Time is the essence to treat major neurological disorders including tumors, spine ailments
4 min read
Mysuru: It is a myth that brain tumors, spinal ailments, and other disorders are killers and that post surgery patients are left with major side effects. It is also thought that there is no way to cure them!
Timely diagnosis and early intervention can help cure many tumors. This is largely due to lack of awareness, late detection, late diagnosis, inadequate facilities, the high cost of treatment and the absence of supportive care.
39-year-old Shivanna Gowda and 40-year-old Lakshmi Neelambari both suffered from low back pain, which was shooting, burning pain from the low back to the backs of the thighs, sometimes into the lower legs or feet, associated with numbness or tingling. There daily life was drastically affected.
As in most of the cases the patients and their companions had many myths about post operative complications such as permanent immobilization of limbs or paralysis.
Lakshmi had already been operated elsewhere but pain had recurred.Both the patients underwent spinal surgery.
One a simple discectomy and the other a instrumented spinal fixation TLIF. Both have recovered from surgery and are getting back to active life, said Dr Maqsood, Consultant – Neurosurgeon – Columbia Asia Hospitals Mysore (A Unit of Manipal Hospitals).
“I was really worried about my daughter’s condition and was not able to understand the sudden surge in her pain levels. It is difficult to see a loved one in pain. Later upon diagnosis at Columbia Asia Mysore we understood the problem and underwent treatment under Dr Maqsood. Today my daughter is leading a healthy and normal life,” said Ningappa father of Lakshmi Neelambari
20-year-old Fathima was suffering with severe headache and dizziness. A CT scan and MRI of the brain was done at Columbia Asia Hospitals, Mysore, showed a large life-threatening tumor at the center of the brain and it was necessary to remove the tumor surgically as soon as possible. However, operating at such a delicate spot is always challenging task. A detailed Pre anesthetic check was done to ensure all goes well during surgery which went up to 7 hours and today the patient is perfectly fine leading a normal life.
The tumor was removed through an interhemispheric transcallosal approach. Modern adjuncts like an operating microscope, CUSA etc were utilized to remove the tumor. The tumor turned out to be a benign one – central neurocytoma. Surgery is curative and patient is free for life from the disease.
In another such case, 45-year-old Syed Abdul Saleem came to Columbia Asia Hospital suffering from excruciating facial pain not responding to drugs. Patient could not brush his teeth, drink cold liquids or eat food. The high dose of drugs caused him to be drowsy all the time. We conducted an MRI of the brain, and it showed a blood vessel compressing the trigeminal nerve , the nerve carrying facial sensations.
In such cases the patient develops suicidal tendencies as they are not able to bear the triggering pain, said Dr Maqsood.
A deep brain surgery with a small opening of the skull behind the ear was done and the nerve was decompressed near the brainstem. A procedure called microvascular decompression.
Having severe facial pain is a nightmare as the shooting pain is intolerable and it strikes you at the most unexpected time. I used to feel breathlessness during such episodes of pain and life was traumatic during that phase. But with the support of my family and timely surgical intervention now I lead a healthy life, said all-emotional Syed Abdul Saleem
Early detection by a detailed physical examination, early referral to the right doctor, appropriate place of surgery with advanced infrastructure and above all a Team approach are vital for the successful treatment of these disabling conditions. Time is the essence added Dr Maqsood.
These successful high-risk surgeries were possible by a team approach comprising of Neurosurgeon, Anesthetist, and Intensive Care. Success rates are more than 95%. The type of infrastructure and equipment offer an edge in such cases Said Dr Upendra Shenoy, Chief of Medical Services – Columbia Asia Hospital.
Whenever it’s the matter of Neurosciences or any other medical ailment time has always been the key for the results. We always emphasize on not neglecting even the slightest symptoms when it indicates that something major might be aligned to it like persistent headaches, low back pains, tremors, chest pain etc., these could be the silent killers which require immediate expert intervention. Our constant endeavor is to create awareness of disease symptoms to people so that they respond timely for better outcomes, said Dr Gautam Das, General Manager, Columbia Asia Hospitals Mysore.
– Team Mysoorunews
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