is still an expensive cure in India, we are also working with leading financial institutions for easy arrangement of finances for the patients and their next of kin.”” He further added, “”Apollo Chennai has the largest and only cadaver transplant department in the country. This is again a benchmark in the Indian healthcare scenario where every other program consists of living transplants which is a troublesome process involving the patient and a donor.”” Elaborating on the Liver Transplant Program, Dr. Anand Khakhar, Senior Consultant Liver Transplant & Hepatobiliary Surgery and program Director for the Liver Transplant Program at Apollo Hospitals, Chennai said, “”Liver transplantation is a surgical procedure whereby a diseased or failing liver is either removed and replaced by a whole new liver from a deceased donor, or where part of a healthy liver from a living donor is removed and inserted to the failing liver of the recipient. The 100 surgeries benchmark has been crossed by the Chennai department much faster than the programs in other cities such as Delhi or Mumbai. The goal of the program is to not only raise awareness about the importance of a healthy liver and the dangers that can be caused by a liver disease, but to also provide the access to treatment geographically and financially.”” Liver failure is a potentially fatal condition in which the liver progressively stops performing its functions resulting in episodes of jaundice, accumulation of fluid in the body, blood vomiting and confusion. Conditions such as Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C infection, excess alcohol consumption, diseases such as Primary Biliary Cirrhosis and Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis can cause this state.

Team of super specialist doctors headed by Dr. G. Sengottuvelu, Senior Consultant & Interventional Cardiologist, Apollo Hospitals, used a specially designed mesh covered stent (M GUARD STENT) to capture the 80% blood clot that was formed in his right coronary artery that had migrated down to all the small branches in the downstream which led to acute heart attack. Dr. Sengottuvelu said, “”Dukahram a 27 years old male, glass factory worker with strong family history of premature heart attack (his father had a heart attack at the age of 45 years), was diagnosed with an acute heart attack, and found with blood clot in his right coronary artery that migrated down and unusually blocked all the small branches in the downstream, risking his life. This latest technology the M guard stent was useful in trapping the blood clot without any further breaks, the device also gave us a high procedural success with low rates of clot dislodgement into distal branches during the deployment””. He also added, “”M guard stent helped us to complete the surgery within 20 minutes, thereby reducing the complications and the risk involved in the surgery ensuring quick recovery of the patient””. In order to clear the clots in the small vessels, the clearway catheter another recent technology was introduced through which a strong anti clotting drug was injected directly to dissolve the clot. This unique M guard stent proves very effective in preventing further clot dislodgement. Acute heart attacks are increasingly seen in younger population particularly smokers. There is an urgent need to educate public on the importance of early arrival in the hospital after the onset of chest pain. Acute Heart Attack (Acute myocardial infarction) is on the rise in young adults and carries a significant morbidity, psychological effects, and financial constraints for the person and the family particularly when it occurs at a young age. The protection offered by young age has been slowly taken away by the increased prevalence of risk factors for CHD in adolescents such as smoking, obesity, and lack of physical activity. Better prognosis among young adults is achieved when early appropriate treatment is offered and saving more muscle mass from permanent damage by using these newer devices.

