Wockhardt Hospitals helps Chandrakant Kothere walk tall again

Chandrakanth Kothere with Dr Sachin Bhonsle

Mrs Shobha Kothere and Chandrakanth Kothere

After years of bowing down to fate, Wockhardt Hospitals helped Chandrakant Kothere walk tall again .Proving its medical one-upmanship yet again Wockhardt Hospitals performed a complicated bone deformity correction with limb lengthening surgery on 42 year old Chandrakant Kothere who was living a crippled live after a traumatic accident three years back. The Orthopedic team at Wockhardt Hospitals,Mumbai led by Dr. Sachin Bhonsle has finally made Chandrakant’s dream come true relieving him of his three year long trauma and help him walk again.

Chandrakant Kothere was 39 years old when he suffered multiple compound fractures on his right tibia, extensive soft tissue damage and skin loss following a road accident. He was advised immediate amputation of his leg in a city hospital where he had undergone initial treatment. Since he was determined not to compromise his life at such an young age, this Hindustan Petroleum employee chose to get the fractures of the leg stabilized.

The doctors in the city hospital went ahead to treat him with stabilization of the bones and subsequent plastic surgery procedures to provide a skin cover. But in a few months following the treatment, the condition worsened as the site of infection on the leg had not healed. The fracture on the leg remained un-united. Unable to bear his body weight, the broken leg bowed in disproportion and he became shortened by almost three inches on one side. The writhing pain was only worsening with time, it was almost impossible for him to walk without a pronounced limp. Having exhausted other avenues, the patient visited Wockhardt Hospital for a consultation in January this year.

According to Dr. Sachin Bhonsle, Consultant Joint Replacement and Orthopaedic Surgeon Wockhardt Hospitals, who treated Chandrakant said “Since the earlier surgery had failed the chances of failure of corrective procedures, was increased by 20 percent. So, ascertaining the nature of injuries and the inherent risk factors that would be involved in the treatment, we were confronted with three challenges

• The three year old fractures had to be healed,
• The leg had to be straightened out, and
• The leg length had to be matched to prevent the patient from limping.

All this had to be done without disturbing the microvascular skin graft in position. “And if, by chance, the corrective surgeries also failed then amputation would have been the last option. It actually took us some time to think over the treatment plan and make up our mind to go ahead,” recalls Dr. Bhonsle.

The surgery was performed in two stages. The first stage was to clear all the infected and un-united bone at fracture site; align the leg and fix the bone fragments using a ring shaped Ilizarov External Fixator. A further cut was made in the top bone fragment so that the middle bone segment could be moved to take up the left over defect to correct the leg length.

In three months following the first surgery, the middle bone segment was moved downwards -- 1mm a day to achieve complete continuity. At this stage the second surgery was performed to slip a special titanium plate from under the skin to fix all three bone fragments together to achieve a solid union. Bone grafting was done at this stage. It took further two months for these bones to heal fully and the patient finally got a straight leg with normal leg length.

“Last three years has been quite painful as I had to lead a crippled life and was under huge trauma and fear of amputation of my affected limb. Due to my condition I was unable to resume work and it became a huge liability on my family. For a last opinion I decided to visit Wockhardt Hospitals where I consulted Dr. Sachin Bhonsle and that’s when I had a ray of hope to stand back on my feet. My utmost gratitude to Dr. Bhonsle and the team at Wockhardt Hospitals for whom I am able to stand in front of you all and have a motivation to lead a healthy life ahead”, said Mr. Chandrakant Kothere.

About Wockhardt Hospitals Bone & Joint Centre:

The Wockhardt Bone and Joint Care is equipped to treat all types of musculo-skeletal problems ranging from Trauma Surgery to Minimally Invasive Arthroscopy Surgery. The hospital also specilalises in surgery for joint replacements, sports medicine, ligament repair, knee surgery, spine surgery and physical therapy for rehabilitation. Procedures performed at Wockhardt Hospitals Bone & Joint Centres are

