Tag: Fortis Memorial Research Institute

Health

24 years old patient suffering from aplastic anemia given a new lease of life at Fortis Gurugram

Nov 25, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Fortis Memorial Research Institute, #Gurugram

Gurugram: Doctors at Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram successfully treated a 24-year-old patient Mr. Abhishek Sharma of Charkhi Dadri, Haryana who was suffering from Severe Aplastic Anemia, where bone marrow stops to function, with no definitive medicines available. The patient presented to Fortis Gurugram with the complaints of fever, low hemoglobin, bleeding and low platelets. The patient underwent successful Bone Marrow Transplant performed by a team of doctors led by Dr Rahul Bhargava, Principal Director, Hematology, Hemato-Oncology & Bmt and Dr. Meet Kumar, Consultant, Hematology and BMT, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram.

The patient suffered from high-grade fever in February and he consulted his local doctor in Dadri. The doctors were quick in identifying that the patient’s platelet count was well below the normal count. Patient then consulted a doctor in Bhiwani and got repeat blood tests and went for third consultation to Hisar. The patient’s diagnosis was confirmed to be Aplastic Anaemia and was then presented to Fortis Gurgaon which is the advanced centre for Bone Marrow Transplant in Haryana. The patient’s brother and sister were tested for a matched donor Bone Marrow Transplant. While the sister was 80% match, the brother was 100% match. Thereby, the patients 16-year-old brother was considered as a donor. The patient underwent a successful bone marrow transplant in April 2021 and has now completely healed.

Dr Rahul Bhargava, Principal Director, Hematology, Hemato-Oncology & Bone Marrow Transplant, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram said, “Aplastic anaemia is a uniformly total disorder “in this disorder patient requires regular blood transfusion. Aplastic anaemia leaves one feeling fatigued and with a higher risk of infections and uncontrolled bleeding. Treatment for aplastic anaemia includes medications, blood transfusions but the only a stem cell transplant, also known as a bone marrow transplant.”

Dr. Meet Kumar, Consultant, Haematology and Bone Marrow Transplant, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram said, “Diagnosis of aplastic anemia is difficult and timely diagnosis is of utmost importance, secondly, once the diagnosis is done there is no curative treatment other than bone marrow transplant for this disease. In the process of BMT, RBC, WBC and platelets are Eradicated from the body. The patient is like a new born baby and is susceptible to infections. Stabilising the patient in such a condition is a challenge. Stem Cells from a different person are transferred to the patient’s body and acceptance of same is essentials for a successful transplant. However, when it comes to the donor, there is no risk involved at all. The donor just donates 300 ml of a blood stem cells and there is nothing to be scared. The patient was very lucky as ideally the donors match is 30 %, but in this case the patient and his Brother were 100% matched. The added intricacy for this patient was that he had a family history of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (a type of genetic disease leading to severe muscle weakness). For the same reason, donor was also screened negative for this disease before taking him up as the preferred donor. The donor was discharged the very next day of donation. The patient has successfully been discharged from the hospital and is now leading a normal life”

Patient Mr. Abhishek said, “When I was diagnosed with Aplastic Anaemia I was in shock. I have never had any of the symptoms mainly associated with the disease and when I was presented to Fortis I had very little idea about the cure of the disease and its treatment – Bone Marrow Transplant. I am thankful to my family who without giving it a second thought came forward to donate platelets. My brother was a full match and after the transplant he was discharged the very next day. After the transplant my bond with my brother has grew even deeper. I would like to thank all team of doctors specially Dr Meet Kumar for giving me a new lease of life.”

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Fortis Hospital Gurugram joins hands to make Malnutrition free Gurugram

Mar 23, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Director & Head, #Dr Rahul Bhargava, #Fortis Memorial Research Institute, #Gurugram, #Haemato-Oncology & Bone Marrow Transplant, #Haematology

Gurugram: With an endeavour to raise awareness and make Gurugram malnutrition-free, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram organised a free health camp followed by an interactive workshop explaining the dire need to eliminate anemia and associated disorders. Coupled with the Government’s Nutrition Campaign, this is yet another public centric step taken by the leading hospital of the region.

The health camp was launched in the presence of Dr Yash Garg, IAS, Deputy Commissioner, District Gurugram and Sh Prashant Panwar, IAS, Additional District Commissioner, Gurugram. The camp saw a huge participation of over 250 anganbadi workers, who underwent CBC test and were explained about the ways to healthy well-being. All the anganbadi workers were also trained for 7 days for the management and eradication of malnutrition from the region.

