What are the Benefits, Costs and Risks of Anterior Cervical Corpectomy Spine Surgery in India

Cervical Corpectomy Spine Surgery: Definition

Cervical corpectomy, a procedure similar to surgical intervention techniques like anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF), is done through the front of the neck. Corpectomy involves a technique of removal of the vertebral body, one of the cardinal parts of the cervical vertebra that appears like a building block. This particular spinal surgery approach is used when the need for eliminating two or more cervical discs arise. It is easier to get rid of two or more discs along with the intervening body or bodies for some patients. This holds true when the patient has osteophytes or bone spurs behind the body with narrow disc space. Apparently, the surgeon gets a large exposure by removing a cervical body that allows him or her to function through instead of working down the narrow disc space. Corpectomy is performed due to almost the same reasons as an ACDF. The only difference is corpectomy is employed when there are either two or more disc levels associated with bony spurs pressing on the spinal cord, or less often, for treating tumors of the cervical spine.

Benefits:

There are a multitude of benefits of anterior cervical corpectomy, such as
1. This procedure involves fewer complications, almost seven times lesser than other techniques including fusion.
2. The outcome of this procedure is highly encouraging- the mortality rate is quite low.
3. This rate of loss of blood in anterior cervical corpectomy is at least ten times lesser than the rate in conventional surgical procedures.
4. The possibility of possible nerve damage during the surgery is low.
5. The use of a general anesthetic is avoided in performing an anterior cervical corpectomy.

Cost involved:

The cost of anterior cervical corpectomy spine surgery in India is significantly lower than that in countries like US, UK etc. Having said that, there are a few factors that can determine the costs that may include,
1. Choice of surgeon
2. Choice of hospital
3. Extent of spinal damage in the patient
4. Hospital stay

Risks:

Like other surgical procedures, anterior cervical corpectomy involves a host of risks including,
Infection: Infection around the wound is possible. It may require few dressings and some antibiotics to treat such infections.
Infections that have gone deeper may call for the need for further treatment.
 Treating such infections is necessary as it may affect the cerebrospinal fluid present around the nerve roots and spinal cord, which is known as meningitis.

Paralysis: 

The patient can experience nerve or spinal cord damage leading to muscle weakness before the surgery. There are chances that the spinal cord may get squashed or get injured owing to the manipulation done while freeing the nerve or spinal cord. This type of damages can lay a severe impact on the capacity of the bladder and bowel.

Death: 

Though the chances of death are extremely rare, the person being operated may get a myocardial infarct as a result of the stress caused during the surgery (a rare reaction to a drug called anaphylaxis).

Anterior cervical corpectomy spine surgery in India

A horde of patients come to India to get this surgery done due to two significant reasons including quality of services and price. In fact, the price is the major selling point- "First World treatment' at Third World prices".
As Indian premier hospitals are on par, if not better than the most sought-after hospitals in the world, the country is becoming a preferred medical destination for patients around the world.

Oncology and its importance in today's world

Everybody knows about cancer and what it can do to the human body. Perhaps the most dreaded (for good reason) and hard to treat the disease to ever hit homo sapiens, cancer claims millions of lives across the world every year.

But few pay attention to what's being done to battle cancer. Apart from a large number of casualties, today, fighting cancer is a possibility. This is where oncology comes in. A branch of medical studies, oncology is dedicated to the studies of cancers and tumours and works towards advancements in treatments to eradicate the disease in time.

Before diving deeper into oncology, let's understand how old cancer is itself.

Early evidence of cancer can be found among fossilised bone tumours, ancient manuscripts and human mummies of ancient Egypt. Various bone abnormalities were found in these mummies, who dated back to about 3000 BC. The papyrus described these conditions to be “incurable”.

What does an Oncologist do?

Doctors who practice oncology (the specialised study of cancer) are called oncologists. Various oncologists have various specific roles. They understand the working and spread of cancer cells, help in the diagnosis of cancer, staging it, and grading the aggressive nature of cancer.

The Oncology Utility-Belt

The most important tool that oncologists have at their disposal when treating a patient is the clinical history of the patient. Common symptoms that point towards cancer include fatigue, weight loss, unexplained anaemia, fever of unknown origin etc.