• Arthroscopic surgery: Key hole surgery for disorders of knee and shoulder
• Minimal Access Spine surgery
• Hip Resurfacing
• Paediatric Bone & Joint Surgeries
• Fracture Treatment
• Sports Medicine
• Speciality Clinic for Arthritis
• Trauma & Pain Management
• Osteoporosis
• Lifestyle Modification Programme (Rehabilitation)
• Patient Education Programme
• Total Knee Replacement
• Unicondylar Knee Replacement
• Total Hip Replacement
• Hip Resurfacing / Surface Replacement Arthroplasty
• Shoulder Replacement
• Neck & Elbow Replacement

CME on Upper Limb Arthroscopy,Hip and Knee Replacement on 24th October

CME on Upper Limb Arthroscopic Surgery,Hip and Knee Replacement

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Date: October 24th ,2009
7.45 pm onwards

Venue

Hotel Atria

1,Palace Road

Followed by fellowship and Dinner

Call Farooq 98455 26242
Sunil: 9845526242

Portal HyperTension and Patient Selection

Portal Hypertension

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Portal hypertension is an increase in the blood pressure within a system of veins called the portal venous system. Normally, the veins come from the stomach, intestine, spleen and pancreas, merge into the portal vein, which then branches into smaller vessels and travels through the liver. If the vessels in the liver are blocked, it is hard for the blood to flow causing high pressure in the portal system.

Patients with portal hypertenson may undergo EGD to rule out esophageal varices, and perhaps correct them at the same time with banding or sclerotherapy. Acute or severe complications may be treated with intravenous octreotide or terlipressin (an antidiuretic hormone analogue) to decrease the portal pressure. Octreotide inhibits the release of vasodilator hormones such as glucagon, indirectly causing splanchnic vasoconstriction and decreased flow into the portal system.

Liver transplant is the most definitive treatment of portal hypertension and cirrhosis.

Management and Patient Selection for Liver Metastatis

Management Of Liver M E T A S T A S I S Patient Selection

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Wellness Tips For The Spine

For those of us who spends a large time at our workplace sitting on a chair and working on the computer tend to forget about our sitting position.How you sit on your desk affects the spine. A posture that keeps your spine in its position can prevent you from backaches and other spinal problems.

Adjust your chair at the proper height : Tall people tend to slump towards the desk and short people tend to slump forwards.. Keep your feet flat on the floor and keep your knee at a 90 degree angle.

Take frequent breaks and stretch yourself .Do not work more than 2 hours on your desk without taking a break.

Avoid leaning too much towards your desk. Keep your computer at the right angle so as to avoid straining forward or backward.

Good Posture:Sit with your back firmly supported on the back of the chair.The basis for good posture is maintaining a "neutral spine."

Having good posture eases a lot of stress on the spine and promotes a healthy spine. There are several ways to change your posture. One is by standing up straight and the other is by sitting up straight.

Rheumatoid Arthritis : No Longer a Diseases of the Old

If you are a young urban professional spending more than 10 hours of your working away at climbing up the corporate ladder and also fighting to keep your job, you should know that all time which you think you are spending to make your life more meaningful might have different repercussion to your health.

Today various Work-related upper limb pain is becoming more and more common in Indian cities,specially the metros and among IT professionals.

The problem may be ascribed to a number of reasons such as bad sitting posture and the viewing of the computer screen from various awkward angles, not taking enough breaks from work,sedentary lifestyles, not paying attention to view the computer at the right anglesf and incorrect head and neck posture leads to upper limb pain frequently.

It begins with pain in the hands and the neck, and there is a high prevalence of such complaints in the IT city.

"Arthritis has long been ignored, as people do not think it is life threatening," says rheumatologist Ramesh Jois from Wockhardt Hospitals,Bangalore

"It is very important for the doctor to be able to diagnose the disease firstly and, secondly, get it treated immediately," says Jois.

However newer research has given people suffering from arthritis hope.

"There is great chance of getting the disease within control if early intervention is sought . This can prevent permanent disabilities," says Jois.

However what is increasingly becoming more and more apparent that the younger people too are slowly falling prey to Arthritis.There is a myth that only old people suffer from the disease.

"Anybody can suffer from Arthtritis, from the middle-aged to the very young," says Jois. "Westernised lifestyle, obesity, change in lifestyle, not leading a physically active life, using the computer for most of the time , without using the correct posture all lead to different types of this disease including Arthritis.

