We are now Fortis Hospitals

Friday, March 19, 2010

Wockhardt Hospitals,Bangalore,Mulund,Kalyan,(Mumbai) Kolkata is now Fortis Hospitals. To continue reading our blog . Pls follow us a http://fortis-hospitals.blogspot.com

Women's Health Check up at Marathahali Clinic,Bangalore

Thursday, March 11, 2010






Fortis Hospitals,Bangalore, Marathahali Specialty Clinic, is launching a 10 day health check up exclusively for women for 12 days starting on 8th March, Women's day.

Details about Health check up camp from 8th march to 20th march

The Health Checkup details are CBC with ESR
  • Urine routine
  • TSH
  • BB and Rh Type
  • RBS
  • VDRL
  • Paps Smear
  • USG abdomen/ Breast Scan
  • Gynecology consultation
Cost of Health check: Rs.1200
  • Additional test: USG abdomen or Breast scan - Rs. 300
Health talk on 21st march timings from 11.00 am to 1 p.m.
  • Cervical cancer and its prevention
  • Breast Cancer

Fortis Hospitals (formerly Wockhardt Hospitals & Kidney Institute) launches a Guide to Cancers of Kidney




Fortis Hospitals (formerly Wockhardt Hospitals) & Kidney Institute today launched the “Guide to Cancers of Kidney” on the occasion of World Kidney Day – a day dedicated to creating increased awareness around kidney related diseases. The booklet a “Guide to understanding Different types of Kidney cancers and their causes and symptoms” was launched by noted Bengali film actress June Maliah in the presence of Dr. Aninda Chatterjee Centre Head, Dr. Shivaji Basu, Chief Urologist and Dr. R. K Gopalakrishna consultant Urologist Fortis Hospitals & Kidney Institute, Kolkata. Through this initiative Fortis Hospitals aims to create increased awareness of Kidney cancers and focus towards noting the symptoms and acting upon it as early as possible.

Speaking at the occasion Dr. Shivaji Basu, Chief Urologist, Fortis Hospitals Kolkata said, “Kidney cancer cases have risen phenomenally in the recent years. More people are seen to be affected of kidney cancer. Lack of awareness is the primary cause of the alarming increase in the number of kidney cancers in the country. If people are aware about the symptoms, a lot more lives could be saved.”

Around 208,500 new cases of kidney cancer are diagnosed in the world each year, accounting for just fewer than 2% of all cancers. Kidney cancer is usually defined as any cancer that is determined to have arisen from the kidney. It usually does not include metastatic cancer of the kidney, i.e. cancer that arose outside of the kidney and has spread to it. The two most common types of kidney cancer, reflecting their location within the kidney, are renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and urothelial cell carcinoma (UCC) of the renal pelvis. The distinction between these two types (RCC and UCC) is important because their prognosis, staging, and management, i.e. treatment (e.g. surgery, chemotherapy etc.), is different.

Presenting a talk on Kidney Cancers, Dr R K Gopalakrishna, Consultant Urologist, Fortis Hospitals Kolkata said, “It is a fact that awareness on cancer in the kidney in our country is extremely low. Our intention of launching this booklet is to increase this awareness and make people more conscious about better Kidney Care.”

“For the Last two decades Fortis Hospitals and Kidney Institute has tried to ensure adequate patient education and awareness on Kidney diseases.

The Guide to Cancers of Kidney will be available at Fortis Hospitals & Kidney Institute, Rashbehari Road and Fortis Medical Centre, Sarat Bose Road and will also be available at website for download

About Fortis Hospitals & Kidney Institute (formerly Wockhardt Hospitals)

Fortis Hospitals (formerly Wockhardt Hospitals) Kidney Institute is the first Hospitals in Easter Indian, which has a dedicated Super specialty center in Kidney Specialties and one of the oldest Hospitals for the group. Kidney specialty at Wockhardt Medical Centre (which is now a part of Fortis Hospitals) started in the year 1989 and the Wockhardt Hospitals & Kidney Institute (which is now Fortis Hospitals) was established in 1999. Over the years it has become the single point solution for all kind of Urology and Nephrology diseases for the whole of eastern and north eastern Indian including Bangladesh and neighbouring countries. It has emerged as a destination for world class clinical work in Urology and Nephrology as well as academic and research work in this field too.

The Kidney Institute is the only Kidney Hospital of Eastern India has many firsts to its credit.Among them are
  • It pioneered in Lithotripsy - the non-surgical non-invasive way of treating Kidney stones in India with the introduction of Lithotripter using ultrasonography and X-ray for localization of stones and electro-magnetic waves to crush them.
  • It has performed the maximum number of PCNLs (stones extracted through a small hole at the back)
  • It performs the maximum number of kidney stone as well as kidney surgeries per month with success rate at par with leading hospitals in Eastern India catering to over 50 million people. It performed the first successful Laparoscopic Donor Nephrectomy in Kidney Transplant surgery in Eastern India.
  • It introduced Penile Implant surgery in the Eastern India for the first time.

Joint Pain Camp at Kalyan from 8th-15th March

Friday, March 5, 2010

kalyan by you.