Other methods like biopsy or extraction of bits of the tumour tissue and examining it under the microscope. Endoscopy inside the oesophagus, imagery techniques like X-rays, MRI scans, ultrasound and other radiological techniques are also used for diagnosis.

The Types of Oncologists

Oncologists usually fall in one of three major categories- Medical oncologists, who treats the cancer with chemotherapy and medications. Surgical oncologist who removes the tumor and affected tissues. Radiation oncologist who treat the patient with radiation therapy.

Treatment of a patient may also involve other relevant specialists. The oncologists are however, the coordinators of the team.

Maintaining Treatment

After the completion of initial therapy, it is the oncologist who is responsible for the further care of the patient to prevent cases of relapse (recurrence) and ensuring remission (remaining cancer-free)

Predictive analysis

Oncology research also involves scanning the population for the disease and screening relatives of patients who have been affected as well in hereditary cancer origin cases.

Oncology going strong

There has been more progress in advanced oncology now more than ever before. Advancements in areas ranging from cancer cell biology to chemotherapy regimens and optimal palliative care and pain relief have proven that Cancer treatment has come a long way and has a continuously changing future.

If you're looking for cancer treatment but may not be able to handle the incurred costs, look for treatment options elsewhere where you can get reputed and quality treatment for much lower prices. For instance, consider Colon cancer treatment cost. The colon cancer treatment cost in India is much lower than what it would cost a patient being treated in say the US or UK. If you're coming from abroad, look for organisations that help you find some of the best oncologists and hospitals in India, and you could save a good amount of funds. 

Why Medical tourists are Choosing Kolkata to seek Medical Treatments

For an extended period of time, India has been regarded as one of the most sought-after tourist destinations in the world. And, with the advent of technology, improvements in state-of-architecture, access to premium-grade quality instruments and knowledgeable doctors along with other healthcare professionals, India has gained enormous popularity as a cost-effective option for medical tourists as well.

As a matter of fact, in the recent years, India's tourism and medical industry have collaborated to offer highly-specialized medical treatments to patients around the world at a fraction of the cost. Some of these treatment protocols include liver transplant, heart surgery, kidney transplant, knee replacement surgery, to name a few.

Why Kolkata?

The cost of medical treatment in India is significantly lower than that in countries like US, UK, Australia and Canada. Every year, a fairly large of people from these developed countries fly to India to avail best-quality medical services, especially in Kolkata. The cost of various treatment methods and surgical interventions including heart surgery, Bariatric surgery, knee replacement surgery etc. is almost half in the hospitals based in Kolkata as compared to the what it is in treatment facilities of US, Germany, Canada and more.

The US is regarded as a high priced country particularly in terms of medical expenses; hence, a growing number of Americans are travelling to India to seek medical assistance for treatments that involve minor as well as significant surgeries.

Kolkata has the best healthcare facilities such as Fortis, Apollo, and more that is home to top-notch medical practitioners who have the expertise to offer best-in-class medical services to patients, both local and global. With the access to qualified doctors and surgeons, modern-day medical instruments and skilled medical staff, these hospitals have gained popularity in providing most exceptional medical and surgical procedures that match the International Standards. Along with the conventional procedures, such medical establishments have the access to professionals specialized in Ayurveda and other natural therapies.

Premier healthcare facilities in Kolkata are equipped with latest medical equipment and knowledgeable team of doctors who can perform even the most challenging surgeries in an efficient and timely fashion.

Another primary reason why people from all over the world come to India to seek medical treatments is the easy availability of medical loans. Almost all the healthcare and treatment facilities In Kolkata offer medical loans to both national and International patients at zero or minimal interest rates. For this reason, Kolkata has emerged out to be a medical paradise for people who lack medical insurance or don't have enough money to meet medical emergencies. Not just that, companies such as Reliance medical finance, Care credit etc. offer a ray of hope to people to fail to pay their medical bills by providing them easy loans.

In case, you are looking for a cost-effective treatment in India, Kolkata is your best bet. You can contact renowned hospitals in Kolkata to avail first-class treatments  at reasonable costs, without compromising quality. 