Patient interest groups are being formed that will be endorsed by the medical fraternity. "Arthritis is a chronic disease and people are in this for the long term," he says. "It is more important to know what people think."

To contact our Arthritis Specialist email us at enquiries@wockhardthospitals.net

October 15th is Global Handwashing Day

An easy way to prevent infection :Hand washing is a simple habit that can help keep you healthy. Learn the benefits of good hand hygiene, when to wash your hands and how to clean them properly.

Hand washing is a simple habit, something most people do without thinking. Yet hand washing, when done properly, is one of the best ways to avoid getting sick. This simple habit requires only soap and warm water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer — a cleanser that doesn't require water. Do you know the benefits of good hand hygiene and when and how to wash your hands properly?

The annual observance was launched in 2008 as an initiative of the Global Public-Private Partnership for Handwashing with Soap. It is endorsed by a wide array of governments, international institutions, civil society organizations, non-governmental organizations, private companies and individuals.

Change in handwashing behavior is critical to meeting the Millennium Development Goal of reducing deaths among children under the age of five by two-thirds by 2015 worldwide.

The dangers of not washing your hands

Despite the proven health benefits of hand washing, many people don't practice this habit as often as they should.Throughout the day you accumulate germs on your hands from a variety of

sources, such as direct contact with people, contaminated surfaces, foods, even animals and animal waste. If you don't wash your hands frequently enough, you can infect yourself with these germs by touching your eyes, nose or mouth. And you can spread these germs to others by touching them orby touching surfaces that they also touch, such as doorknobs.

Infectious diseases that are commonly spread through hand-to-hand contact include the common cold, flu and several gastrointestinal disorders, such as infectious diarrhea. While most people will get over a cold, the flu can be much more serious. Some people with the flu, particularly older adults and people with chronic medical problems, can develop pneumonia. The

combination of the flu and pneumonia, in fact, is the eighth-leading cause of death among Americans.

Inadequate hand hygiene also contributes to food-related illnesses, such as salmonella and E. coli infection. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as many as 76 million Americans get a food-borne illness each year. Of these, about 5,000 die as a result of

their illness. Others experience the annoying signs and symptoms of nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

Proper Hand-Washing Techniques

Good hand-washing techniques include washing your hands with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Antimicrobial wipes or towelettes are just as effective as soap and water in cleaning your hands but aren't as good as alcohol-based sanitizers.

Antibacterial soaps have become increasingly popular in recent years. However, these soaps are no more effective at killing germs than is regular soap. Using antibacterial soaps may lead to the development of bacteria that are resistant to the products' antimicrobial agents — making it even harder to kill these germs in the future. In general, regular soap is fine. The combination of scrubbing your hands with soap — antibacterial or not — and rinsing them with water loosens and removes bacteria from your hands.

Right Techniques For washing your hands

• Follow these instructions for washing with soap and water:
• Wet your hands with warm, running water and apply liquid soap and lather well
• Rub your hands vigorously together for at least 15 seconds.
• Scrub all surfaces, including the backs of your hands, wrists, between your fingers and under your fingernails.
• Rinse well.
• Dry your hands with a clean or disposable towel.
• Use a towel to turn off the faucet.

Proper use of an alcohol-based hand sanitizer

• Alcohol-based hand sanitizers which don't require water are an excellent alternative to hand washing, particularly when soap and wateraren't available.

• They're actually more effective than soap and water in killing bacteria and viruses that cause disease.

• Commercially prepared hand sanitizers contain ingredients that help prevent skin dryness. Using these products can result in less skin dryness and irritation than hand washing.

• Not all hand sanitizers are created equal, though. Some "waterless" hand sanitizers don't contain alcohol. Use only the alcohol-based products. The CDC recommends choosing products that contain at least 60 percent alcohol.

• To use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer: Apply about 1/2 teaspoon of the product to the palm of your hand. Rub your hands together, covering all surfaces of your hands, until they're dry. Wet hands and apply approximately If your hands are visibly dirty, however, wash with soap and water, if available, rather than a sanitizer.

When should you wash your hands?

Although it's impossible to keep your bare hands germ-free, there are times when it's critical to wash your hands to limit the transfer of bacteria, viruses and other microbes.

