MedPlus Partners With Wockhardt For Cardiac Care

MedPlus Healthcare Services has tied up with Wockhardt Hospitals to improve access to quality cardiac care services. It is a first of its kind initiative in the healthcare industry, which will bring MedPlus and Wockhardt Hospitals together to improve healthcare in local communities.This partnership will be initially be available only in Andhra Pradesh.

This partnership between Wockhardt Hospitals and MedPlus will address cardiac care facilities at two levels - preventive care and comprehensive non-invasive treatment services. As part of the initiative, MedPlus is establishing special “Cardiac Zones” across MedPlus Clinics in Andhra Pradesh where cardiac specialists from Wockhardt Hospitals will be available to offer consultancy services for early diagnosis as well as for post-operative cardiac care. In addition, MedPlus customers will now be offered special privileges and Value added Services at Wockhardt Hospitals and similarly Wockhardt Hospital patients would also be getting special privileges and facilities from MedPlus.

At the preventive care level, MedPlus and Wockhardt Hospitals will reach out to the local communities across tier II and tier III towns through “mobile cardiac care screening units”. At these units cardiac specialists will provide counseling, consultancy and timely diagnosis of heart ailments such as coronary artery diseases, valvular heart disease and congenital heart diseases. The mobile cardiac care screening units will contain an ECG machine and a 2D ECHO system, enabling the cardiologist to evaluate the risk profiles on a real time basis.

Mumbai Terror Attacks: We stand United To Serve You

The recent terror attacks in Mumbai has left us shocked and devastated. We at Wockhardt Hospitals share our grief with all Indians across the country and the world.

We're all feeling the horror of the awful terrorist attacks in Mumbai. All our hearts go out to the victims and their families who were the victims of this senseless terrorist attack.

We would like to reassure our patients and visitors at Wockhardt Hospitals that we are continuing our services as usual and trying to do everything to stand up to this hour of grief and tragedy.

To our International patients, and families of them who are worried about their near and dear ones, we would want to assure them that we are fully geared to to serve out patients and make their experience at Wockhardt as comfortable as possible.

Chinese Doctors Comes Calling to Witness Awake Heart Surgery

Prof Shangyi Ji, Professor of Cardiovascular Surgery and President of Sun-Yat-Sen Hospital China and Prof Zhiyong Huang, Professor of Anesthesiology, Cardiovascular Anesthesiologist, Department of Anesthesiology, Sun Yat-Sen Cardiovascular Hospital, China visited Wockhardt Hospitals,Bangalore to observe the medical breakthroughs in awake heart surgeries and gain knowledge under the expertise of Dr. Vivek Jawali who is considered to be the pioneer in awake surgeries.

Speaking on the occasion Dr. Vivek Jawali who performed this operation said, “India is transcending new heights as an ideal training ground for cardiovascular procedures and an increasing number of foreign doctors from China and different parts of the world are visiting Wockhardt Hospitals for hands-on learning experience in new technological advancements in cardiac surgery.”

“It’s been our utmost pleasure and a great learning experience to have associated with Wockhardt Hospitals and gain on-ground experience on awake heart surgeries Prof Shangyi Ji said. “We would like to get the best of knowledge on cardiac surgery during from Wockhardt Hospitals and Dr. Vivek Jawali and apply the best practices in our hospital in China, he added.

Dr Vivek Jawali, is the pioneer of minimally invasive cardiac surgery in India and has done over 15,000 heart surgeries. Dr Jawli performed India's first awake bypass surgery on a fully conscious patient without using general Anesthesia or ventilator,using the technique of of continuous high thoracic epidural analgesia in the year 2000.In July 2002 he performed the worlds first awake open heart surgery,which involved an aortic valve replacement with a triple bypass on a 74 year old patient.He is a founding member of International Society of Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgeons and currently the president of Indian Association of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgeons(IACTS)

Wockhardt Hospitals Specialty Guide:Preventing sports injuries in Children and Adolescents

This is the first of our "Wockhardt Hospitals Specialty Guide" that seeks to inform and educate our users about some of their medical condition and ways to manage and prevent them.

Starting from today we shall feature Doctors from Wockhardt Hospitals who will be sharing their thoughts with our users and patients about specific medical conditions and case studies.

Today Dr Ashis Anand ,M.S. (Orthopedics), DNB, MNAM Consultant Orthopedic ,at Wockhardt Hospitals, Bangalore speaks about Sports Injuries and ways to avoid them.

