Surgery: Archives

Cancer November 10, 2020

All You Need To Know About Types Of Cancer Treatment

Treatment of cancer involves the use of either surgical removal or the use of radiation, medicines, and multiple other modalities for curing cancer. Currently, multiple types of cancer treatment are available. The selection of a treatment regimen for cancer depends on each patient’s medical condition, his/her cancer type, involving organs or the extent of cancer spread. A cancer patient may be prescribed either a single treatment option or a combination of multiple treatment options.

The goal of cancer treatment

Achieving a total or maximum possible cure for your cancer is the ultimate goal of cancer treatment, which may allow a cancer patient to lead a normal life. A complete cure and normal lifespan might not be possible in every patient post-treatment, but it may enable the treating doctors to reduce the size of the patient’s cancer tumor or delay the growth of cancer so that the patient may lead a symptom-free life for the maximum possible period after treatment.

Forms of cancer treatment

Treatment in cancer may be in two chief forms

Primary Treatment

The goal of a primary form of treatment is to entirely remove cancer from your body or kill all the existing cells of cancer in your body. Any treatment type in cancer can work as a primary mode of cancer treatment, but surgery is the most frequently recommended primary mode of treatment in most patients. Your doctor may also recommend radiation or drug therapy as primary treatment if you are particularly sensitive to these treatment regimens.

Adjuvant Treatment

Adjuvant treatment’s goal is to kill any existing cancer cells, which are surviving post-primary treatment. Adjuvant treatment in cancer reduces the chance of cancer recurrence. Same as primary treatment, any cancer treatment can work as adjuvant treatment. However, most frequent adjuvant therapies include drug or chemotherapy, radiation and hormonal therapy.

Neoadjuvant Treatment

This treatment type is similar to the adjuvant type but its goal is different from the adjuvant treatment. Neoadjuvant treatment is used to make the primary treatment easier or raise its effectiveness and is used before primary treatments.

Palliative Treatment

It is used in treating cancer at progressive stages. It does not treat cancer but eases the discomfort or associated adverse effects of cancer treatment.

Types of Cancer Treatment

Multiple treatments are currently available for treating cancer. However, selecting a particular treatment type for each patient depends on the individual patient’s cancer type and stage, his/her overall health and also his/her preferred treatment type. You and your doctor together can decide which treatment is best suited for you based on the merits and demerits of each treatment.

Options to treat cancer include:

Surgery

The goal of cancer surgery is the removal of the entire or maximum possible cancerous tumor from the patient’s body.

Chemotherapy

It involves the usage of drugs to kill cancer cells in the patient’s body.

Radiation Therapy

This method utilizes uses high-intensity beams of light energy for killing cancer cells. The radiation source may be placed outside your body or may even be inserted in the patient’s body.

Bone Marrow Transplant

Bone marrow is the material present inside the bones of each human that produces blood cells. A bone marrow transplant can utilize the patient’s cells of bone marrow or from a healthy donor, mostly a family member. This method enables the doctor to use a higher chemotherapy dose to kill cancer cells or replaces the cancerous bone marrow.

Immunotherapy

This therapy boosts the immune system of the patient’s body to fight and kill the cancer cells by enabling it to recognize the cancer cells present in the body.

Hormonal Therapy

It is used to treat some hormone-related cancers such as breast cancer. This therapy involves the removal of these hormones or blocking their effects in the body, stopping the growth of cancer cells.

Targeted Drug Therapy

This therapy concentrates on particular defects within cancer cells that enable the survival of the cancer cells.

Cryotherapy

It uses extremely low temperature to kill cancer cells. During cryoablation, a thin, wandlike needle (cryoprobe) is inserted through your skin and directly into the cancerous tumor. Gas is pumped into the cryoprobe to freeze the tissue. Then the tissue is allowed to thaw. The freezing and thawing process is repeated several times during the same treatment session to kill the cancer cells.

Radiofrequency Ablation

This treatment involves the use of electrical energy to raise the temperature of cancer cells, leading to their death.

While there are multiple treatment options available to treat cancer, it is advisable to consult a surgeon to prescribe the best treatment for your case as the line of treatment will always depend on the types and severity of the disease.