The campaign was positively garnered to encourage women and anganbadi workers to initiate for a healthy lifestyle. These anganbadi trainers would then train the children from their respective region on ways to Hain a health life through proper intake of nutrition. In view of the fact that atleast one-third of the Indian Women are anemic, iron rich diet plays a major role in curbing the current situation. The session emphasized on Training of Trainers (ToT) fact that the anganbadi workers have a major role to play in the elimination of malnutrition and contribute in the Nation’s well-being

Around 40% of the women from Anganbadi undergoing the tests were identified to be having low levels of Hb (anemic) and around 56% of the urban Anganbadi workers from the nearby areas of Gurugram had optimal levels of Hb. Being on the frontline, these women need to be self-directed, motivated and dedicated towards the social cause of eliminating malnutrition from the society.

“Due to the lack of awareness, most women ignore the early Symptoms of these diseases. It is important to create awareness that these diseases are permanently curable. These patients have low haemoglobin, low white cell counts and low platelets, so they usually present with weakness, tiredness, persistent fever or bleeding spots (red- or blue-coloured spots) over the body.” Said Dr Rahul Bhargava, Director & Head, Haematology, Haemato-Oncology & Bone Marrow Transplant, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram.

Health

Rising trend of Breast cancer in India, early diagnosis is the key to quality life

Feb 24, 2021 by Neel Achary 0 Comments #Director, #Dr Niranjan Naik, #Fortis Memorial Research Institute, #Gurugram, #Surgical Oncology
Dr Niranjan Naik, Director, Surgical Oncology, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram
Dr Niranjan Naik, Director, Surgical Oncology, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram

By Dr Niranjan Naik, Director, Surgical Oncology, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram

Over the last decade, even though there is a rise in incidence of breast cancer, but with awareness, access and changing paradigms in cancer care, the mortality rate has come down gradually. Yet Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of mortality among patients suffering from any type of cancer worldwide.

According to the recent data given by Globacan 2018, breast cancer among Indian women is the highest worldwide. There is an increase in the trend of new cancer patients, and the age group of new patients coming annually have gradually dropped from <55 years to under 40 years of age. As per the data recorded in ICMR 2018, over 1.5 lakh new breast cancer patients have been recorded in India last year.

Reportedly, the risk of developing breast cancer among women has surged to 1 in every 28 women. Even though the cases are on the relatively lower side in the rural areas with 1 in 60 women at risk, the urban areas contribute to a risk factor of at least 1 in 22 women. With genetics and hereditary playing a major role for the onset of cancer, women in any age bracket are susceptible to the risk and the risk further exacerbates with the increasing age.Dr Niranjan Naik, Director, Surgical Oncology, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram Said While the cases of breast cancer can affect anybody irrespective of the gender, women are highly inclined towards the susceptibility than men. Male breast cancer accounts for 1 percent of all diagnosed breast cancer cases.

What are the early signs?

Diagnosing breast cancer among younger women (<40 years) is difficult as the tissues are denser than older women. And by the time the lump starts to show persistent symptoms, the tumor reaches an advanced stage, where it proliferates aggressively and less likely to respond to treatment. It is thus wise to be aware of such complications and make frequent visits to the doctor as a precautionary measure. The symptoms include –

  • Comparative change in size and shape.
  • Lump that feels thicker than the rest of the breast.
  • Change in skin texture is dimpling.
  • Redness around the nipple with change in its shape.
  • Pain in the breast and swelling in the armpits.
  • Liquid discharge from the nipple.

Breast cancer treatment

With the recent advancements in the cancer care treatment, mortality and morbidity rates among breast cancer patients have curbed down. Based on the stage and grade of the tumor, the doctor may prescribe combination of the following treatment – 