Is Gastric bypass surgery worth going for? Risks Vs Benefits

When you are tired of trying all know options for weight loss and none of them works for you, you might be suggested by your doctors to go for a gastric bypass surgery. But is it really for you? and should you go for it even after knowing some of the risks it has? You could be certain about all this only when you know enough about the surgery, this article would help you in knowing how this surgery works and what are some benefits and complications you might consider knowing about.

Are you the one?

As you begin knowing about the surgery, the first question that arises is “Is this surgery the right one for me?”, though your doctor is the most appropriate person to answer this question, still these are some of the patient profiles considered for the surgery:

● People who have a body mass index of 40 or more than 40

● People who have a BMI of 35 to 40 and have a health condition like blood pressure or type 2 diabetes, which can be improved with weight loss

Along with your BMI, your health condition and fitness to go through anaesthesia and surgery are also considered while evaluation.

Since a weight loss surgery is not recommended for children as well as young people, You should be above the age of 16 years to get this surgery done.

Risks and complications:

Usually, the complications and risks are informed to you by your doctors well before surgery. But there are some characteristics that make patients more prone to risks, the characteristics include:

● A BMI of 50 or more

● Excessive blood pressure

● An age of 45 years or above

Long-term risks of this surgery depend on the type of surgery, the commonly known complications include:

Stomal Stenosis: This refers to a condition after the surgery where a piece of food blocks the Stoma (the hole that connects the pouch placed in the surgery to the intestine). To avoid such encounters patients are recommended to chew their food thoroughly and cut the food into small chunks before eating. Continuous vomiting is one of the symptoms of stomal stenosis. 

Dumping syndrome: The dumping syndrome in gastric patients refers to a condition wherein the food gets dumped into intestine before getting digested completely, this may cause nausea or vomiting, bloating, diarrhoea and pain.

Staple Disruption: Staple disruptions are some of the rare consequences of the surgery, it refers to a condition where the staple of the operation gets pulled out. When this happens the doctors may recommend a second operation to mend it.

Gastric band slippage: Occurrence of gastric band slippage may happen months or years after the surgery when the gastric band slips resulting in enlargement of the upper stomach pouch. The pouch can be put in the place with a surgery.

Benefits:

Weightloss: Weight loss remains the primary benefit of the surgery, You can expect a weight loss of up to 50 to 70 percent over 3 years from the surgery. The amount of weight loss, however, depends on the lifestyle and eating habit choices you make.

Better health: As you decrease weight, your overall health also tends to improve, many patients can witness dramatic improvements in their diabetic conditions after the surgery.

Hospitals for treatment:

Usually, hospitals providing such surgeries are available in every country and you can get it done in your locality with convenience, however, the hospitals with experienced bariatric surgeons and quality treatment tend to cost you more. In such cases the solution would be medical tourism, there are a good number of gastric bypass surgery hospitals in India which may help you in getting the surgery done. The best gastric bypass surgery hospitals in India, are known for qualified doctors and state-of-art treatment technologies.

What are the best prostate cancer treatment hospitals in India?

Prostate cancer is a type of cancer that affects the prostate gland, located below the bladder and in front of the rectum. The prostate gland produces some of the fluid in semen and plays a role in urine control in men.

                                   

Prostate cancer is the most commonly found type of cancer in men in the US.

Now that you know what is prostate cancer let's have a look at the symptoms of prostate cancer. Prostate cancer generally does not show any signs in early stages of cancer. Typically, the symptoms of prostate cancer treatment include frequent urges to urinate, including at night, difficulty commencing and maintaining urination, blood in the urine, painful urination and, less commonly, ejaculation, difficulty achieving or maintaining an erection may be difficult. Advanced stages of prostate cancer show the following symptoms- bone pain, often in the spine, femur, pelvis, or ribs and bone fractures.

If the prostate cancer spreads to the spine and compresses the spinal cord, the following issues may occur- leg weakness, urinary incontinence and faecal incontinence.

Risk factors for prostate cancer-

The factors that can increase your risk for prostate cancer include-

1. Age- As your age increases, the chances of getting prostate cancer increases.

2. Family history- If men in your family have had prostate cancer, your risk may be increased. Also, if you have a family history of genes that increase the risk of breast cancer (BRCA1 or BRCA2) or a substantial family history of breast cancer, your risk of prostate cancer may be higher.