Fortis Hospitals ,Mumbai, Kalyan is organising a " Joint pain Relief Camp" at the Kalyan facilty from 8th March to 13th of March. Pls write to enquiries@wockhardthospitals.netThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it to set up a appointment,or call 0251-6694100/4113

Join Pain : Reasons of having them :Our joints are our body are like shock absorbers. Each joint is cushioned by cartilage and supported by muscles, tendons and ligaments. Everyday activity places stress on the joints and causes the supporting structures to wear down over time.

Some of the causes of Joint Pains are

* Osteoarthritis (OA) :This condition is caused by the cushioning (cartilage) between the bone joints to wear away. As the disease gets worse, the cartilage disappears and the bone rubs on bone. Bony spurs form around the joint.

* Strains or Sprains: usual and repetetive exertions on a specific part of the joints causes this condition.

* External Injuries : external injuries like a fracture ,getting hurt and accidental damages can cause joint pain.

* Arthritis : Arthritis is a group of common conditions involving damage to the joints of the body.There are different kinds of arthritis and each has a different cause. Statistically the prevalence of arthritis is much higher among women than men.Rheumatoid Arthritis is an example of a specific type of arthritis.

* Tendonitis :Tendonitis is inflammation (swelling) of a tendon, which can cause pain in the affected area. It can affect tendons around the shoulder, elbow, wrist, finger, thigh, knee or back of the heel.

* Gout& Pseudogout: These are the two most common types of debilitating illness that is caused by the formation of crstals within the joint space

* Osteomyelitis:This condition is a bone infection often caused by bacteria called Staphylococcus aureus (pronounced: sta-fuh-low-kah-kus are-ee-us). Depending on how the bone becomes infected and the age of the person, other types of bacteria can cause it, too. In kids and teens, osteomyelitis usually affects the long bones of the arms and legs

24 Year Old's Damaged Knee healed with nature friendly knee surgery via keyhole technique

Tuesday, February 23, 2010


~Fortis Hospitals puts 24 year old Salsa dancer back on her dancing feet with a biological implant through a keyhole surgery~

“If you are below 55 years and have a painful or damaged knee, a conventional joint replacement might be too early for you. Simply trimming a damaged cartilage and washing the knee joint & injecting it with keyhole surgery is only a temporary solution. That is up until now” says Dr. Keyur Buch, Consultant Arthroscopic Surgeon, Fortis Hospitals.

Younger people who suffer from chronic pain in the limbs which could be a result of a trauma or arthritis at a young age, often dread to undergo surgery and leave their damaged knees untreated further leading to a condition which might at a later stage result in replacement surgery.

“Any kind of knee cartilage damage or bone defect if not treated at the appropriate time could lead to further damage of the remaining fresh cartilage and bone area and thereby increase the possibility of advancements in arthritis and further damage of the knee joint impacting the mobility. With this newly introduced keyhole surgery we are looking at treating the damaged joint and cartilage which could be because of a sporting injury or an accident” added Dr. Keyur Buch, Consultant Arthroscopic Surgeon, Fortis Hospitals who recently treated a partially damaged knee of a 24 year old young salsa dancer. This advanced arthroscopic treatment offers solution to those problems which so far were not possible to treat with conventional arthroscopic surgery.

24 year old Deepika Dubey who is working as a business analyst in a travel technology firm in Bangalore and also a professional dancer was suffering from excruciating pain in her knee that restricted her mobility and daily activities to a great extent. Deepika who has been quite active in sports and dance since her school days, had a fall during her annual sports day in her college sometime in 2005 and hurt her(right) knee. The fall was not massive at that time and she left her knee without proper treatment and continued with her physical activities. “I have been a choreographer since my school days and followed my passion for dance all throughout and joined a professional Salsa course here in Bangalore.

It was just about the time when I was finishing my course to become a trained Salsa dancer; I tripped on a wet floor one day and hurt my right knee badly again badly. That’s’ when I consulted Dr. Keyur Buch and the MRI revealed that I had a cyst in my knee which had almost eaten up an area of my bone and I needed to undergo a surgery to correct my problem and get rid of the pain. The first thing I asked Dr. Buch was "When would I be able to walk properly again and would the surgery leave a big scar on my knee? And Dr. Buch had the solution. A minimally invasive surgery which sorted my problem got me out of the pain and at the same time my knee doesn’t look ugly”

“A cyst had formed in Deepika’s knee which had taken off a part of her bone and had damaged her cartilage which was causing pain in knee and affected her mobility. The size of the cyst was almost of a one rupee coin. After investigation and keeping in mind her request of having the minimalistic scar on her knee we decided to perform this advanced nature friendly keyhole surgery to replace the damaged cartilage and bone with a biological substitute instead of using metal or plastic implant in the joint.

The conventional metal or plastic implants are not suitable for people younger than 55 years of age as it increases the possibility of a revision surgery at a later stage. Whereas this new technique gives a minimal approach to the surgery and the biological implant integrates into the body easily and takes the shape of the loss bone” added Dr. Keyur Buch. “If she had left her knee untreated she would have had to undergo a knee replacement surgery at a later date and her suffering would have continued in meantime.”

The traditional method is an open surgery where the incision is quite large and the implants used is either plastic or metal which is not long lasting and the patient might have to go for a revision surgery later or if the condition further deteriorates it may require a replacement surgery. With this new technique this can be avoided as the biological bone cartilage substitute used is almost permanent, the incision is less which means less scaring and less pain, faster recovery, lesser hospital stay and no revision surgery later. The bone and cartilage problems can be successfully treated with this technique thereby restoring the normal knee function and slowing the progression of knee arthritis. The patient can lead an improved quality of life post surgery with appropriate rehabilitation and physiotherapy.

