Apollomedics Super Specialty Hospital, Lucknow has continuously been saving lives with ultra-modern technology since its inception. The experts at Apollomedics Super Specialty Hospital have performed many complex surgeries, which weren’t possible at other hospitals. Some of these surgeries may be considered medical miracles too. In one such case, the medical team at Apollomedics Super Specialty Hospital saved a 24-week-old fetus. The patient previously had two miscarriages, thus this pregnancy was quite precious. Patient’s amniotic membrane got damaged at around 24 weeks of pregnancy, due to which the amniotic fluid leaked out and it had become very difficult to save the fetus. To save the fetus, Specialist of the Obstetrics and Gynecology and Fetal Medicine of Apollomedics Super Specialty Hospital, Dr. Bhumika Bansal, used the amnio patch technique. This was the first time this technique was used in any private hospital of the state. Through this technique, the pregnancy stretched for 3 to 4 weeks. After which the child was delivered at about 29 weeks. With the efforts of Dr. Anubhav of the Department of Neonatology, the child was discharged safely. Read more about how the new technique saved a 24-week-old fetus.

A multi-disciplinary team of specialists at Apollo Hospitals, Chennai, performed a remarkable surgery on a 50-year-old Bangladeshi patient to remove a rare recurrent chest wall tumor (Chondroscarcoma). The tumor was removed and the chest wall was reconstructed using synthetic materials and back muscle tissue. A new chest wall was formed after the sternal bone was repaired with bone cement wrapped in a mesh. Based on a detailed study done by a team of experts headed by Dr Ajit Pai, Senior Consultant in Surgical Oncology, with support from the Dr Rajarajan Venkatesan, Vascular Surgeon, Dr MM Yusuf, Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Dr Arun Kannan, Orthopedic Surgeon, Dr. Chepauk Ramesh, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon and Dr Bhaskar, Cardiac Anesthetist, the surgery was planned and performed. Ms. Preetha Reddy, Vice Chairperson, Apollo Hospitals Group said, “We have always believed that harnessing the right technology and combining it with medical expertise helps work miracles. This case is one such example, and we are happy to be setting such high standards in patient care. At Apollo Hospitals, we put the patient first in all we do and deliver world-class treatment that is both accessible and affordable. We are convinced that such medical milestones will alter the lives of many more individuals who are in dire need.” Read more about the removal of rare recurrent chest wall tumor at Apollo Hospitals, Chennai

For the first time in Eastern India, Apollo Multispecialty Hospitals, Kolkata has launched Bronchial Thermoplasty, a painless procedure for effective treatment of severe asthma. The treatment uses a catheter, which is inserted through the windpipe to deliver heat. This heat is targeted to the smooth muscles of the lungs so that they shrink and can’t get tightened to cause asthma symptoms anymore. The procedure typically needs three sittings with a gap of three weeks between each sitting. Bronchial Thermoplasty was performed at Apollo Multispeciality Hospitals, Kolkata, on two patients on March 14, 2022. Post-procedure, the patients are stable. Dr Debraj Jash, Consultant Pulmonologist at Apollo Multispecialty Hospitals Kolkata, who performed both the procedures, said, “In India, a significant proportion of the population suffers from severe asthma. As a result, Bronchial Thermoplasty is an effective treatment for non-allergic asthma. It was a real challenge to introduce this procedure in the eastern part of the country.” About 300 million people in the world suffer from asthma out of which about 5-10% people are the ones who get hospitalized due the severity of the disease. If the problem persists for such patients even after using inhaler with correct medicines and procedure for 2-3 months, then they need to go for Pulmonary Function Test. If either of IGE or Eosinophil is low in the result, only then they can go for this treatment. Dr Sushil Agarwal, Consultant Pulmonologist, Apollo Multispecialty Hospitals Kolkata said, “Internationally, Bronchial Thermoplasty is a huge saviour for severe asthma patients and we hope that it’s the same here. Post Bronchial Thermoplasty people are relieved and get back to normal life without regular asthma attacks disrupting their schedule.” On the occasion of the launch of the procedure, Mr Rana Dasgupta, CEO-Eastern Region, Apollo Hospitals Group, said, “Apollo Multispeciality Hospitals, Kolkata, continues to be the leader in bringing in new technologies and performing path-breaking procedures. Our committed clinicians, with the help of this state-of-the-art technology, would help many asthma patients.”