Dr Ashis Anand is a highly qualified Orthopedic Surgeon who has worked in India and US. His areas of interest include Arthroscopy and Joint Replacement (Hip, Knee and Shoulder). With more than 450 replacements (Primary and Revision). He has also excelled in Unicompartmental Knee Replacement which is done by very few centers in India.

Exercise may reduce the chances of obesity in children. It may also lessen the risk of diabetes, a disease that is sometimes associated with a lack of exercise and poor eating habits. Children need to stay away from junk food!

Kinds of Sports Injuries in Children and Adolescents

Lower limb Injuries

When all sports are considered, the lower extremities are at an overall greater risk for injury than either central (back, neck, and head) or upper extremities. This is due to the emphasis of most sports on the lower extremities to provide locomotive power and speed to the entire body. This emphasis is seen in children sports participation, regardless of age. Active bone growth precedes muscle and tendon lengthening, requiring each muscle tendon unit to lengthen or stretch out to keep up with the bone growth. Limited muscle and tendon flexibility predisposes to increased overuse injuries in puberty.

In addition, active growth causes subtle changes in the overall alignment of the lower extremity. Injuries of the lower extremity that are unique to or occur more frequently in children include the following: slipped capital femoral epiphysis, musculotendinous avulsions about the pelvis, distal femoral physical fractures, avulsion of the cruciate ligaments, tibial eminence fractures, Osgood-Schlatter disease, Sinding-Larsen-Johansson disease, ankle sprains secondary to maturing tarsal coalition, and physical injuries of the foot and ankle.

Upper Limb Injuries

Sports that require throwing or use of a racquet demand repetitive high stresses on the shoulder and elbow, increasing the risk of injury in those areas .These injuries include proximal humeral physeal injuries, ligamentous laxity of the shoulder, medial collateral ligament injuries of the elbow, avulsion of the medial epicondyle of the elbow, osteochondritis dissecans, and radial head overgrowth. Children who weight lift with excessive weight may also develop physical injury.

Central Body Injuries

Sports or sports positions that demand repetitive low back extension, such as gymnastics, cheerleading, can cause low back pain, muscle strains, and spondylolysis. Baseball is the only team sport found to have a "maximal" risk for head and spine injury in young athletes, more so because of the severity of these injuries associated with the sport than because of their incidence.

Overuse Injuries

Overuse injuries occur from the repetitive application of submaximal stresses to otherwise normal tissues. This type of injury is more prevalent in the setting of organized sports, compared with backyard or pick-up games or purely recreational activities, especially in elite child athlete programs. Overtraining and exposure to excessive levels of physical activity can present an increased risk of injury. If not managed properly and efficiently, overuse injuries can affect normal physical growth and maturation. Prevention is the key; gradual rather than sudden increases in stresses and intensity can usually avoid physical breakdown.

Stress fractures are a form of overuse injury, and they occur most frequently in the tibia, fibula, and pars interarticularis in young athletes. Stress fracture occurs when the bone itself becomes overstressed and begins to fail. Pain with impact or activity is the primary complaint .If identified early, the progressive inflexibility associated with growth can be overcome with a stretching program, which should reduce the risk of overuse injuries .Periostitis, also known as "shin splints," is an overuse injury that occurs in athletes involved in ballistic activities and those that involve rapid deceleration. It may be caused by a strain of the anterior or posterior tibialis muscles at their tibial origin. Pain is usually diffuse and less focal than that of stress fracture .

How to prevent injuries in Children

● Maintain proper physical conditioning to play the sport.
● Know and abide by the rules of the sport.
● Wear appropriate protective gear (for example, shin guards for soccer, pads and Abdominal guard in Cricket ).
● Know how to use athletic equipment.
● Always warm up before playing.
● Avoid playing when very tired or in pain.
● Get a pre-season physical examination.
● Make sure there is adequate water or other liquids to maintain proper hydration during training and while playing.
● If symptoms persist consult your Sports Medicine Doctor Immediately.

source: Dr Ashis Anand, Wockhardt Hospitals Bone and Joint Care

Wockhardt Hospitals Kolkata Consultation Camp on November 23rd ,2008

Wockhardt Hospitals, Kolkata is organizing a one day consultation camp on November 23, 2008 from 9 am to 3 pm at Wockhardt Hospitals, 2/7 Sarat Bose Road, Kolkata – 700 020. Eminent Orthopedic Surgeon Dr Sanjay Pai and Neurosurgeon Dr. K N Krishna from Wockhardt Hospitals Bangalore will be available at the facility for consultation.