3. Obesity- Obese men are more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer. Treating prostate cancer in obese men can be very difficult.

How can anybody prevent prostate cancer?

Prostate cancer can be avoided if the following steps are followed.

1. Chose a diet full of veggies and fruits- High-fat foods need to avoided and instead should be on eating a wide variety of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Whether you can prevent prostate cancer through diet has yet to be proved. But eating a healthy diet with a variety of fruits and vegetables can improve your overall health.

2. Exercise most days of the week- Exercise improves the overall health, helps to maintain your weight and improve your mood. Try to exercise for most days of the week. If you're new to exercise, start slow and work your way up to more exercise time each day.

3. Stay away from supplements- Supplements may have a side effect on your body and will probably increase the risk of getting prostate cancer. Instead, choose foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals so that you can maintain healthy levels of vitamins in your body.

4. Talk to your doctor about the increased risk of getting prostate cancer- Men with a high risk of prostate cancer may consider medications or other treatments to reduce their risk. Sometimes, doctors prescribe taking 5-alpha reductase inhibitors, including finasteride (Propecia, Proscar) and dutasteride (Avodart), may reduce the overall risk of developing prostate cancer. These medicines are used to control the enlargement of the prostate gland and hair loss in men. However, a stu

dy has revealed that after taking these medicines the risk of getting prostate cancer increases rapidly.

India being the hub for medical treatments offers boasts of various prostate cancer treatment hospitals in India that offer low cost and effective treatment. Patients from various countries come to India for treatment and are completely satisfied with the process.

Great Body doesn’t happen by chance, it happens with an appointment!

Little Olivia Ross from Cleveland is busy playing games on her tab, while her mother is screaming to call her for dinner. She is so engrossed in the game called ‘To Be Frozen Sisters.’ The player plays the role of a plastic surgeon, and the objective of the player is to nip and tuck two ordinary sisters in order to transform them into famous frozen princesses Elsa and Anna.

Even though the game sounds intriguing, and by now many children might have installed the game captivated by the idea. But, the primary point that concerns the parents apart from the excessive inclination of the children towards technological devices is the insecurity that the children develop about their physical appearance after knowing ‘the standard’ description of beauty via such games. A recent petition was filed on one such game called ‘Beauty Clinic Plastic Surgery’ calling for Apple, Google and Amazon.com to remove or make the apps less appealing to children. The major concern behind the petition is the growing insecurity among children for their body shape and size, known by a common term, ‘Body Image’.

Cosmetic surgery as a surgical procedure is an idea to fall for as that has provided the individuals with an ample opportunity to reconstruct or restructure any part of their body for enhancing their physical appearance. But, the basic construct of such games, psychologically affects children. It will not be justified to utterly blame individuals who are in the gaming industry because at the end of the day it is the parents or guardians who have the onus to shape and develop the mind-set of their children. Engaging kids in the outer world, making their perspective broader by reading a good book to them religiously are some of the ways to shape the mind of your kith and kin.

Digital advancements is one of the prime reason of making the world a global village. We owe a great deal of gratitude to this creation of mankind. Every coin has two sides, so is technology. Hence, it is important to not let your creation rule you, rather have a great grip on your mind, and control your fingers as everything is just a touch away. Filling petition is a good option as that might make the game creators more vigilant and aware about how their products psychologically affect or influence children. Further, such petitions will also impart greater awareness amongst parents and children alike. But, a better option here can be the sense of responsibility in parents to guide their children unfailingly about the aspects and objectives of the content creators of the virtual medium. As it is rightly said that, ‘The struggle you’re in today is developing the strength you need for tomorrow.’ For the children who are reading this, always remember that ‘Beauty and Beast are who they are because of their deeds, not appearance.’

Cosmetic surgery as a procedure is highly prevalent in India. Higher success rate and cost-effectiveness in the process of treatment are the factors that arrest and absorb the attention of the international patients to India. Being from a foreign land, it is completely understood on the part of the international patients to feel alienated with respect to healthcare providers and professionals in India. Medmonks, a medical travel platform gets to play a role here by handholding the patients in their treatment journey and bridging all possible information and service gaps. Cosmetic surgery demands higher level of awareness with respect to the candidates about their choice of surgeon, as it is a matter of not only physical but mental satisfaction too. 