Apollo Multispecialty Hospitals Kolkata brings complete Robotic Renal Transplant for the first time to Eastern India. In a conventional kidney transplant, the donor’s kidney is placed in the lower abdomen of the recipient by making an 8-10 inch cut, while the robotic transplant involves only a 1-2 inch cut and a few keyhole incisions for access into the abdomen. A 25-year-old patient was suffering from Chronic Kidney Disease and was on dialysis for a long time. After finding a suitable match, the patient underwent robotic renal transplant last week under Dr Vinay Mahindra in Apollo Multispeciality Hospitals, Kolkata. Benefits of Robotic Kidney Transplant Decreased chances of complications as compared to open surgery, especially in immunocompromised and end-stage renal disease patients. Safer and more efficacious for obese patients who are otherwise not recommended for transplants. Minimal invasive surgery helps in reduced blood loss hospital stays pain postoperative complication rate recovery time surgical scars The whole procedure of Robotic Kidney Transplant involves the doctor sitting on the console with the monitor displaying the inside of the abdomen and the robotic arms assisting the doctor for operating. One of the arms holds a high magnification 3D camera which is inserted into the abdomen through one of the key holes and provides a high-definition, magnified (12×), 3-D view of the surgical site. The other mechanical arms have surgical instruments attached to it that are designed to mimic the movement of the human hands and wrists. Dr Vinay Mahendra, Consultant Urology & Robotic Surgeon, Apollo Multispeciality Hospitals, Kolkata who carried out the procedure along with the team of doctors said, “The primary benefit of Robotic surgery for transplant is that it involves minor incisions and hence recovery is faster with much lesser complications. It also comes with less pain and lesser or no chance of infection as the incision is much smaller than the usual 8-10 inch cut, which requires less hospital stay, early recovery and back to normal life.”

35-year-old Mr. Santanu from Howrah started having uncontrollable high blood pressure for which he went for a checkup. Investigations revealed that he had a bicuspid (two leaflet) valve instead of a tricuspid (three leaflet) valve. All human beings have tricuspid aortic valve in the heart. Apart from that, the CT angiography of his aorta revealed coarctation (congenital narrowing) of aorta. Due to the complexity of the procedure, many hospitals refused to operate on him. He then came to Apollo Multispecialty Hospitals, Kolkata. He was prepared for the endovascular stenting procedure for the coarctation of aorta by the team of doctors including Dr Bikash Majumdar, Dr Aftab Khan, Dr Tamasish Mukherjee and Dr Yaman Kalita. The aorta is the largest artery in the body, which moves oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the rest of the body. Aortic Coarctation or narrowing of the aorta forces the heart to pump harder to move blood through the aorta. Dr Bikash Majumdar said, “This congenital condition, Coarctation of Aorta, is as rare as 4 in 10,000 live births. Out of all congenital heart problems, only 6% have this issue. And normally it is detected in childhood (within teenage years) when the treatment is much easier and the prime symptom is high Blood Pressure in childhood.” Dr Aftab Khan said, “The possibility of aortic rupture is high when patients with Coarctation of Aorta are treated post childhood. In Mr. Santanu’s case, a Chetham Platinum aortic stent was placed after balloon dilation and to handle the complexity, a normal stent of 60 mm had to be hand mounted to cover the 49 mm length of narrowing. The balloon helped in widening the narrow aorta, making the width normal for blood flow. The case posed difficulty in stent expansion as well as chances of stent migration was also very high due to the age of the patient.” Mr. Santanu was operated in February 2022 post which he is leading a normal life. If he was not treated, his condition could have been fatal with chances of stroke and long-term cardiac complications due to high blood pressure. This procedure was performed in the Cath lab through the right femoral artery route (right groin route).