The consultation camp is being organized for people with joint problems, ligament injuries and spinal problems. For appointments please call Mr. Maunik Nag 9830854966 or Suparna on 98310 96761.

Wockhardt Hospitals Bone & Joint Care:

The Wockhardt Hospitals Bone and Join care specializes in minimally invasive joint replacements surgeries and Arthroscopic surgeries.

Wockhardt Hospitals Brain & Spine Care:

The Wockhardt Hospitals Brain & Spine care is amongst the few in Asia equipped with most advanced Neuro-navigation and Endoscopic facilities to perform complex brain and spine surgeries by the minimal invasive method.

Dr. Sanjay Pai and Dr. K N Krishna will now be available for consultation on a monthly basis at Wockhardt Hospitals Kolkata.

For further information please log on to:
www.wockhardthospitals.net

Wockhardt Emergency Care Network E-One at Bangalore

Medical emergencies like a sudden heart attack,stroke or an accident does not give you the time to think on where you need to take your dear ones for emergency care. In such cases the battle to save lives is really a war against time.This not only require an ambulance service but also involves sophisticated life saving equipments,trained and dedicated specialist, paramedics all working together.

In most of these critical emergencies a minute or a second can make a difference to their lives. We at Wockhardt Hospitals realize and believe, that precious time saved is a precious life saved.

When you dial 080 1057-11 at Bangalore,the call is directed to Wockhardt Hospitals central emergency care command centre,which promptly directs a mobile critical care unit which is an ambulance fitted with advanced life saving-equipment from the Wockhardt ICU that is closest to the patient.

This emergency E-One Care from Wockhardt Hospitals is only possible because of the network of Intensive Care Units(ICU) located at our Bannerghata Road, Cunningham Road,Rajajinagar and Nagarbhavi Hospitals at Bangalore.

Wockhardt Hospitals Emergency Care Network E-One is backed by a team of 310 dedicated specialists and 150 ICU beds and is guided by health care professionals.

Backing E-One in Bangalore is Wockhardt Hospitals' clinical leadership in Heart Care,Brain and Spine Care,Bone and Joint Care and Women Care.. and not to mention our almost two decades of experience in saving lives...

Call now at 105711 from Bangalore for Medical Emergency Services. In an emergency every second saved.. can make a difference between life and death.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Day (COPD) Observed on November 19th

For smokers who were yet to quit, November 19th was the perfect day to stub out the butt. November 19th was observed as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Day or World COPD Day.Observing COPD day is a step towards a global effort to expand understanding of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and ensure better care for patients afflicted by this dieases.

According to World Health Organization(WHO) estimates, 210 million people worldwide suffer from some kind of pulmonary disease.WHO predicts that COPD will become the fourth leading cause of death worldwide by 2030. Key risk factors for COPD are tobacco smoking, indoor and outdoor air pollution, and exposure to occupational dusts and chemicals.COPD symptoms include constant cough, sputum discharge, breathlessness, wheezing, cyanosis, and swelling of feet.

Organized by the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD), the Day was marked by activities implemented by health care professionals and patient the world.

Dr KS Satish,pulmonologist at Wockhardt Hospitals,believes that smoking is the main cause of COPD.The primary cause of COPD is tobacco smoke (through tobacco use or passive smoking).

More than 3 million people died of COPD in 2005, which is equal to 5% of all deaths globally that year."The symptoms of asthama and COPD are similar. Doctors may mistake asthma for COPD. The only distinguishing factor is that a COPD patient will always have a history of smoking, which need not be the case in an asthma patient," Dr Satish said.

Some ways to Prevent COPD

Quit Smoking Completely
Avoid Air Pollution, Dust,Smoke and Fumes
Keep the air clean at home.
Walk and Exercise regularly
Get a medical check up done twice a year

COPD is confirmed by a simple diagnostic test called "spirometry" that measures how much air a person can inhale and exhale, and how fast air can move into and out of the lungs. Because COPD develops slowly, it is frequently diagnosed in people aged 40 or older.

The earlier the pulmonary disorder is detected, the better are the results of treatment.Total deaths from COPD are projected to increase by 30% in the next decade without interventions to cut risks, particularly exposure to tobacco smoke.