Download Hair-raising tales - World Gastroenterology Institute

BOMBAY TIMES, THE TIMES OF INDIA
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FRIDAY 22 JULY 2016
BEAT CANCER BEFORE IT BEATS YOU
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Gastroenterology
Institute (WGI) is a
tertiary hospital spearheaded by Dr Vipulroy Rathod, a
Fellow of the American
Society of Gastrointestinal
Endoscopy, visiting professor at Yale University, endoscopist and pioneer of
Endoscopic
Ultrasound
(EUS) in the Indian subcontinent. It is said to be the
first gastroenterology hospital of
Western India,
equipped with the most cutting-edge technology and
largest experience in the
field of early diagnosis of
gastrointestinal cancers and
diseases.
The fast-paced life is taking a toll on people’s physical
and mental fitness. Early
signs of health-related issues
are often neglected. “Out of
every 10 patients that we see,
six to seven have been to several other places and gone
through several diagnostic
procedures that have rendered either the wrong result
or no result at all. In most
cases, cancer is detected
when it’s too late to do anything. This is what we want
to change - we want to beat
W
cancer before it beats you!”
says Dr Rathod, who is working relentlessly towards
propagating the role of EUS
in diagnosis and has trained
more 450 gastroenterologists
from across the world.
With over 18,000 advanced
and 35,000 basic procedures
successfully delivered, WGI
sparks hope for a speedy
recovery for patients suffering not only from day-to-day
acidity, diarrhea, constipation but also further
advanced disorders like pancreatitis, jaundice and gastrointestinal cancers. The
state-of-the-art infrastructure and modern technologies adopted at this institute
promises to deliver accurate
and early diagnosis along
with the effective treatment.
“Endoscopy is painless and
we’re constantly innovating
and pushing the boundaries
of conventional surgery to
come up with solutions that
are minimally invasive,”
adds Dr Rathod, who set a
new benchmark for gastroenterologists all over the
world in 2013 when he reportedly resected an esophageal
tumour measuring 8cm x
2.5cm, the largest tumour in
Dr Vipulroy Rathod performing endoscopy surgery with
his team
the world to have ever been
resected
endoscopically
without surgical intervention.
“At WGI, we do our best to
make the impossible possible,” concludes Dr Rathod,
who is also the director of
Endoscopy Asia, a daycare
ambulatory surgical facility
and founder of Dr Rathod
Medical Foundation, an
NGO that’s not only helping
the underprivileged segment
of society to receive subsidised world class treatments but is also continuously working on pancreatic
cancer research and raising
awareness amongst doctors
about diagnosis and treatment protocols.
Where: World
Gastroenterology Institute
(WGI), Ambolinaka Signal,
S V Road, Andheri (W)
Call: 022-61099888
www.wgi.ooo Daycare Centre
(Endoscopy Asia (EA)),
Sion West Call: 022-24043522
www.endoscopyasia.com
NGO: Dr Rathod Medical
Foundation www.drmf.in.
Call: 1800 267 0141
(Toll Free)
(*Procedures given are
based on the expert’s
understanding of the
said field)
Hair-raising tales
One of the permanent ways
to treat hair loss is to
surgically transplant hair from
the back of the head to the
bald areas. Experts give us a lowdown on this...
ald maybe beautiful for some, but
for most, persistent hair loss is a
cause for worry. Psychologists say
that people who have hair loss issues also
tend to lose their self-confidence and
some are also affected so deeply, that they
could go into depression.
But with hair transplant surgery now
becoming quite common, hundreds of
centres across the city are offering it and
many are opting for it as well. But there is
a grizzly side to it. Last month, a 22-yearold medical student in the city died during a hair transplant surgery that was
carried out at a salon. Trichologists
and hair transplant surgeons say that
one needs to choose a centre that is
well-equipped to do this and has qualified professionals. Experts say that
one needs a certified surgeon to carry
out this procedure, at a hospital, and
not at unauthorised salons. So, what
exactly is a hair transplant surgery?
What is the scope for success? What
are some of the risks involved? Dr
Apoorva Shah, trichologist and Dr
Sasikumar Muthu, a plastic surgeon
gives us a low-down.
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What is it about?
One of the most common surgical treatments for hair loss today — hair transplant — is among the few sure shot ways
to permanently deal with male or female
pattern-baldness. The patient’s hair is
transplanted from back of the head to the
bald patches. Often patients require a second procedure or a series of hair replacement procedures when they continue to
lose hair.
In such cases, a follow-up hair replacement procedure or a series of procedures
is necessary to main tain the desired hair
coverage.