• Always wash your hands after using the toilet
• After changing a diaper — wash the diaper-wearer's hands, too
• After touching animals or animal waste
• Before and after preparing food, especially before and immediately after
• handling raw meat, poultry or fish
• Before eating
• After blowing your nose
• After coughing or sneezing into your hands
• Before and after treating wounds or cuts
• Before and after touching a sick or injured person
• After handling garbage
• Before inserting or removing contact lenses
• When using public restrooms, such as those in airports, train stations, bus stations and restaurants

Hand Washing Instructions for Kids

You can help your children avoid getting sick by insisting that they wash their hands properly and frequently. To get kids into the habit, teach by example. Wash your hands with your children and supervise their hand washing.

Place hand-washing reminders at children's eye level, such as a chart by the bathroom sink for children to mark every time they wash their hands. Make sure the sink is low enough for children to use, or that it has a stool underneath so that children can reach it.

Older children and adolescents also can use alcohol-based hand sanitizers. Younger children can use them, too — with an adult's help. Just make sure the sanitizer has completely dried before your child touches anything. This will avoid ingestion of alcohol from hand-to-mouth contact. Store the container safely away after use.

Hand washing is especially important for children who attend child care. Children younger than 3 years in child care are at greater risk of respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases, which can easily spread to family members and others in the community.

To protect your child's health, be sure your child care provider promotes sound hygiene, including frequent hand washing or use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers. Ask whether the children are required to wash their hands several times a day — not just before meals. Note, too, whether diapering areas are cleaned after each use and whether eating and diapering areas are

well separated.

Hand washing doesn't take much time or effort, but it offers great rewards in terms of preventing illness. Adopting this simple habit can play a major role in protecting your health.

Using artificial "Cervical Disc" for degenerative disc diseases

Degenerative disc diseases can now be replaced with an artificial cervical disc. The biggest advantage of cervical artificial disc is the preservation of movement operated segment. The simple surgical intervention helps quicker healing and faster recovery time because of minimum hospital stay and faster return to work.

Till now, the most common treatment for patients with degenerative discs in the cervical spine was spinal fusion. In this procedure a surgeon removes the damaged disc then implants a bone graft and metal plate to fuse the vertebrae together. During artificial disc replacement surgery, the damaged disc is removed and replaced with an artificial disc, a stainless-steel device with a ball-in-trough design intended to allow for replication of normal motion.

The artificial cervical disc mimics the normal functions of healthy spinal disc for patients suffering from chronic and persistent neck pain which triggers and radiates right through the shoulders, arms and fingers can be relived with this safe and simple surgical treatment option, according to Dr Deshpande V Rajakumar, consultant, neurosurgeon, Wockhardt Hospital, Bangalore.

This is one of the biggest medical studies of its kind. Surgeons incorporating artificial cervical discs in their treatment regime recommend this procedure for young and active patients who suffer from chronic cervical discopathy symptoms and are uncomfortable to opt for surgical fusion of inter-vertebral discs. Experts are of the opinion that the advanced cervical artificial disc technology could well benefit surgery of the degenerative discs at any level of the neck - from C2/C3 to C7/T1, he added.

Operation of the cervical spine with the Artificial Disc Replacement procedure is performed with the patient lying on the back. A small incision is made on one side of the front of the neck to expose the disc between the vertebrae after pulling aside the surrounding fat and muscle tissues. The intervertebral disc and, in some cases, a portion of the bone around the nerve roots and/or spinal cord is removed to relieve the compressed neural structures to create additional space.

The cervical disc is then implanted in the space with the help of an appropriate surgical instrument.. The incision is closed and dressed. According to Dr Rajakumar, if a person is anticipating a cervical surgery, it is important to find out on being a potential candidate for a cervical artificial disc implant. Patients should also discuss the risks and limitations post surgery.

Patients with conditions like local infection, inflammation, pregnancy, morbid obesity, fever, mental illness, osteoporosis, and paediatrics are not advised for this procedure.

source:Pharmabiz.com

Medical Tourism in India: The Road Ahead

According to the Deloitte study, the number of Americans going abroad for treatment was set to double from 75,000 last year to 150,000 this year, before zooming to 600,000 next year. With a heart bypass costing up to US$80,000 (Dh293,840) in the US and as little as $10,000 in India, according to McKinsey, the economics are obvious.