Who can be treated with this technique?
  • Young knee arthritic patients who have not got any relief with medication and physical therapy
  • People with bone and cartilage damage due to a trauma or a sporting injury in the knee

Digestive Care Services at Bannerghata Road

Friday, February 19, 2010

The Digestive Care department at Wockhardt Hospitals offers full consultative services in the field of medical & surgical gastroenetrology. This department provides services in Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases and provide a full range of GI procedures.

The digestive care department performs surgeries using the Minimal Access technique so that patients enjoy faster recovery and fewer post-surgical. Minimal access surgery results in less complication, minimum surgical trauma, pain and blood loss. The patient's hospital stay is shortened and his or her post-surgery aesthetics improved.
The department aims to provide outstanding Gastroenterology care that meets the needs of the patient, referring physicians and community.

Fortis Hospitals Mulund doctors give new life to octogenarian with DVT and severe hip fracture in the same leg

~Minimally invasive surgery done resulting into no blood loss and early discharge~

Doctors at Fortis Hospitals, Mulund, Mumbai recently treated an exceptional case of DVT (deep vein thrombosis) and hip fracture in the same leg of an obese octogenarian lady.

Mrs. Godavari Vagad, an 84yr old obese lady had fallen while walking and fractured her left hip. She also had Deep Vein Thrombosis of the left leg. Doctors at a general hospital in Thane found her condition very critical and referred her to Fortis Hospitals, Mulund (formerly Wockhardt hospital).

Highlighting upon the case, Dr Milind Sawant, Consultant Orthopedic Surgeon, Fortis Hospitals said, “We faced key challenges like advanced age, obesity, osteoporotic bones and pre-existing DVT, all at one go. These implied difficulty in operative procedure and fracture reduction. Osteoporotic bones made fracture fixation challenging. Also, the presence of DVT in the leg to be operated increased the risk of the clot breaking up and embolising during fracture fixation and so fracture manipulations would have to be done carefully. Hence we had to consult a cardiologist before finalizing the line of management.”

Dr Hasmukh Ravat, cardiologist said, “What makes this case rarest of rare is the introduction of IVC filter (Inferior Vena Cava) implantation. A filter was put into the Inferior Vena Cava pre-operatively so that even if the blood clot was to break off and flow towards the lung, the filter would trap it before it would compromise the lung circulation.”

After insertion of the IVC Filter, the patient was taken for the orthopedic line of treatment :
“Minimally invasive technique of per-cutaneous insertion of Proximal Femoral Nail (device) was used to fix the fracture without opening the fracture site – which meant minimal blood loss (and therefore no need for blood transfusion), minimal tissue trauma (and therefore less pain and faster recovery) and no disturbance of the fracture hematoma (which meant early fracture healing without need for bone-grafting). A high-frequency, high resolution C-arm Image Intensifier (machine) was used which gave clear images of the fracture fragments and made fracture reduction and fixation easy and accurate said Dr. Sawant.

In addition to the above, a titanium implant was used to fix the fracture, whose modulus of elasticity is closer to that of bone. The device is light but extremely strong to take the weight of this obese patient. Being an intra-medullary device it was biomechanically superior to take the stresses and strains at the fracture site till the fracture unites. This allowed early mobilization of the patient out of bed and early discharge, he said.

The recovery was uneventful and patient was discharged after few days.

Top 10 Medical Tourism Hospitals

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

The Medical Travel Quality Alliance (MTQUA) has issued its first list of the top ten world’s best hospitals for medical tourists and has named Fortis Hospital in Bangalore (former Wockhardt Hospitals,Bangalore )as the number one hospital in the world. Six of the top 10 world’s best hospitals are in Asia, two in Europe and two in North America.

MTQUA founder Julie Munro says, "Fortis is exemplary in nearly all the criteria we used. The medical traveler’s journey is a complex one and this list helps patients look beyond hospital websites where they can get the full spectrum of care management they need for a successful medical trip. If you cannot get as good or better care abroad than you can at home, you may as well stay home.”

Top ten recognition was given to the hospitals based on MTQUA’s strict assessment criteria of-

1. Medical quality and outcomes
2. International patient management
3. International patient marketing
4. Value for service
5. Patient safety and security
6. Transparency
7. Attention to the unique needs of the medical traveler

The top ten hospitals Globally for Medical Tourism are

1. Fortis Hospital, Bangalore, India
2. Gleneagles Hospital, Singapore
3. Prince Court Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
4. Shouldice Hospital, Toronto, Canada
5. Schoen-Kliniken, Munich, Germany
6. Bumrungrad International, Bangkok, Thailand
7. Bangkok Hospital Medical Center, Bangkok, Thailand
8. Wooridul Spine Hospital, Seoul, Korea
9. Clemenceau Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon
10. Christus Muguerza Super Specialty Hospital, Monterrey, Mexico

Based on the above parameters ,Fortis Hospital Bangalore(former Wockhardt Hospitals,Bangalore) is number one
  • Medical quality:It has an excellent surgery option for medical travelers seeking joint replacement, particularly hip resurfacing and replacement. It’s also strong in cardiac surgery and neurosurgery.
  • International patient management:The hospital has a transparent process sensitive to the needs of patients and families for their cultural, language, and religious requirements, their medical needs and emotional support.
  • International patient marketing:It actively supports web-based social networks, including Youtube, Facebook, and Twitter. It has its own blog.
  • Value for services:It has a competitive cost structure.
  • Transparency:The Hospital ensure transparency of care, from cost to outcomes data. Patients receive a portfolio of their medical file and surgery documents including CT scans, MRI and X-rays, and operative notes to take back to their home country.