Santhosh, 27, went into the emergency room of a hospital sweating profusely and with complaints of fatigue and mild chest discomfort after playing a cricket match on Sunday noon. Doctors quickly concluded that he was exhausted and dehydrated. Santhosh, who works for a glass factory, was sent home after doctors advised him fluids and rest. Four hours later, when he returned with breathlessness, an ECG was taken. The results showed that he suffered from acute heart attack. His family whisked him away to the cardiology care unit of Apollo Hospitals on Greams Road, Chennai. Investigations there showed that a huge clot in a big blood vessel of the heart had migrated into the smaller ones affecting the blood supply to different parts of the heart muscle. This triggered a heart attack. Doctors instantly told his relatives that his condition was critical. They wheeled him in for an emergency surgery. A new equipment and advanced technology saved his life. Summer exhaustion, cardiologists say, can be misleading and delay diagnosis of heart attacks. The most common condition that delays diagnosis for heart attacks are heart burns. When stomach acid gets into the esophagus or throat it causes a burning sensation. Patients with heart burns mostly complain of chest uneasiness like in heart attack. “”This misleads many doctors. Now there are cases misconstrued as heat exhaustion,”” Dr G Sengottuvelu, Senior Consultant and Intrvention Cardiologist at Apollo Hospitals, Chennai. Doctors who first saw Santhosh probably assumed that he was too young to have a heart attack or that it was normal for people to feel uneasy if they tire themselves out under the scorching sun. But what the doctors did not see was that Santhosh was in the high-risk group. He was a smoker and had a family history of heart attacks. His father died of heart attack at the age of 45 and his grandmother suffered heart attacks at the age of 55. If the doctors had suspected a heart attack and given him blood thinners, it would have delayed some problems like migration of the clot. “”Surgery might have been unavoidable. In heart attacks, there is no golden hour, it is platinum minutes,”” Dr Sengottuvelu said. Santhosh came to Apollo Hospitals after five hours of the symptoms. Had the clot moved further down, he could have had a massive attack. If it had gone up to the brain, it could have caused a stroke. A week after the surgery, Santhosh has now been declared fit for discharge. He will have to be on blood thinners for a long time. “”I am being counselled to kick the butt. I used to smoke five cigarettes a day. I will do my best to care for my mended heart,”” Santhosh said. But many aren’t as lucky as Santhosh. Three years ago, 29-year-old Vijay, who was taken to the hospital with severe chest pain and shoulder pain was treated for acid reflux. By the time doctors diagnosed a heart attack, it was too late. Vijay, a thin tall boy, who never smoked, died. Heart attacks are the biggest killers in the country. Studies have shown that Indian hearts age faster than those of Westerners. Results of a 2010 study by Apollo Hospitals with the Indian Council of Medical Research found that some heart disorders including blood vessel blocks found in 35-year-old Indians are similar to those found in an average 60-year-old in the US. “”Indians are predisposed to heart diseases and the progression of the diseases is faster,”” said Dr. Prathap C Reddy, Chairman Apollo Hospitals Group. Nearly 40% of patients with heart attack die before they come to hospitals.

The cardiac surgery department of Satguru Partap Singh Apollo Hospitals, Ludhiana, has introduced multi-vessel beating heart coronary artery bypass surgery, using Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery (MICS) technique. The full range of MICS surgery is now available on regular basis at the hospital. “”Major advantages of MICS surgery is very early return to active life, with minimal pain and need for painkillers. Requirement of blood, hospital stay and chances of infection are significantly low as compared to the older technique,”” said Dr K C Mukherjee, Senior Consultant, Department of Cardio Surgery. Rashpal Singh, 78, had suffered a heart attack a few months ago and his angiography revealed critical coronary artery disease requiring bypass surgery. Dr.Mukherjee said his team performed a surgery on him and the patient was discharged within five days.

Super specialist team of doctors headed by Dr. Sunder, Cardio Thoracic surgeon, Apollo Hospital Chennai, reduced the agony of Mr.Karunakaran by performing a demanding surgery ensuring him a quick recovery from deep organ burns that deprived him of his vocal ability and breath. Dr. Sunder, Cardio Thoracic Surgeon, Apollo Hospital Chennai, said “After a 3 hours surgery Mr. Karunakaran from Ramanathapuram, is now quite a celebrity among the doctors and nurses at Apollo Hospitals since he has survived a severe organ burn, where in the iron rod burned the outer part of his wind pipe and the food pipe puncturing his lung and affecting his thoracic duct that brings the khyle fluid to the heart for its proper functioning”. Dr.Sunder, explained “It was an extremely complicated grafting done with the help of endoscopy in which the inner part of the food and the wind pipe were found to be intact where as the outer part of the both suffered burns, we further proceed with the actual surgery where all his cooked up tissues were transferred with a fresh ones. Sustaining a life threatening injury with a red-hot-iron rod shows the patient’s remarkable courage”. It is a known fact that burn victims with 50 percent of external burns have low survival rate. The patient had a part of his lungs and other organs burned this could have led to dysfunction of organs too. Hence this unbeaten surgery was to ensure his recovery.