Indian Corporate Hospitals has seen an significant increase of overseas patients in the last 3 to 4 years . Dr Ramakanta Panda, India’s most famous heart surgeon, who has operated on Indian Prime Minister , "Dr Manmohan Singh" operates on more than 400 International patients.

According to Dr Panda Of late there has been a surge in government ministers and senior businessmen, from Africa and the Middle East , out of four or five consultations about one is operated.

We probably do not do more than two or three American or European inpatients in a month,” Dr Panda estimates. “Health is something people are very scared to outsource. It’s very easy to outsource IT Services, but outsourcing life seems very dangerous.”

Sudarshan Mazumdar, the marketing director at Fortis Healthcare, India’s second-largest hospital chain, is similarly circumspect about the long anticipated surge in American and European patients.

“A lot of African countries or Middle East countries who used to look at London and the US are now looking more and more towards India. That’s going to keep on happening. What isn’t happening is Canada, Australia, US and Europe – that belt hasn’t happened at all.”

Estimates of the scale of medical outsourcing vary wildly. Within months of last year’s Deloitte study, a study by McKinsey, using a tighter definition, put the number of medical tourists worldwide at just 60,000 to 80,000 a year, a tenth of Deloitte’s estimate for the US alone. McKinsey estimated the US provided just 10 per cent of medical tourists.

The number of medical tourists coming to India is similarly uncertain. At the Association of Indian Chambers of Commerce’s medical tourism conference in January, a presentation from India’s Institute for Clinical Research said India had treated 300,000 medical tourists back in 2006.

Another study, citing McKinsey, said it had only received 150,000 as of last year. But seeing as Wockhardt Hospitals, the Indian hospital group that has most enthusiastically targeted medical tourism, only treated 3,500 foreign patients last year – of which about half came from the US and Europe – the McKinsey figure seems more likely.

Wockhardt expects the number of foreign patients to rise by 38 per cent this year. But that will still leave it a fraction of the company’s 55,000 to 60,000 domestic patients.

Vishal Bali, the chief executive of Wockhardt Hospitals, one of the few Indian hospital groups to push hard for international business, believes that the long awaited takeoff is finally here. “A lot of work had happened from 2004 to 2007, and that is beginning to show very positive results.”

What could make this happen is if large US companies and insurance companies incorporated a medical tourism option.

click here to read the entire report

Wellness Tip to keep your "Heart Working at " Workplace"

• Take the Stairs : Sure this is slower,but it gives your heart a great workout.

• Take a break:Find an excuse every hour to get up from your cubicle to stretch or walk around.

• Kick the Butt !! Completely : Use your time to take up a hobby or an interest. Find a friend who wishes to quit smoking too.
  

• Homemade Food : Pack Your Food from home and avoid eating out

• Sleep Well : About 6-7 hours sleep should be enough for you.

• Smile:Your physical health depends a lot on your emotional health. A smile is the biggest cardio workout.
  

World Arthritis Day: Symptoms and Treatments

Today is World Arthritis Day . Arthris Day is celebrated every year on 12th october.Arthritis can have significant physical and psychological repercussions that impact quality of life. Arthritis affects more women than men worldwide.

This year’s World Arthritis Day theme is ‘Let’s Work Together’ which considers the challenges of work, be it paid employment, voluntary work or work at home supporting a family, and embraces people with rheumatic diseases, healthcare professionals and employers.World Arthritis Day was first celebrated in 1996 by ARI (Arthritis Rheumatism International)

Approximately 30% of diseases of the joints have the potential of becoming serious life threatening systemic problems. This is especially so if the patient is a young or middle-aged woman.

Women of all ages bear a disproportionate burden of arthritis and its impacts compared to men and it is the most common and disabling chronic condition in Indian women. Women tend to have a lower age at onset than men. They also have greater levels of pain and disease-associated depression. Differences such as pain levels and functional status may stem from the inherent differences between the male and female musculoskeletal system. Given that woman is the "weaker vessel" concerning musculoskeletal size and strength and her baseline values are lower than men's, the same burden of a musculoskeletal disease may appear to be more harmful to a woman than to a man.