  1. Surgery
  • Breast Conserving Surgery: where the surgery is performed to only remove the cancerous lump called tumor. Depending on the type, size and amount of tumor, the surgery ranges from lumpectomy (removal of tumor with little surrounding tissues) or partial mastectomy. Usually, post-surgical radiotherapy is offered to destroy any remaining cancer cells and is as successful as total mastectomy in treating early-stage breast cancer.
  • Mastectomy: surgery where the whole breast is surgically removed. With advancement in science and technology, a mastectomy can be followed by reconstructive surgery to recreate a bulge to replace the removed portion of breast. Reconstruction can be carried out at the same time as a mastectomy (immediate reconstruction), or it can be carried out later (delayed reconstruction). It can be done either by inserting a breast implant or by using tissue from another part of your body to create a new breast.
  1. Radiation therapy –With radiation therapy, high-powered beams of radiation are used to target and kill cancer cells. Most radiation treatments use external beam radiation. Under this technique, a large machine is used on the outside of the body.
  2. Chemotherapy –Chemotherapy is used to destroy cancer cells by using a drug treatment. In some cases, patients may be given chemotherapy before surgery. The aim is to give the treatment that will shrink the tumor. In such a case, the surgery will not need to be as invasive. Chemotherapy has many unwanted side effects. You may discuss with your doctor in detail before initiating the treatment.
  3. Hormone therapy –If your type of breast cancer is sensitive to hormones, your doctor may start you on hormone therapy. Two female hormones – Estrogen and progesterone, can lead to the growth of breast cancer tumors. Hormone therapy works by blocking your body’s production of these hormones, or by blocking the hormone receptors on the cancer cells. This action can help slow and possibly stop the growth of your cancer.
  4. Targeted Medications –Certain treatments are designed to attack specific abnormalities or mutations within cancer cells. For example, Herceptin (trastuzumab) can help in blocking the body’s production of HER2 protein. HER2 helps breast cancer cells grow, therefore, taking a medication which will slow down the production of this protein may help in slowing the growth of cancer.
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Rare Disorder keeps 25-year-old Rewari female bed-ridden for 1 year, revived successfully

Dec 19, 2020 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Consultant, #Dr Naval Mendiratta, #Fortis Hospital, #Fortis Memorial Research Institute, #Gurugram, #Rheumatology

Rewari: 25-year-old Rachna Devi, from Rewari, who got bed ridden last year due to a rare disorder was successfully treated at Fortis Hospital, Gurugram. The patient is now completely back to her daily routine without any complications.

Since January 2018, when Rachna started developing swelling and rashes throughout her body, gradually lost her ability to walk within 2 months. Upon various consultations at multiple Hospitals (even in Delhi) were not seeming to ease her complication. By this period, she completely got bed-ridden and was completely dependent on her family for support.

Since her condition was not even diagnosed, what she is suffering from, she was referred to Fortis Hospital, Gurugram by her relatives. On presentation she was diagnosed with Dermatomyositis, an uncommon inflammatory disease marked by muscle weakness and a distinctive skin rash. It is a form of arthritis where the joints, skin, muscles, and lungs can get inflamed.

Arthritis, known in common language as Gathiya, usually refers to pain, inflammation and swelling in the joints. It can affect one or multiple joints together. Dermatomyositis is one of the most uncommon types of arthritis. It can affect your lungs, skin, muscles, and eyes. The symptoms of dermatomyositis can appear suddenly or may develop over time. The most common signs and symptoms include skin changes, muscle weakness and swelling.

“When I saw the patient, she had red rash all over her face and body and had swelling in the complete body. She could barely walk, eat, or sit for a long period. I examined her and found that all the muscles were swollen, and she could barely lift her legs and hands. Various diagnostic tests revealed abnormal levels of CPK, Aldolase with high liver functions that confirmed this to be a case of dermatomyositis. Being a rare condition, her skin and muscle inflammation had gone undiagnosed initially, and hence her situation worsened to become bedridden. “said Dr Naval Mendiratta, Consultant, Rheumatology, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram

The patient was administered and monitored with a combination of injections and tablets under her medication course for over 1 month in the hospital. With gradual response of medication and now recovered completely, the doses were reduced and now after one year, most of her medication have been stopped.

“During her last visit for routine follow-up, it was difficult to tell if she was the same female last year who was bed ridden. Due to her undiagnosed condition, she was almost on the verge of collapse and not treating her on time would have led to repercussions that would have been irreversible. It is important to note that arthritis is treatable provided you reach your rheumatologist on time.” added Dr Naval.

Mrs. Rachna Devi, the patient said, “In January 2018 I started to have fever and vomiting which did not go away from the medicines. I was hospitalised at a local hospital in Rewari for 8 days where instead of getting any relief, my symptoms started to worsen. During that period my body started developing rashes all over that was unbearable. Since then I had been trying to consult the expert doctor in local as well as in Delhi for over 2 months, when I noticed that my body had almost swollen to one-third of my actual size.  I could barely eat or stand.  Whatever I ate, would come back through my nose. My ears started to release water. I was totally dependent on my family to even use the restroom. I had lost all my hair in my entire body. After two months of suffering, my relative referred me to show at Fortis Hospital., Gurugram. After I met Dr Naval, he was sure of his diagnosis and after taking medicines for 2 months I started to see improvement. My swelling had gradually decreased; I stopped vomiting and could eat on my own. My rashes also improved and have now disappeared. After taking the medicines continuously for 6 months, I was back to my normal life. Earlier my children used to see me in pain and cry, now I can play with them like before. I cannot thank Dr Naval enough for what he has done for me. He has given me my life back.”