Hernia September 25, 2020

Hernia Mesh: All your queries answered!

Hernias do not heal on their own. Though they can remain asymptomatic for a long time and cause no trouble, they also have high possibilities of getting worse with time. Usually surgical repair is recommended for treating hernias but your doctor may prescribe OTC (Over-the-Counter) antacid medicines at times to reduce the risk of your hernia or may ask you to wear a supporting truss. The hernia has a high rate of recurrence, and surgeons often use surgical mesh to strengthen the repair and reduce the rate of recurrence. The use of surgical mesh may also improve patient outcomes through decreased operative time and minimized recovery time. Now let’s understand more about Hernia mesh.

What is hernia mesh?

A hernia mesh is a surgical device used to provide added backing to damaged or impaired tissue due to hernia till it gets healed. It is placed through the area around the hernia, attaching it with stitches, staples or glue. Mesh’s pores let tissue to grow into the device.

How a hernia mesh works?

A hernia surgical mesh functions as an elastic scaffold for hernia repair. It reinforces walls of muscles and prevents organs from protruding through them.

Types of Hernia mesh

Most of contemporarily existing hernia mesh devices are composed of synthetic materials or tissues of animals. Surgical mesh manufactured from synthetic materials is available in knitted or non-knitted variants. The synthetic hernia meshes are made of absorbable, non-absorbable or a combination of these materials. Animal-derived meshes are made of processed and disinfected intestine or skin of pigs or cows, which are absorbable, suited for application as an implanted device.

Is Hernia mesh safe?

Hernia repair using mesh is currently one of the most regularly accomplished surgeries in general surgery. The use of mesh is recognized to reduce recurrence rates of hernia. As per evidence, non-mesh repair of hernias are associated with a higher recurrence rate at 1 year when compared to mesh repair.

Currently, chronic pain following hernia surgery is the most concerning post-operative complication with recurrence rates decreasing than ever before by using surgical hernia mesh.

Hence, the focus in hernia surgery is now shifted in defining, assessing and identifying risk factors relating to chronic pain. Chronic pain hernia surgery is a vital problem for a considerable number of patients. Some identified risk factors for post-operative pain include younger age, female gender, hernia recurrence, operative complications, and elevated pain levels in the immediate post-operative period. However, recent evidence confirms the safety and effectiveness of mesh utilization in hernia surgery. The recent evidence demonstrates that hernia repair with mesh is not linked to an intolerable level of severe chronic pain. Complication rates are low for hernia repair surgery and in majority of cases, not related to the mesh itself. It is shown that pain scores normally improve post 1 year of hernia repair.

How long does Hernia mesh last?

Non-absorbable mesh stay in the body forever and is termed as an everlasting implant. It is used to provide long-lasting support to the repaired hernia. On the contrary, absorbable mesh gets degraded eventually, losing its strength over time depending on its composition. It is not meant to provide lasting support to the repair site. As the absorbable mesh material degrades, new tissue growth is meant to give power to the repair.

If you are unsure about the specific which mesh to go with, mesh manufacturer and brand used in your surgery and have questions about your hernia repair, contact your surgeon or the facility where your surgery was performed to obtain the information from your medical record.

Knee Replacement September 25, 2020

Arthritis: Available Treatment options to cure Chronic Knee Pain

The Knee and its Structure

The knee is human body’s largest joint and its healthy maintenance is required to perform most of everyday activities, easily. The knee is made up of the lower end of the thighbone which is called the femur, the upper end of the shinbone which is called the tibia, and the kneecap which is called the patella. The ends of these three bones where they meet are covered with a smooth substance that protects the bones and enables them to move easily (articular cartilage). The C-shaped wedges located between the femur and tibia are menisci. These act as “shock absorbers” that cushion the joint. Large ligaments hold the femur and tibia together to provide stability, the long thigh muscles provide strength to the knee. Large ligaments hold the femur and tibia together and provide stability whereas, the long thigh muscles provide strength to the knee. All remaining surfaces of the knee are covered by a thin lining called the synovial membrane. This membrane releases a fluid that lubricates the cartilage, reducing friction to nearly zero in a healthy knee. Normally, all of these components work in harmony. But disease or injury can disrupt this harmony which results in pain, muscle weakness, and reduced function.