Fortis Hospitals Bangalore applauds Goans for being at the forefront for correcting congenital heart defects

Friday, January 22, 2010

Centre (from left) Dr. N S Devananda, Consultant Cardiac Surgeon, Fortis Hospitals Bangalore, Dr. Fansisco Collaso, Consultant Cardilogist & Echocardiograher, Goa with Baby Prathamesh and Baby Varad who had undergone cardiac surgery at Fortis Hospitals Bangalore

Fortis Hospitals Bangalore (formerly Wockhardt Hospitals) addresses the media today showcasing the pediatric cardiac scenario in the country and how Goa has been at the forefront in saving many children’s lives by identifying and correcting congenital heart defects at the appropriate time.

Addressing a press conference in Panjim, Dr. N. S. Devananda, Consultant Cardiac Surgeon, Fortis Hospitals Bangalore said, “Our experience in Goa in the pediatric cardiac space over the years has been quite overwhelming. We have seen this state growing from the time when congenital heart disease (CHD) was seen as an evil spell to such a time when people are aware and educated of CHD and confident that this can be treated under proper medical supervision and care at expert hands. We are thankful to all those parents who came to us with immense faith and confidence and helped us marking feat in this field and helped us challenge medical excellence many a times.”

“Goa has been very responsive when it comes to congenital heart defects. This transformation in the mind set of the people has served as a boon to all those children who were suffering from heart defects and had the opportunity to avail treatment at the right time. 60-70 % of infants that came to Fortis Hospitals Bangalore were of very complex nature and the success rate has always been of almost of about 90-95%. With such a huge success rate in correcting CHD amongst which 70% comprised of complex cases definitely poses as a great strength for the surgeons who have performed the surgery. The positive response and the confidence that the Goans have shown in us has immensely build our confidence in our profession and given us the courage to take up the most challenging cases” added Dr. N S Devananda.

Lack of adequate knowledge of CHD often results in time lag between diagnosis and referral to a pediatric cardiac centre for treatment and leads to further complication of the child. Also due to lack of awareness facilities available in India to correct congenital heart defects across the spectrum results in higher mortality rate and limited usage of pediatric cardiac expertise available in the country. Heart disease in children is not identified as a health priority by the government in our country. There are no government policies for cardiac care in children. This is perhaps related to the prevailing notion that CHD is uncommon, often fatal and is therefore not worth expanding national resources.

Many families in rural and semi urban parts of India seek advice from unqualified, self-proclaimed “doctors” and quacks because of common beliefs and myths. This further adds to the delay in diagnosis and proper management of the child with CHD. But Goa has stood apart and has set an example for the rest of the states of India. The benefits extended by the government to the families have given an impetus to the pediatric cardiac program at Fortis Hospitals Bangalore to treat many such children and give them a new lease of life.

About Fortis Hospitals (formerly Wockhardt Hospitals)

Wockhardt Hospitals Bangalore, Mumbai and Kolkata which are now christened as Fortis Hospitals are part of the 40 hospitals chain of Fortis Healthcare. This Fortis Hospitals network consists of 11 hospitals focusing on the high end tertiary care around the specialties of cardiac care – adult and pediatric cardiology and cardiac surgery, complex brain & spine surgeries, orthopedics and joint replacement surgery and minimal access surgery. The entity consists of 2 JCI accredited hospitals located in Bangalore and Mulund. Wockhardt Hospitals Bangalore – now a network hospital of Fortis is a 400 bedded Multi specialty hospital with state of the art facility equipped with latest technology and truly World class Clinical Talent dedicated to the whole range of Cardiac, Orthopedic, Neurosciences, Minimal Access Surgery and Women & Child Services. www.wockhardthospitals.net