Apollo Hospitals, Navi Mumbai has achieved a remarkable milestone in its Renal transplant programme with the successful completion of over 200 life-saving kidney transplants in three years. The achievement is especially commendable as it includes kidney transplants carried out during the challenging period of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 200+ kidney transplants were carried out by the experienced team of Transplant Specialists at Apollo Hospitals, Navi Mumbai. This is a testament to their high caliber and organ-specific domain knowledge in Nephrology supported by the latest in robotic technology. At a press conference held to announce the 200+ kidney transplant milestone, the hospital’s Renal Transplant team presented some remarkable insights into how kidney transplants have saved lives with better short-term and long-term outcomes as compared to those patients on dialysis. The team highlighted the high success rate of over 99 per cent, with complex transplants successfully carried out including ABO-incompatible (mismatched blood group) transplants and repeat (second) transplant cases. Dr Amolkumar Patil, Consultant Robotic Urologist and Renal Transplant Surgeon at Apollo Hospitals, Navi Mumbai said, “At Apollo Hospitals, Navi Mumbai, there is a continuous up-gradation of surgical technology with minimally-invasive techniques being the norm today. These allow for better post-operative pain control, faster recovery and improved aesthetic outcomes, with much smaller scars that heal very quickly. Positive clinical outcomes and a world-class experience have made Apollo Hospitals, Navi Mumbai a popular referral option for patients across India as well as around the globe.” As international travel restrictions eased with a decrease in COVID-19 cases, medical value travel saw a return, with the team successfully performing kidney transplant surgeries on 15 foreign patients from Yemen, Rwanda, Kenya, and Sudan. Dr Amit Langote, Chief Consultant Nephrologist and Transplant Physician, Apollo Hospitals, Navi Mumbai said, “As a Centre of Excellence, our expertise in ABO-incompatible transplants has enabled us to help many patients with kidney failure who have been waiting for a matching blood group cadaver or live donor for years. Our skilled team has made this a viable option with a reduced risk of rejection. The quantum of ABO-incompatible cases has reached 11 per cent of the total cases to date and is seeing an upward trend due to the widening of the donor pool. We are grateful for the opportunity to have helped many critical patients who underwent transplants and went back to their normal lives and thrived.” Another highlight was the renal transplant team’s work during the pandemic. With strict protocols in place, the team performed kidney transplants on 90+ critical patients who could not have otherwise survived waiting for a transplant till the lockdown opened up and relaxations set in. Dr Ravindra Nikalji, Consultant Nephrologist and Kidney Transplant Physician, Apollo Hospitals, Navi Mumbai said, “The overall health and health-related quality of life after transplantation has improved due to advanced techniques and improved immunosuppression. This has enabled us to help many patients who come in for a second or repeat transplantation with a better survival advantage for patients over dialysis. These are challenging surgeries but we are proud to have performed repeat transplants too very efficaciously. We have also been able to create awareness that a healthy elderly individual can also become a donor in saving the life of an individual without having any critical impact on health.” A heart-warming case presented was that of an 81-year-old lady, the oldest living donor in India, who donated a kidney to her 54-year-old son. It was an ABO-compatible transplant case and donor and recipient made a full recovery with no adverse impact on the health of the 81-year old donor. Dr Ravi Shankar, Joint Medical Director, Apollo Hospitals Navi Mumbai said, “It is only the scarcity of kidneys available for transplant that leads to patients going in for dialysis. We are glad that our Centre of Excellence in Renal Transplants has the expertise and experience to successfully meet the increasing demand for kidney transplants as this is the only option left to restore patients with renal failure back to good health and give them a better and longer life.” Mr. Santosh Marathe, Regional CEO Western Region, Apollo Hospitals, Navi Mumbai said, “We are proud to have the specialised services offered by the kidney transplant centre in our portfolio of services. We run a patient support group activity wherein at periodic intervals, the families of patients and patients themselves meet and share experiences. The transplant programme at Apollo Hospitals Navi Mumbai includes cadaveric renal transplantation, cadaver-donor kidney transplantation, living donor kidney transplants and laparoscopic donor nephrectomy.”

Apollo Hospitals, Chennai has successfully performed robotic cardiac surgery on the oldest patient in India at its dedicated Robot-Assisted Cardiac Surgery Unit in Greams Road. Dr. MM. Yusuf and his team has created a milestone by performing the Robotic Assisted Minimally Invasive Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) on a 93-year-old patient. The team has performed complex robotic-assisted minimally invasive cardiac surgery on patients above 70 years of age. Ms. Suneeta Reddy, Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals Group, said, “Our mission has always been to introduce the latest medical technology to India for the benefit of our patients. We want more people to be able to take advantage of our hospital’s cutting-edge surgical and medical treatment. At Apollo Hospitals, we put the patient first in all we do and deliver world-class treatment that is both accessible and affordable. We are convinced that such medical discoveries will alter the lives of many more individuals who are unable to undergo traditional heart surgery.” Robotic Assisted CABG is the least invasive method of minimally invasive cardiac surgery. Blood loss and pain are negligible. Hospital stay is very short and recovery is extremely quick. This procedure is suitable to treat many patients with single and multi-vessel vessel coronary artery disease. Patients can return back to normal activity within two weeks. Read more about India’s first Robot-Assisted Cardiac Surgery performed at Apollo Hospitals, Chennai