Other things which may increase the risk of getting arthritis or of worsening your existing arthritis include being overweight, chronic stress across joints, multiple microfractures in the related bone, major joint trauma, or other metabolic or inflammatory injuries. Because of the gender differences in arthritis incidence, hormones have long been suspected to have a role in disease origin and progression.

• Arthritis affects approx 37 million Americans (NIAMS)

• Prevalance Rate: approx 1 in 7 or 13.60% or 37 million people in USA

• Prevalance of Arthritis: An estimated 40 million people in the United States have arthritis or other rheumatic conditions. By the year 2020, this number is expected to reach 59 million.

• Rheumatic diseases are the leading cause of disability among adults age 65 and older ( data source )

Despite its cyclical nature, arthritis is a progressive condition. If the symptoms are not stopped or slowed down with early treatment, it can cause extensive joint damage and long term disability. Many women with arthritis have difficulty carrying out normal activities associated with daily living, including simple things like standing, dressing themselves, going to the bathroom and carrying out household chores, climbing stairs, sitting on floor.

Arthritis self-management programs also play an important role in helping women learn how to cope with the pain, as well as the other effects of the disease.

What is Arthritis?

Arthritis is a group of conditions involving damage to the joints of the body. There are different forms of arthritis and each has a different cause.

Types of Arthritis

The most common and primary form of arthritis is OSTEOARTHRITIS, also referred to as degenerative joint disease. Some of the other primary forms of arthritis are:

• Secondary Osteoarthritis
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Gout and pseudogout
• Ankylosing spondylitis
• Psoriatic Arthritic

1.) Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a chronic condition characterized by the breakdown of the joint’s cartilage. Cartilage is the part of the joint that cushions the ends of the bones and allows easy movement of joints. The breakdown of cartilage causes the bones to rub against each other, causing stiffness, pain and loss of movement in the joint.

2.) Rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is, mainly characterized by inflammation of the lining, or synovium, of the joints. It can lead to long-term joint damage, resulting in chronic pain, loss of function and disability.

3.) Gout and pseudogout

Gout and pseudogout are the 2 most common crystal-induced arthropathies. They are debilitating illnesses in which pain and joint inflammation are caused by the formation of crystals within the joint space.

4.) Ankylosing spondylitis

Ankylosing spondylitis is a form of chronic inflammation of the spine and other joints. Chronic inflammation in these areas causes pain and stiffness in and around the spine & joints.

Rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis are autoimmune diseases in which the body attacks itself. Gouty arthritis is caused by deposition of uric acid crystals in the joint, causing inflammation.

Symptoms

The primary and main symptom of arthritis is joint pain, which is associated with muscle spasms around the joint. The pain in the joint may be due to two reasons:

• Age-related degeneration of the joints, as seen in osteoarthritis
• Systemic inflammation of the joints, as seen in rheumatoid arthritis

Excessive movement of the joints causes aggravation of the pain. Patients experience severe pain classically in the early hours of the day, when they wake up and get out of bed, though it is not uncommon for patients to experience severe pain at night. Patients also feel pain when they get up after sitting at one place for a while.

Other symptoms of arthritis include restriction of movement, crepitus in the affected joint, deformities and also possible instability at the joint.

Patients with arthritis of the lower limb joints experience difficulty in walking, climbing stairs, sitting on Indian toilets, sitting cross-legged on floor, or getting up after sitting down for some time or swatting down to perform household activties. Patients with arthritis of the upper limb joints experience difficulty in using the affected hand for basic tasks like eating, combing their hair, and wearing/changing clothes.

For normal and routine activities, it is critical that our joints are mobile, stable, and pain-free. Arthritis is characterized by at least one of the three conditions not being met, making it difficult for the patient to perform their daily activities. The patient’s activities get even more limited if the arthritis is at one of the major joints of the lower limb – the hip or the knee. Patients suffering from advanced stages of arthritis experience stiff and extremely painful joints. An option advised for such patients today is joint replacement surgery, which can provide patients with absolutely PAINLESS, STABLE, and MOBILE joints.

Treatment for Arthritis
Arthritis treatment primarily is of two types:

• Non-surgical treatment
• Surgical treatment or joint replacement surgery

Non-surgical Treatment for Arthritis

The non-surgical treatment option for arthritis can be explored depending on the condition of the patient. There are a number of non-surgical options available for treating arthritis. These include:

• Lifestyle change
• Exercise & Weight Reduction
• Physiotherapy
• Use of support devices
• Medication

The physician may decide on which of these treatment options to use depending on the type of arthritis, and after discussions with the patient.