Speciality Clinic at Marathali : OPD Schedules


Dr Garima Jain Gynecologist DNB
M-F 5pm to 7pm Sat 1pm to 3pm
Dr Pallavee Chiplunkar Gynecologist MD
Mon /Wed 9am to 12pm
Dr Modhulika Bhattacharya Gynecologist MD
Wed & Sat 5pm to 7pm
Dr Shalina Ray ENT MS, MRCS,DOHNS
M- Sat 9am – 11am
Dr Smitha Warrier Dermatologist MD
M-Sat 2-3
Dr Kushalappa A.A Dermatologist MD
M- Sat 8am to 10am Sun on appts
Dr Yeseswini Kamaraju Psychiatry MD , Fellowship in Child & Adolescence psychiatry
Thrus 1pm to 4pm ( On appts)
Dr Sanika Chandran Psychology MS
Tues & Th 11amt to 1pm On appts
Dr Ramya V Raghavan General Medicine MD
M-Fri 4pm to 6pm Sun 10.30-12.30
Dr Suresh K G General Medicine MD
M-Sat 6pm to 8pm
Dr Aditi Gupta General Medicine MD American board certified
Mon to fri 9am to 4pm, Sat 9am to 1pm
Dr Joyce Gerard Waheed Medical Officer MBBS
Mon to Fri 8am to 10pm, 3pm to 5pm, Sat 8am to 12pm
Dr Gurmeet Soni Bhalla Pediatrics DNB
Mon to fri 10am to 1pm, Sat 11am to 1pm
Dr Rekha B Pediatrics MD
Tues,Th & Sat 5-6
Dr Tanuja Mishra Pediatrics MD
M W F 5-6 Sun on Appts
Dr.Mahesh S Diebatologist M.B.BS, MD FRCP
Mon to Fri 9am to 11am , 2pm to 4pm
Dr Harisha Babu Nephrologist DM
On Appt
Dr Kapil Rangan Cardiologist DM Cardiology
Mon – Sat 5.30 – 7.00
Dr Raju G H MAS MS
Mon/Wed/sat 11am to 1pm
DrSuresh Kodapala Neurologist Mch
Mon/Wed/sat 6pm to 8pm
Dr Keyur Anilkant Buch Orthopedic Mch, FRCS
Mon to Fri 6pm to 8pm, sat 10am to 1pm
Dr Dinesh Vaidhya Urology MS, FRCS
Wed 5pm to 6pm
Dr Sujatha Ophthalmologist MS
7-8 On appts Mon to Sat
Mrs Meenakshi Hejmadi Dietitian MS RD
Tues& Thurs 10-1 Sat on appts
Dr Thilak Radiology

M-F 4-5 ( On appts)
Dr.L Madan Mohan Babu Radiology MD, DMRD
M-Sat ( On appts) 10am to 1pm
Dr BK Arun Pathology MD
Mon- Sat 2-4
Dr Latha Pathology MD
On Appts






The Fortis Hospitals Marathali Clinic is operational at

S1 S2 Spice Garden Compound

Marathali
Whitefield-Airport Road

Bangalore: 560037

For Appointment's call 08065982915 /08065324444/9945272363 or you can email us at enquiries@wockhardthospitals.net

The specialty clinic at Marathali offers the following consultations
  • Orthopedics /Cardiology/Urology/ Neurology
  • Endocrinology/diabetology/MAS/Gyaenecology
  • Pediatric/Internal Medicine/Psychiatry/Psychology
  • Diet Counseling/Dermatology/ENT/Opthalmology
  • Nephrology/USG/X Ray/TMT
  • Echo/ECG/Minor Procedures/LaboratoryVaccinations

Fortis Hospitals Mulund (formerly Wockhardt Hospitals) performs complex beating heart coronary artery bypass surgery on an infant.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010






A team of cardiac experts at Fortis Hospitals Mulund (formerly Wockhardt Hsopitals) performs complex beating heart coronary artery bypass surgery on an infant.

Fortis Hospitals Mulund (formerly Wockhardt Hospitals) marks a feat in the field of pediatric cardio-thoracic surgery by performing a complex beating heart coronary artery bypass surgery on an infant. A team of cardiac experts led by Dr. Suresh Joshi, Consultant Pediatric Cardiac Surgeon, Fortis Hospitals Mulund has successfully corrected a complicated and rare congenital deformity called ALCAPA (Anomalous Left Coronary Artery From the Pulmonary Artery) giving the baby a new lease of life.

Baby Sharon was born with normal delivery without any specific symptoms of heart defect during her birth. However after 4 months she suffered from severe cold and cough and was admitted in a city hospital as she was diagnosed of pneumonia. The baby seemed to suffer from increased breathlessness with a very high heart rate. On further investigation the baby was diagnosed of having an enlarged heart and the parents were advised to consult a pediatric cardiac surgeon.

“Baby Sharon was brought to us in a severe condition where she was suffering from severe breathlessness, excessive crying and was extremely feeble due to poor intake of feed. Upon further investigation we diagnosed her with a congenital heart defect called ALCAPA (Anomalous Left Coronary Artery from the Pulmonary Artery). ALCAPA is a rare birth malformation where the positions of the arteries are switched and the left coronary artery comes out of the pulmonary artery. It occurs in approximately in 1 in 4-5 lakh live births (0.25% - 0.5% of the total birth defects) and if not treated at the appropriate time accounts for 65 % - 85 % of deaths with in 1st yr of life from congestive cardiac failure,” said Dr. Suresh Joshi, Consultant Pediatric Cardiac Surgeon, Fortis Hospitals Mulund.

At the time of birth babies born with such deformities remain active like any normal child but as the child grow the symptoms manifests into breathlessness, inactivity and weak intake of food and they grow very weak and uncontrollable.

“ALCAPA is a serious problem and requires surgery immediately after the birth or as soon as the diagnosis is confirmed. The aim of surgery is to connect the Anomalous left coronary artery with the aorta. The precise surgery depends on the exact location of the Anomalous left coronary artery. Sometimes, it can be moved, along with a button of tissue, from the pulmonary artery and sewn into the aorta. If the Anomalous left coronary artery is located too far away from the aorta to move, a "tunnel" is made from the aorta to the Anomalous left coronary artery or by pass surgery is done by using artery of left arm.”