What is Arthritis and different types of arthritis?

The most common disease responsible for disrupting the harmony and causing chronic knee pain and disability is arthritis. Swelling and tenderness in any of the joints of our body, including the knees is referred as arthritis.

Although there are many types of arthritis, mostly knee pain is caused by just three types: osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and post-traumatic arthritis.

Osteoarthritis is an age-related type of arthritis. It occurs in people 50 years of age and older but may occur in younger people, too. In this type of arthritis, the cartilage that cushions the bones of the knee softens and wears away. The bones then rub against one another, causing knee pain and stiffness.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease in which the synovial membrane that surrounds the joint becomes inflamed and thickened. This chronic inflammation can damage the cartilage and eventually cause cartilage loss, pain, and stiffness. Rheumatoid arthritis is the most common form of a group of disorders termed “inflammatory arthritis.”

Post-traumatic arthritis is a type of arthritis that can follow a serious knee injury. Fractures of the bones surrounding the knee or tears of the knee ligaments may damage the articular cartilage over time, leading to knee pain and limiting knee function.

Treatment of Arthritis

Treatment of arthritis concentrates on providing relief from symptoms and improving function of the joint/knee. You may need to try multiple treatments or combine several treatments from the following to help you in getting relief from your arthritis.

Lose some weight (in case of overweight or obese patients)

Exercise: Muscle strengthening around the knees through exercise restores stability of the knee joint and reduces pain. Stretching of muscles through exercise aids in maintaining the mobility and flexibility of the knee joint

Pain-killers: These include over-the-counter paracetamol, naproxen, diclofenac, etc. However, these should not be continued for more than 10 days without your doctor’s consultation.
Corticosteroid or hyaluronic acid injections directly in the knee: Corticosteroids act as powerful anti-inflammatory agents whereas hyaluronic acid is a kind of lubricant in the knee.
Alternative therapies such as topical counter-irritant creams containing capsaicin, acupuncture therapy or supplementation with glucosamine and others can sometimes help to improve arthritis symptoms.
Physical or Occupational Therapy can also aid in teaching you ways of performing routine activity through exercises or alternate ways of performing routine work.

Using braces: Devices such as braces can either transfer the weight from the sides of the knee affected by arthritis or even support the entire knee.
Surgery: When every treatment from the above options fail to provide relief from arthritis of the knee, your doctor can recommend surgical options such as arthroscopy (removing the debris in the joint through a tiny telescope and other small equipments), osteotomy (altering the alignment of the knee by changing the knee’s shape) or total knee replacement (where the natural worn out knee joint is replaced by an artificial knee joint made of metals or plastic).

Usually, the treatment of arthritis is dependent on the specific type of arthritis present. But, sometimes the patients may need to try several different treatments, or combination of treatments before they determine what works best for them. However, in most cases, an exact diagnosis increases the chances for successful treatment of arthritis. After undergoing treatment, the doctor may recommend some physical therapy to help the patient regain strength in the knee and to restore range of motion making it possible to perform daily activities more effortlessly.

Heart Attack September 24, 2020

Cardiovascular Disease (CVD): Facts, Causes & Treatment

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) also called Heart diseases are a group of disorders of the heart and blood vessels. The numerous problems causing most of the CVD is atherosclerosis (blockages in coronary arteries), a process mainly governed by lifestyle factors. As per World Health Organization, It is estimated that 17.7 million people died from CVDs in 2015, representing 31% of all deaths taking place worldwide; more people die every year from CVDs than from any other cause. Cardiovascular diseases are showing an increase among the Indian population. CVDs form a significant share of 24% from the 53% of all the deaths attributed to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in India, as per the nation-wise statistical estimate of the WHO on NCDs.