Four-yr-old Isha, who was diagnosed with thalassaemia major, underwent stem cell transplant surgery at Apollo Hospitals Ahmedabad. Doctors told the parents, Mansukh Gohel & Kanchan that she will have to undergo regular blood transfusions to stay alive. The couple was disheartened but instead of crying about the situation, decided to fight for their daughter’s better life. Mansukh and Kanchan had brought Isha to Apollo Hospital in Ahmedabad, seeking a new lease of life for their daughter who had had been receiving blood transfusions since she was 18 months old. Dr Chirag Shah, who consulted the case, advised a stem cell transplant surgery, the only curative option for thalassaemia major. “”After diagnosing Isha, we found that the four-year-old was a Class 3 thalassaemia major case, which was a major challenge for us. Such patients are not usually advised to undergo this surgery,”” said Dr Shah. The first step to Isha’s treatment was to reduce her iron overload which required extensive iron chelation medicines and regular follow-ups. In January, a minor operation was performed to remove her spleen. A small biopsy from her liver showed very high levels of iron deposition (4+ which is the highest level). There were signs of liver damage, too. In February, she was put on a special protocol of medicines to reduce her risk of being Class 3, which went on for over a month. She underwent the surgery in April. The donor was her brother Pratik who is now two and a half years old. Soon the couple, who faced financial difficulties during Isha’s treatments, got the news that her stem cell transplant had succeeded. “”Isha was given special medicines to clear her old blood-producing stem cells. Transplant was then performed, wherein Pratik’s stem cells, collected from his bone marrow, were transplanted in her,”” said Dr Shah. Isha is now on the road to recovery and would be transfusion-free forever in a couple of months, assured Dr Shah.

S N Bhatt, a 93 year old man from Bhilai came to Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, Delhi with a 10 year history of progressive knee pain and deformity in both the legs. A multidisciplinary team of Dr. Raju Vaishya, Senior Consultant, Orthopedics at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals carried out a successful Bilateral Total Knee Arthroplasty in a single sitting. Mr. Bhatt who is a retired college principal and has always led an active life. Apart from having keen interest in horses, he was an avid hockey player and had played with the legendary, Dhyanchand. He came to the Hospital in April 2010 and was diagnosed with severe arthritis of both the knees and has been unable to walk for the last 10 years. He had been confined to using a wheel chair to ambulate for the past one year. The surgery performed is one of its kinds as Mr. Bhatt is the one of the oldest men in India to have undergone this procedure. It proves the point that in some selected and determined patients with good medical condition, it is possible to replace both the knees in single stage even at the age of 93. Usually, patients of such an old age are not recommended to undergo this surgery because of the complications involved. Owing to Mr. Bhatt’s good medical condition, the doctor decided to go ahead with the operation. “On evaluation and pre assessment it was found that due to extreme deformity in both knees caused by arthritis, the patient was unable to walk. The only option available was a total knee replacement surgery which is not suggested to patients over 90 years and is very rarely performed. Apart from controlled hypertension, he did not have any other co-morbid problems. So we decided to perform a single staged bilateral total knee replacement surgery post discussions with the patient and his son,” said Dr. Raju Vaishya, Senior Consultant, Orthopedics, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals. “While operating, we found bone defects in the tibia. These were corrected through bone grafting,” added Dr Vaishya. Mr. Bhatt underwent a 3 hour surgery on 14th April 2011 under spinal/epidural anesthesia. At surgery, huge bone defects in the tibia were found which also required bone grafting. Bilateral Total knee replacement, or total knee arthroplasty, is a surgical procedure in which parts of the knee joint are replaced with artificial parts (prostheses).”The patient started walking after 4 days of surgery and his knee deformities have been fully corrected. His post-surgical period and the surgery went successfully,” said Dr. Raju Vaishya. Mr. Bhatt feels that these new pair of knees have given him a new lease of life and with his positive frame of mind, he feels that it would be possible for him to lead his life comfortably without any pain and disability.