“Usually to perform such complex surgery heart lung machine is required which is also commonly called On-pump bypass surgery. However in the case of Baby…. we performed the surgery successfully without using heart lung machine, which means, off pump Coronary artery Bypass Graft (CABG) procedure with the self equipped instruments. Off pump bypass surgery are much common in the adult procedure group, but in neonates such procedure till date is only heard off” added Dr. Suresh Joshi, Consultant Pediatric Cardiac Surgeon, Fortis Hospitals Mulund.
The challenges that involve in this surgery were:

1. Grafting vessels on a moving heart which needs small compact stabilizer. Stabilizer for small neonate is not devised till date.

2. Left coronary artery was not appropriate for the graft

3. Poor functioning heart of the baby, Ejection fraction = 25%

Beating heart surgery was performed on the baby to avoid the post operation complication like fluid retention, kidney failure, lung injuries, and acute inflammatory reaction with mild to moderate heart dysfunction, hence helping the baby for the easy & early recovery. The surgery was done without using any stabilizer as such small size stabilizer for newborn babies is not manufactured by any company in the world. It is with the skill of the surgeon who has managed out the surgery without the stabilizer. Baby Sharon’s story showcases the expertise the country has in correcting the most complex congenital defects in the rarest of condition with a combination of skillful hands and technical finesse.

“The diagnosis of Sharon suffering from congenital heart problem came to us as a surprise. When Sharon was not keeping too well, we had the remotest thought of having anything to do with her heart. In fact before this I had very less awareness on congenital heart problems. In our country many kids succumb to faith due to lack of awareness on the defects and availability of expertise to correct such deformities. We need to create more and more awareness on congenital heart disease in India and the facilities provided by hospitals like Fortis Hospitals Mulund to operate upon the most complex cases. We are immensely thankful to Dr. Suresh Joshi and the entire team at Fortis Hospitals Mulund who came to us as saviors and gave a new life to our baby” says Mr. Bonni D’Souza (father of Sharon).

Medical Travel Quality Alliance (MTQUA) Ranks Fortis Hospitals ,Bangalore(formerly Wockhardt Hospitals) The Best Medical Tourism Hospital

The Bangkok based Medical Travel Quality Alliance (MTQUA) which promotes standards and practices for medical traveler's has recognized Fortis Hospitals, Bangalore (formerly Wockhardt Hospitals) as the most preferred destination in the world for medical tourists from America. The hospital was ranked # 1 in the first list of the top 10 world's best hospitals for medical tourists which was released at a press conference held in Bangkok on January 19, 2010.

According to MTQUA, the top five hospitals are: Fortis Hospitals, Bangalore (formerly Wockhardt Hospital), Gleneagles Hospital, Singapore, Prince Court Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Shouldice Hospital, Toronto and Shoen-Kliniken, Munich.

"It gives us great pride to make India get the top slot as the world's leading destination for International patients" said Mr. Vishal Bali, CEO, Fortis Hospitals Group, India." By providing a strong foundation of quality in all our patient care processes along with affordability we have delivered to both our domestic and International patients' exceptional value" he said.

MTQUA recognized Fortis Hospitals, Bangalore (formerly Wockhardt Hospitals) as the # 1 on its list of Top 10 World's Best Hospitals for Medical Tourists on the following criteria:

1. Medical Quality - The hospital is an excellent surgery option for medical travelers seeking joint replacement, particularly hip resurfacing and replacement. It's also strong in cardiac surgery and neurosurgery. The hospital is internationally accredited by JCI.

2. International Patient Management -Fortis Hospitals has been sensitive to the needs of patients and families for their cultural, language, and religious requirements, their medical needs and emotional support. As the majority of its international caseload is either life-saving or life enhancing procedures, their honesty and integrity provides outstanding case management and better patient understanding.

3. International Patient Marketing - The Hospital actively supports web-based social networks, including Youtube, Facebook, and Twitter. It has its own blog. The hospital has a dedicated team of men and women available 24/7 with access to treating physicians who can respond to qualified patient inquiries.

4. Value For Services - India's hospitals are positioned to provide value for services and will continue to do so because the number of hospitals in India seeking the American or international patient market nurtures a competitive cost structure.

5. Patient Safety And Security - The Hospital wraps the traveling patient from America in a security blanket. From the initial hospital response, Fortis assigns dedicated staff representatives to the patient throughout their hospital stay and a treating physician who directly discusses procedures and outcomes before the patient leaves their home country. Communication with the patient's family physician is encouraged. Patients may stay in the hospital for their full recovery period to avoid moving to a hotel.

6. Transparency - Every effort is extended to ensure transparency of care, from cost to outcomes data. Patients receive a portfolio of their medical file and surgery documents including CT scans, MRI and X-rays, and operative notes to take back to their home country.

7. Attention To The Unique Needs Of The Medical Traveler - According to reports, more than 50% of Hospital's international patients are Americans. It offers prompt scheduling of pre-surgery preparation. It provides exemplary follow up care and services to monitor American medical travelers once they return home.

MTQUA's top 10 list of the World's best hospitals has 6 hospitals out of Asia, 2 from Europe and 2 from North America.

source:prnewswire.com

Change for the Best: Fortis Hospitals Wish you a Healthy Year Ahead

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Short Stay Surgeries for Urology Procedures

Saturday, January 16, 2010



The various procedures which can be done on the Short Stay basis for Urology are

Cystoscopy

This is a diagnostic procedure to check the Urethra and the Bladder. A small telescope ( Cystoscope ) is passed through the urinary pipe to have a look as well as carry out any procedures such as treating the Urethral Stricture, removal of small Bladder Tumours, removing any small stones in the Bladder. The insertion or removal of the Double 'J' stents can also be done during this procedure.