Even adolescents could get this done
Experts say that male-pattern hair loss
can begin at any age — right from adolescence to the 40s and 50s. Some men choose
to seek treatment early and maintain a
regimen of treatment for as long as pro-
gressive hair loss continues. Early and
continued treatment by a cosmetic surgeon always helps. When the hair transplant is done at 40-plus, results vary, so
they have to be properly evaluated for agerelated diseases and other complications.
Patients with poor donor hair reserves
and uncontrolled medical illness can’t
undergo hair transplant.
How is it done?
Those seeking hair transplants are properly evaluated for pre-existing medical illness and aesthetic fitness. There are two
methods — the first is the strip method
where a skin strip is excised to harvest
individual hair follicles, and the second is
the latest and advanced FUE (Follicular
Unit Extraction) method where there is
no need for the skin excision. Both these
methods have their own pros and cons.
Patients with curly or very wavy hair
may be difficult to treat when FUE is
used. In comparison, strip harvesting is
suitable for all types of hair but leaves a
scar. FUE can be a tedious process and
both patient and physician may experience fatigue. This can limit the amount of
grafts that can be harvested in a single
session. Surgery on the average takes five
to six hours for a 2,000-follicle implant by
FUE method. In strip method there can be
additional 1,000 to 2,000 grafts implanted.
The follicle harvested is then implanted
into the bald area.
Results are not instantaneous
It takes at least three to six months to see
the final results. Then, a proper post procedure protocol has to be followed and
further follow-up visits have to
be scheduled. Result varies
with age, hair and scalp nature
which is explained in detail
during the pre-surgery counselling.
Surgery could go wrong
Hair transplant surgery is one
of the safest procedures if surgical principles are followed.
Else, it can go wrong in many
POST- SURGERY
INSTRUCTIONS
Do not venture out without surgical
cap and preferably stay indoors. No
bed rest needed.
◗ Do not wash scalp for seven days.
◗ For first three days keep spraying
normal saline spray gently in
recipient area.
◗ Some simple antibiotics and NSAIDs are given for three to five days.
◗ One can resume work from the fourth day but no physically strenuous work should
be done for a month
◗ No swimming for a month
◗ Avoid taking direct jet or shower over recipient area for a month.
PRE-SURGERY INSTRUCTIONS
■ One week before the procedure patients are advised to stop taking all vitamin
tablets, anti-inflammatory medications, aspirin, green tea extract and alcohol. If one has been prescribed any special medication, they will need permission of their doctor to stop taking medications.
■ Seven days before the procedure one has to stop using Minoxidil or any other
topical hair applications. Applications can be resumed two weeks post procedure or as advised by the doctor.
■ Patients should eat at least two hours prior to their procedure, though it is recommend to avoid coffee and caffeinated products.
■ Wearing button up shirt on the day of the procedure is preferable, not something that goes over your head like T-shirts, kurtas, pull-overs.
■ If one suffers from skin conditions of any sort such as psoriasis or eczema, this
must be treated prior to the procedure or it will not be possible to carry out the procedure.
■ Patients are advised to colour all hair black three days prior to the procedure. This
ensures proper visibility of the hair in the donor area.
■ Blood tests needed are — CBC, TCDC, ESR, Blood Sugar (random for non-diabetics and fasting, pp for diabetics), HbsAg, HCV, HIV, bleeding time, clotting
time and prothrombine time.
■ In case of h/o any major illness like diabetes or hypertension fit for surgery certificate by physician.
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ways, resulting even in loss of life.
Choosing the right doctor is of utmost
importance, or one could end up with
poor results, unsightly donor scars, infection, skin necrosis and loss of skin with
scarring.
There are risks involved too
Even though this is a simple procedure,
one needs to remember that it is a surgical process and patients should look for
the right kind of surgical expertise.
There are some risks that are not really
serious, like swelling, shock hair loss
which recovers, post-procedure pain and
discomfort over operated area. There are
more serious risks, too, like anaesthetic
drug reactions, sepsis, or even death.
Is it possible that one can die during this
surgery?
It's unfortunate to lose life during or due
to this kind of procedure. A well-trained
surgeon will understand that the success
of surgery is decided by proper pre-operative patient selection and best post-surgical follow-up, and not just by mere completion of procedure. The surgeon must
makes sure that the environment in
which he operates — however small the
procedure — is kept sterile and is wellequipped to handle emergencies.
If the place doesn’t have a qualified surgeon, an anaesthetist, proper sterility,
well-trained staff and necessary emergency back-up, it can lead to complications, resulting even in loss of life.
— [email protected]
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