Take care of the key player in your body- LIVER

Liver transplantation is the process of replacement of the diseased liver with a healthy liver to retain the healthy functions of the liver. Liver- a vital organ of the human body that holds the capability to regrow and regenerate. Diseases like jaundice make it difficult for people to stabilise the condition of their liver. ‘Healthy liver is the key to healthy living,’ everything you eat, drink including the medicines passes through it. Right care can regulate and stabilise the function of the liver.

 Health should be considered as A SUPREME COMMITMENT

Let us understand a few ways as for how one can keep its liver healthy-

1.    Limit the Consumption of Alcohol

Alcohol is like a poison for the liver. It is understood on the part of the individual to halt the consumption of alcohol altogether. So what one can do is that they can start by limiting consumption to some occasion. Make sure you are not the one organising the occasion. Heavy consumption of alcohol causes not only chronic liver disease but also causes high blood pressure, triglycerides (High blood fats), heart failure, stroke, fetal alcohol syndrome if one is pregnant, certain cancers, injury, violence and finally death is the outcome. Drinking too much of alcohol also piles on the calories which may lead to obesity and higher risk for diabetes. There is a segment of people who should refrain from consumption of alcohol like pregnant and breastfeeding women.
• women who are at risk of breast cancer
• people with family history of alcohol abuse
• People below the age of 23, people suffering from liver problems or ulcers, and anyone requiring skill coordination to perform a task too for that matter.

2.    Eat healthily and Stay Fit

Dietary habits and vigilance concerning herbs and dietary supplements. Some of the supplements that may cause problems are cascara, chaparral, comfrey, kava and ephedra. It is important to eat healthily, Vitamin and Mineral-rich food as they act as required immune for the liver. Some herbs and supplements create classic and promising advertisements to ensure that they are the best cure to make a liver healthy. Some of the examples of such supplements are milk thistle seed, borotutu bark, chanca piedra. One should be a rational consumer and take into consideration all the aspects of these products in the market. Drink a lot of coffee as that lowers the risk of getting a liver disease (the scientific credibility of the statement is low).

3.    Watch out for certain medication

Some of the cholesterol drugs can have a side effect that leads to liver problems. Painkillers like Tylenol (acetaminophen) can lead to severe damage to the liver. Consumption of Over-the-counter medication can also damage the functioning the liver.

4.    Getting tested for viral hepatitis

International patients consider India as one of the best destinations for liver transplantation. Liver transplantation in India is very effective with respect to the outcomes. Hepatitis A is injuries to the liver, and one can catch that via drinking water that has the virus that causes the disease. It is always advisable to the people to get themselves vaccinated if they are travelling to the part of the world with viruses’ outbreak. Through blood and body fluids Hepatitis B and C can spread. Limitation of the number of sex partners is also important, and it is always advisable to use Latex Condoms. Albeit there isn’t any vaccination for Hepatitis C, but hepatitis B has one vaccination in the market. Viral hepatitis doesn’t show any symptoms, so it is important to get tested for viral hepatitis.

Understanding how India is contributing to the treatment of people with diseased liver
India has a major role to play to treat the patient suffering from a severe liver disease. Medanta Medicity, Gurugram, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, Artemis Hospital, Gurugram, BLK Super Speciality Hospital, New Delhi, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram, Fortis, Noida, Pushpawati Singhania Research Institute (PSRI), Jaypee Hospital, Noida, Fortis Hospital, Mulund, Jaslok Hospital, Nanavati Hospital, and Vile Parle are among the top healthcare providers in India.

Best surgeons for Liver Transplant in Delhi

•    Dr Arvinder Singh Soin (Institute of Liver Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine Medanta, Gurugram)
•    Dr Subash Gupta (Max Healthcare, Saket)
•    Dr. (Prof.) Sanjay Singh Negi, GI Surgery and Liver Transplant (BLK Super Speciality Hospital, New Delhi)
•    Dr K R Vasudevan (Pushpawati Singhania Research Institute)
•    Dr Abhideep Chaudhary (Jaypee Hospital)
•    Dr Ramdip Ray (Artemis Hospital, Gurugram)
•    Dr Vivek Vij (Fortis, Noida)