Lower Ureteric Stones
:
The stones in the lower part of the Ureter can be treated on a Short stay basis. After passing the Ureteroscope, the stones can be broken by the Lithotripsy and extracted with the help of the Basket. A Double 'J' stent may be inserted after the procedure, which will be removed at the later date.

Varicocele:
The dilatation of the veins around the Testes is called Varicocele. It can cause pain and discomfort in the scrotum. The other significant effect of Varicocele is on the Male Infertility. The ligation of Varicocele is carried out as a Day-Case procedure involving two small cuts in the groins and carefully ligating the dilated veins with the help of a microscope.

Circumcision, Vasectomy
These are the other procedures ideally suitable on a short stay basis. There is minimum disturbance in the patient's routine and they can get back to work quickly.

Short Stay Procedures : Make your Hospital Stay Short

After a surgery, hospital stay often becomes a tedious task for the patient and his visitors. Not only does it take the patient time to adjust to his new surroundings, it is often noted as a discomfort. Every surgery has its own healing time and requires the patient to rest adequately before he can be sent home. However, there are some surgeries where the patient is operated and sent home that very same day!

Short Stay Surgery has been defined by the Royal College of Surgeons as when the surgical day case patient is admitted for investigation or operation on a planned non-resident basis and who nonetheless requires facilities for recovery.

This definition excludes upper and lower GI endoscopies, outpatient procedures such as flexible cystoscopy, and minor superficial surgery under local anaesthetic, none of which require full day case facilities for recovery. Currently the Short Stay Surgery has a specialized dedicated team, functioning only at Cunningham Road, Bangalore.

Some of the Short Stay Surgery Procedures

1. Orchidopexy
2. Circumcision
3. Inguinal hernia repair
4. Excision of breast lump
5. Anal fissure dilatation or excision
6. Haemorrhoidectomy
7. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy
8. Varicose vein stripping or ligation
9. Transurethral resection of bladder tumour
10. Excision of dupuytren's contracture
11. Carpal tunnel decompression
12. Excision of ganglion
13. Arthroscopy
14. Bunion operations
15. Removal of metalware
16. Extraction of cataract with/without implant
17. Correction of squint
18. Myringotomy
19. Tonsillectomy
20. Sub Mucous resection
21. Reduction of nasal fracture
22. Operation for bat ears
23. Dilatation and curettage/hysteroscopy
24. Laparoscopy
25. Termination of Pregnancy

Benefits of Short Stay Surgery
1. Pre-booked date and less likely to be cancelled
2. Shorter waiting lists and lesser uncertainty of a long wait
3. Easier domestic arrangements
4. Earlier mobilisation
5. Minimal disruption of patient's personal life
6. Earlier return to normal environment
7. Reduced risk of cross-infection
8. Avoidance of disruptive nights in hospital wards
9. Less loss of time at work
10. Less psychological disturbances in children
11. Lesser chances of cancellation due to pressures of emergency surgeries in a dedicated day care facility.

To find out if you are a candidate for short stay surgery, pls email enquiries@wockhardthospitals.net or sms short to 56767

32 year old Rwandan gets a new lease of life in India

Friday, January 8, 2010

~Martin undergoes a rare cardiac surgery at Wockhardt Hospitals Mulund-Now a network of Fortis~

A team of cardiac experts led by Dr. Ajay Chaughule, Consultant Cardiac Surgeon, Wockhardt Hospitals Mulund( Now a Network of Fortis Hospitals) performed a major tricuspid valve repair on 32 year old Martin from Republic of Rwanda.

Martin was suffering from breathlessness, swelling on face, extremities and abdomen since last 4 -5 years. Martin had history of Rheumatic fever at the age of 8yr. Doctors in Rwanda diagnosed as having Rheumatic fever and treated him with Injection -penicillin for several years (from age of 9 yrs to age of 15 yrs). However nothing gave relief to Martin of his fever. Soon Martin realized this was not getting him anywhere and he failed to receive the right kind of treatment he decided to venture out to the neighbouring countries in search of treatment. He went to Tanzania, Uganda showed to expert doctor, but there as well no one was able to give a proper diagnosis to his problem. They concluded that Martin was suffering from poor liver function and put him on medication. As a last hope Martin went to Nairobi (Kenya) where investigation revealed that he was suffering from Valvular heart diseases and was advised to undergo Valve Surgery.

“Martin had a very a rare and uncommon valve defect which is called the Rheumatic Isolated Predominant Tricuspid Stenosis of Heart" and required to undergo a valve repair surgery. The heart has four valves – Mitral, Aortic, Pulmonary and Tricuspid. In most common cases the mitral, aortic valves gets affected as the primary pathology and the patient needs to undergo a valve repair or replacement procedure. Tricuspid valve getting affected as isolated one is very rare. In Martin’s case this valve had defect and he needed immediate surgery to correct the problem” said Dr. Ajay Chaughule, Cardio-Thoracic & Vascular Surgeon.