Lifestyle change

This includes weight reduction and moving away from activities that increase the knee pain like climbing stairs. The objective is to switch to a lifestyle that involves lesser stress to the knee and, therefore, lesser pain in that region.


Exercise

Patients can engage in exercising to treat their arthritis non-surgically. The exercises depend on the kind of arthritis the patient is suffering from, with the emphasis being on providing pain relief to the affected region.

Consulting a physiotherapist for using exercises to treat arthritis is important as he is qualified and best suited to prescribe exercises that increase the patient’s mobility and muscle strength.

Physical therapy

Physical therapy is a non-surgical option that is used a lot these days, and is a combination of therapeutic exercising and passive treatment. A common form used is providing passive treatment like ice packs or heat packs in combination with exercises to increase the mobility and flexibility of the affected body part and also strengthen the muscle.

Surgical Treatment of Arthritis

If the arthritis is severe and if the patient is experiencing extreme pain and discomfort, then physicians explore surgery as the next treatment option. Surgery is also suggested in cases where the non-surgical treatment is not having any positive impact or where its effect is gradually waning. Surgical treatment of arthritis involves primarily the replacement of the affected joint. Joint replacement surgery is effective in restoring mobility and taking out completely the pain factor, thereby enabling patients to live a normal and pain-free life. Today joint replacement surgery is absolutely safe in well equipped hospitals with experienced surgeons.

Wockhardt Hospitals Medical Breakthroughs :The 900 Miracle

For more medical Breakthroughs click here

Most hospitals wouldn’t operate on an infant who was only four months old and weighed 900grams. He was almost the size of a palm. His heart was just one-inch–long and had a one –centimetre fungal mass in the right chamber, which had infected his blood.

An open heart surgery was his only chance of survival, but was risky, considering his loss of weight. A risk that most hospitals were not willing to take. They wanted to wait till Jonathan gained more weight, which meant they needed more time. Time is what he did not have.

But the team at Wockhardt had belief. Belief in their skills and belief that they would save Jonathan's life. The six hour surgery was a success. Jonathan was reborn.

Two Day Old Girl Gets Second Lease Of Life

As the mother of a baby girl, born just six days ago, Airoli homemaker Sujata Rane (name changed on request) is expected to have many a query about how to breastfeed her and how make her burp. Instead, the 31-year-old asked a doctor, "Can we use cellphone near her?"

It has become foremost for Rane to learn how not to let any appliance, at home or outside, having a electro-magnetic field around it, interfere with the pacemaker fitted to the the baby's abdominal wall, and the batteries attached to it. The yet-to-be-named infant was born with a complete congenital heart block on September 25. The very next day, she had a pacemaker implant, which the attending doctors say, will help her lead a normal life.

A routine sonography in the seventh month of Rane's pregnancy showed an anomaly in the foetal heartbeat. "The baby's heartbeat was just 40," she said. She was told by the attending doctor that the baby might need a paceaker immediately after its birth.

"Ideally, a newborn baby's pulse rate should be 110. A low heart rate means less blood is going to the body. Over a period of time, the baby could develop congestive heart failure," said Dr Suresh Joshi, chief paediatric cardiac surgeon, Wockhardt Hospital, Mulund, who performed the two-hour surgery on the baby that cost the family about Rs2 lakh. Complete congenital heart block is a rare condition, affecting one in over one lakh newborns, he added.

"I was aware of the baby's heart condition. So, I chose to undergo an elective Caesarean at MGM Hospital, Vashi, in order to get the baby's heart attended to at the earliest," said Rane.

Dr Joshi said, "Unfortunately, very few seem to know that a simple sonography in the second trimester of pregnancy is the tool that can easily detect any such problem and enable parents to ensure that the baby gets timely help as soon as it is delivered."

Every month, Dr Joshi sees 30-odd children with heart problems -- 70% of them neonates. "About three years ago, I used to get about seven cases a month. Thankfully, the awareness is increasing," he said.

Courtesy: DNA