In older men, nearly all heart attacks are caused by atherosclerotic blockages in coronary arteries. Classical coronary artery disease (CAD) is also dominant amongst young adults. Around 60% of these younger adults are affected by CAD in a single coronary vessel, whereas the older adult patients are more prone to get affected by CVD in multiple arteries. The rate of coronary heart disease in young Indian men is almost twice as high as that in their western counterparts and there is evidence that Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) affect Indians at least 10 years earlier as compared to their counterparts in Europe. CVD stays the number-one danger to the health of women. There is a strong gender difference in CV-related death, with more affected women dying each year as compared to the affected men. The lifetime risk of a woman dying from heart disease is eight times more than that of breast cancer. Also, People with diabetes, particularly type 2 diabetes, may have the following conditions like Hypertension, cholesterol, poor sugar levels etc. that contribute to their risk for developing cardiovascular disease.

Listen to Dr. Nimit Shah as he takes the time to explain the various causes of heart attacks in the country and the different treatments available for the same.

Listen to Dr. Nimit Shah, Interventional Cardiologist in the UK, Dr. Nimit Shah talks about the various risks and benefits of angioplasty, the different kinds of angioplasty procedures, and the different kinds of drug stents available in the country for the same.

Read more about Meril’s state of the art Drug Eluting Stent Evermine50 here: https://bit.ly/331QdkF

Piles August 29, 2020

Six Simple ways you can prevent Piles

Piles mostly occur due to certain factors such as chronic constipation, chronic diarrhoea, lifting heavy weights, pregnancy, and straining while passing a stool. However, your lifestyle plays a significant role too – what you consume in a day or how regular you are at exercising. Studies suggest that due to the desk-bound urban lifestyle, many people are at an increased risk of getting piles. Thus, making certain changes to your day to day life may help you avoid conditions such as piles. The habits include consuming a high fibre diet, avoiding smoking and drinking, practicing good bowel movements and so forth.

Haemorrhoids may not be the best of the topics to discuss but one in every few individuals suffer from them. Persistent irritation, bleeding, and unavoidable pain are just a few symptoms which can become severe after a certain point of time. Fortunately, there are numerous precautions to prevent piles from interfering with your daily life.

Fibre Rich Diet: One of the easiest ways for a regular bowel movement is to increase fibre intake in your diet. Filling up on fibre and avoiding foods such as fast foods, meat, frozen foods etc. helps people with infrequent bowel movement and chronic constipation. Piles prevention food items such as whole grains, legumes, vegetables, and fruits are loaded with fibre, thus making stools softer and easier to pass and can help prevent hemorrhoids. Patients with a high risk of hemorrhoids should choose high fibre breakfast cereals. Additionally, high fibre supplements are also available for these at-risk people.

Drink plenty of water: The best way to prevent piles is to consume foods and liquids that make your stools soft so they can pass easily. Drinking eight to ten glasses of water and other liquids may help you with that. This is a non-invasive and simple strategy to prevent them as it is a condition that is mostly linked to dehydration. Drinking sufficient water every day does not just help you with piles but benefits your body entirely.

Regular Exercises: Regular exercising helps in bowel movements, improving circulation, and strengthen muscles in the pelvic area and lower back, thus preventing piles. However, if you already have a history of piles, you may want to steer clear of heavy weight lifting and other strenuous exercises. You can opt for light exercises such as yoga or regular jogging/walking.

Don’t make laxatives your friend: Avoid frequent use of laxatives (stool softeners) as they can cause a rise in pressure during bowel movements, thus leading to piles. The overuse of laxatives can lead to dehydration and mineral deficiencies. They can also cause long-term damage to the digestive system.
Don’t hold back: No matter how busy you are or what situation you are in when you have to go, go. Don’t try to suppress your urge to empty your bowels as it is one of the simplest ways to prevent hemorrhoids. If you feel you have to pass your stools, immediately do so as holding your urge for a prolonged period may later cause straining during bowel movements.
Avoid straining: Straining isone of the most common causes of painful and bleeding piles. Don’t excessively strain and put extra pressure during bowel movements as it may be harmful for you. Other reasons for straining could be pregnancy, chronic cough, and lifting heavy objects.

The above mentioned points may help prevent piles but they cannot cure them. If you think that you have the same symptoms as that of piles, then consulting your doctor must be your first step. Avoid exacerbating your signs with these steps. Consult your doctor if you’re experiencing severe pain, light or heavy bleeding after passing stools and if the patient is a child below 12 years of age.