Due to the defect in the Tricuspid wall his heart had formed thrombus or cloth which was of 6 cm in size on the right atrium for which the blood flow was restricted and the thickness of the right atrium became 3 cm whereas in normal condition the size is about 2 -3 mm. His heart condition led to many other issues in his system like his liver had enlarged up to the umbilicus and liver function was deranged. He had severe carditus (inflammation of the heart) which led to adhesion of his heart which means his heart was stuck to the surrounding tissue.

“The Echocardiography confirmed the diagnosis Tricuspid valve stenosis with osifice of 0.8cm normal being 5.8cm. Then we decided to go ahead with immediate surgery as his condition was deteriorating.”

“I had to travel from one place to another in search of the right kind of treatment for my problem. With years my condition worsened and it restricted my physical mobility as I was suffering from severe fatigue and breathlessness at slightest physical activity I used to conduct. My physical ill-health perturbed me to quite an extent and I used to feel terrible when all my friends of my age led a healthy life and could do anything they wanted” said Martin.
“But once my diagnosis was confirmed in Kenya I made up my mind to go ahead with the surgery as I definitely craved for a healthy life.

However the treatment cost there was too high and there were no expert cardiac surgeon available in Kenya. That’s when my elder brother who is a film director came to know from his colleague about treatment option available in India and the expertise at Wockhardt Hospitals Mulund in the cardiac space and he referred us to fly down to India for my surgery. This experience had given me a new meaning to life and I am extremely happy and consider my self to be fortunate enough to have received such marvelous treatment here. Dr. Ajay Chaugle has almost given me a new life and I would definitely like to make the most of it now. I thank Doctor and Wockhardt Hospitals for the phenomenal treatment offered to me” said Martin.

2 year old Nigerian baby with complex heart deformity undergoes Surgery without blood transfusion

Monday, January 4, 2010



A team of cardiac experts led by Dr. N S Devananda, Consultant Cardiac Surgeon, Wockhardt Hospitals,Bangalore (now a Fortis Hospitals Network ) has performed a major open heart surgery on a 2 year old baby from Nigeria. Baby Brendan was suffering from congenital heart defect called – Tetralogy of Fallot or complex blue baby syndrome.

“Baby Brendan was brought to us in a condition which was complicated and need surgical intervention to correct the anomaly. In this syndrome the pure and impure blood gets mixed in the heart and the amount of blood flow to the lungs is decreased. It is the most common complex heart defect, representing 55-70%, and the most common cause of blue baby syndrome. It can prove fatal if it is not treated in time,” said Dr. N S Devananda, Consultant Cardiac Surgeon, Wockhardt Hospitals.

The other bigger challenge which came before the surgery was the fact that the baby’s parents belonged to the Jehovah Witness community and as per their religious belief they oppose to any form of transfusion of blood and any blood products however they could accept other from of treatment. This made the case all the more complicated.

“Babies with Tetrology of Fallout have two treatment options – the first is palliative where no open heart surgery is done and the defect is treated with shunt operation. The second is complete repair – which is definitive treatment where the patient undergoes an open heart surgery with a heart lung machine. In the case of Baby Brendan we obviously chose the second option due to its curative value. But the problem we faced was that the heart lung machine requires 500 ml of blood by itself to drive away the air and still haemoglobin at acceptable level. The challenge was with the baby weighed only 11 kgs and his blood volume was 800 – 900 ml and to conduct an open heart proved difficult without additional usage of blood” said Dr. Devananda.

The team devised many things technically to make operative time shorter and do the best possible ways so that re-operation or re-exploration can be avoided and the ICU stay is reduced. The heart lung machine circuit was modified in such a way that total priming volume was reduced to the least possible; the haemo-filteration technique was used in such a way that excess water from the body is removed and it gives back the RBC’s to the body. We also had to reduce the sampling to the least possible for various tests.

“We did everything technically possible to reduce the requirement of blood. With all these modifications the baby underwent the open heart surgery and was out of ICU within 24 hours and is flying back to his native on the 7th post operative day. In an era where a lot of talking is happening around blood transfusion and adults have been undergoing surgery without blood transfusion, the same thing on a child is quite complicated. However with technical modification and surgical skills it is definitely possible and should be encouraged so that no child from the community remains untreated” said Dr. Devananda.

Brendan can live an active life like any other child of his age as this is a one time complete correction and his post op ECHO is satisfactory.

Brendan’s mother Ettieh’s faith in Jehovah has strengthened after this incident. She says, “Everybody should give proper attention to their child and keep monitoring the health of the baby time and again. Till one year when Brendan was not keeping too well and was not gaining weight we got very concerned and kept taking to the local physicians in Nigeria. However nobody could give us a proper answer to his continuous ill health until last year August, 09 Brendan complained of breathlessness and pain on his left chest.

A thorough examination indicated that my baby has some heart complication which needed to be treated immediately. Being a member of the Jehovah Witness community our challenge was to take Brendan to the right hands where surgery was possible without using blood transfusion. That’s when one of our friends at Nigeria who knew about Wockhardt Hospitals and their expertise in performing surgery without blood transfusion suggested us and we finally decided to fly Brendan down here for treatment. Initially when we decided to come to India for treatment I was engulfed with mixed feelings, but with the kind of care and response we received here I was quite confident that I have brought my baby to the right place.”

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