The highly-skilled medical teams at Apollo Hospitals, frontrunners in harnessing the symbiosis of technology and medical advancements have now successfully performed the World’s 1st iPod Navigation Hip Resurfacing Surgery at Apollo Speciality Hospitals, Chennai. They were also the third in the world to perform a Knee Replacement Surgery using the iPod Navigation technique. On the 19 April 2011, Mr. Guy Williams, a basketball coach from the United States and Mrs. Niranjana Shah, a housewife from Chennai underwent a hip resurfacing surgery and knee replacement surgery respectively at Apollo Specialty Hospitals, Chennai. The common factor in both these surgeries was that an iPod was used to “navigate” the surgeries thereby increasing the surgical accuracy. Commenting on the occasion Dr. Vijay C. Bose, Senior Consultant Orthopedic Surgeon, Apollo Speciality Hospital, who had performed these Joint Reconstructive Surgeries at Apollo Specialty Hospitals said “iPod navigation for Joint Reconstructive Surgeries marks a unique technological milestone for Apollo Speciality Hospitals, and also an era of universally applicable precision surgery for hip and knee replacements.” Dr. Vijay C. Bose added, “The iPod navigation developed in collaboration with Smith & Nephew Inc, promises to be a ground breaking change in the way joint replacements navigation will be done in the future.” The Ipod navigation in contrast to earlier standard navigation systems represents significant miniaturization, affordability and ease of use. The traditional systems had bulky towers stationed in the operating room which received the signals from the surgical instruments and processed the information before displaying a ‘navigation map’ for the Surgeon on a Flat screen panel mounted on the tower. The size of the machinery and distance from the operating table made it uncomfortable for the Surgeon to use it on a routine basis. The iPod navigation viewed on the iPod screen is in the hands of the Surgeon and is directly over the surgical wound. Thus it offers a more intimate interaction with the local bone and soft tissues that being navigated, increasing the accuracy. This is a prime example of technological innovations in mass market gadgets benefiting medical science. With this pathbreaking medical milestone, Apollo Speciality Hospitals has ushered in the next generation of navigated joint replacements for the hip and knee.

The Plastic & Reconstruction Surgical team at Apollo Specialty Hospitals, Chennai has added another milestone to Apollo Hospitals by successfully conducting exultant Micro vascular free tissue transfer and Aesthetic surgeries on more than 1000 patients by the end of March 2011. Earlier in the nineties there would be only 2 to 3 cases in a year for this surgery but presently Apollo Specialty Hospital deals with more than 125 micro vascular tissue transfer surgeries (also called flaps) every year. The success rate of this surgery at Apollo Specialty Hospitals is currently around 96 to 97 %, on par with the best centers across the globe. Dr. Shivram, Senior Consultant – Plastic & Reconstruction Surgery explained, “Micro vascular free tissue transfer enables reconstruction of major defects in the patient’s body that were irreparable earlier, as well as markedly improving function of that particular area. The surgery is performed by filling up the defected part with healthy autologous flap tissue harvested from any appropriate part of the patient’s body.” Flap surgery involves transferring tissue from the immediate vicinity of the primary defect (local flaps) or from distant sites (distant flaps). Distant tissue transfer involves transplanting donor tissue from one part of the body to another. Micro vascular free tissue transfer surgery is used for reconstruction of large tumors of the Head & Neck region, particularly the oral cavity. The advent of Micro vascular surgery has dramatically increased the scope and breadth of treatment options for patients who were previously considered non treatable, thus making a difference to people who had given up hope.

Veer Patel‘s family members were shattered when they came to know the cost of his treatment. There was no way a farmer from Dabhoi who reared his joint family of 10 members on rotating crop of maize and lentil could shell out Rs 10 to 12 lakh for a stem cell transplant for his son diagnosed with thalassemia major. The family waited for a year, mulling how to arrange the finances. Finally, the hospital and doctors came to his rescue and offered the entire allogenic stem cell transplant surgery for free. The transplant was done last month and Veer is now on the road to permanent recovery from the disease which otherwise has high a mortality rate. “Veer has been getting blood transfusions since he was nine-months old. Stem cell transplant is the only permanent solution. Veer belongs to a family of farmers with extremely moderate means and we decided to give him a chance at life. Neither the hospital, nor the doctors charged a single paisa. It feels good to see Veer permanently cured of the disease,” said hematologist at Apollo Hospital Dr. Chirag Shah. He added that Apollo Hospital too waived off all the expenses despite the fact that the procedure required him to be under strict medical vigilance for over one and half months. Thalassemia major is a condition which requires lifelong blood transfusion and most children die by the age of 15 to 20 years due to complications of iron overload. Veer received about 20 units blood transfusion and iron chelation therapy. Allogenic stem cell transplant was carried out where bone marrow from Veer’s 15-year-old elder sister was taken as a source of stem cells. The child was given special medicines to clear off his old blood-making stem cells. The transplant was then performed on March 2 where his sister’s healthy stem cells were given. “Veer will need to come for regular follow up and he will be transfusion free forever. He will need to take some medicines for few months to prevent any complications from transplanted stem cells. Thereafter, he will not need any medicine,” said Dr Shah. Veer‘s father Chandrakant Patel said that they have 10 members in the family. “We could have managed Rs 2 to 3 lakh by mortgaging some property. But, the decision of hospital and doctors to do the procedure gratis has saved my son from the disease,” he said.

Hosted by the Apollo Hospitals Group along with a consortium of Healthcare IT Companies, the Second Conference on Transforming Healthcare with IT was inaugurated on April 22nd, 2011 at HICC, Hyderabad, by Ms Preetha Reddy, MD, Apollo Hospitals Group. The conference witnessed a series of comprehensive discussions and panels to review the adoption of Healthcare Information Technology and industry best practices for enhanced operational efficiencies and patient care. The 2nd day of the Patient Safety Congress saw plenary discussions merging of IT with Healthcare to ensure better Patient Care. Highlights of the day: Inauguration of 2nd Conference on Transforming Healthcare with IT Launch of the Patient Safety Course Global View on Patient Safety by McKinsey, JCI and Davita Inc. Dr Prathap C Reddy Patient Safety Awards Role of ICT in Healthcare   At the conference Dr Prathap C Reddy presented the Patient Safety Awards to colleges and hospitals across India, the chief guest at the awards ceremony Hon’ble Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Shri Kiran Kumar Reddy appreciated the efforts of Apollo Hospitals in bridging synergies between caregivers, organisations and patients. Commenting on the two International conferences, Dr Prathap C Reddy, Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group said, “”To ensure Patient Safety, we need to realise that it is a global responsibility which needs to be cultivated within every healthcare system. Across the globe, healthcare providers and policy makers are grappling with a deep and diverse set of challenges to provide world-class healthcare delivery. Transforming healthcare will require much effort and a willingness to experiment with options. Active engagement, collaboration, and innovation will help to lead and shape this transformation. Optimum healthcare calls for a more collaborative, innovative, and technologically focused healthcare system.”” Across the globe, healthcare providers and policy makers are grappling with a deep and diverse set of challenges to provide world-class healthcare delivery. Healthcare delivery is a complex business and requires extremely close engagement amongst all stakeholders within the ecosystem. “”The realm of patient care is evolving every day and Healthcare IT has become a critical driver of this change. It represents an opportunity to not only improve quality and reduce cost but also enhance access, speed and scale,”” said Ms Sangita Reddy, Executive Director, Operations, Apollo Hospitals Group. “”This conference will help us bring along a wealth of knowledge from across the world onto a single platform””. T.Ramasami, Secretary, Department of Science & Technology, Government of India focussed on the role of healthcare, research and development as a national perspective. “”There has been shifting trends in healthcare and our challenge is to bridge technology and medical science into a single window. With the advancement in technology, we have seen global practices reach India in almost real time, making India a hub of medical tourism. Our effort today is to build synergy between research & development, technology & healthcare to address the need of human healthcare system,”” he emphasized. To ensure patient safety, we need to ensure that we do safety rounds at regular intervals; have a safe physical facility, medical and other equipments and people must be effectively managed. Management must strive to reduce adverse events, prevent accidents and maintain safe conditions. “”Patients can ensure a safer experience with the health care system by being involved and informed about their treatment. By asking questions and following through on their clinician’s treatment and instructions, patients can take part in the process and gain confidence in the system. Improving patient safety requires continuous learning and the constant communication of information between caregivers, organizations, and patients,”” said Ms Shobana Kamineni, ED – New Initiatives, Apollo Hospitals Group. The event brought together eminent policy-makers, healthcare providers and technologists from across the globe, combining the synergies of healthcare IT to bring about a more ‘Connected Healthcare Ecosystem’. Delegates at the event looked at the evolution of healthcare from a macro perspective: healthcare delivery can be improved with the use of information technology.