Apollo Hospitals saw yet another landmark with Asia’s first dual implant of MitraClip and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) being performed on the same patient. A 75-year-old male patient from Sri Lanka was admitted at Apollo Hospitals, Chennai in cardiogenic shock with severe Aortic stenosis and Mitral Valve regurgitation. This was further complicated by a cardiac arrest after admission. This necessitated a milestone procedure of replacing the aortic valve (TAVR) and repairing the mitral valve (MitraClip), which was performed by Dr Sai Satish, Senior Interventional Cardiologist at Apollo Hospitals, Chennai. An additional milestone saw Dr Sai Satish successfully completing 9 TAVRs and 3 MitraClips in a span of 24 hours. All the patients recovered within 48 hours of the procedure. Dr Prathap C. Reddy, Founder and Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group said, “It is a matter of great pride that we are achieving new milestones, becoming the first in Asia to perform MitraClip and TAVR procedures in the same patient and also in having the capacity to seamlessly perform such a large number of complex cases in just 24 hours. However, it is more important to celebrate the fact that these procedures are allowing us to save lives of patients who cannot go in for open heart surgery because of high risk due to age and other reasons. These cutting-edge procedures allow patients to return to a quality of life that they used to enjoy before their problems began. This is a testament to our experience and excellence in this domain, with around 70% of all MitraClips in India to date having been performed at Apollo Hospitals.” Read more about Asia’s first dual implant of MitraClip and TAVR successfully performed at Apollo Hospitals, Chennai

The Hon’ble Chief Minister of Odisha, Shri Naveen Patnaik has inaugurated the Apollo Cancer Centre (ACC) in the State capital—Bhubaneswar. With the need to treat the growing number of cancer cases, Apollo Hospitals, Bhubaneswar, has built the state-of-the-art Cancer Centre on the same premises. It is the first and only cancer center in Odisha to be equipped with True Beam STx technology. The Apollo Cancer Centre was inaugurated by Hon’ble Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, State of Odisha in presence of Shri Naba Kishore Das, Hon’ble Minister Health and Family Welfare, Odisha, Shri Susanta Rout, Hon’ble MLA Bhubaneswar North, Ms. Preetha Reddy, Executive Vice-Chairperson, Apollo Hospitals Enterprises Limited, and Mr. Dinesh Madhavan, President, Group Oncology and International, Apollo Hospitals Enterprises Limited. The Centre is equipped with Odisha’s first and only cutting-edge Linear Accelerator (HD-True Beam STx) technology and, internationally acclaimed oncologists in all specialities. The True Beam STx, which is the most advanced Linear Accelerator radiation machine offers the most precise radiation therapy treatment for a better outcome. The center has a sophisticated Positron Emission Tomography-Computed Tomography (PET CT) facility. The 64 slice PET CT machine is equipped with all modern facilities to do every type of PET CT including PET guided biopsies. The newly built center has 17 dedicated beds for chemotherapy. It is also a major referral center for the people of Odisha and the neighbouring states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and parts of West Bengal. Apollo Cancer Centre has organ-specific cancer management teams delivering exceptional outcomes. Commenting on the inauguration, Ms. Preetha Reddy, Executive Vice-Chairperson, Apollo Hospitals Enterprises Limited, said, “Reaffirming our resolute commitment to provide best-in-class advanced cancer care, the Apollo Cancer Centre in Bhubaneswar, led by a fine team of Oncologists and equipped with cutting edge medical technologies including Odisha’s first TrueBeam® radiotherapy system, will persevere to set new benchmarks in patient care in the region”. Mr. Dinesh Madhavan, President, Group Oncology and International, Apollo Hospitals Enterprises Limited, said, “Apollo Cancer Centers have been judged as the best cancer centers in India, due to our exemplary focus in the best of clinicians and technology to ensure expertise that is unparalleled. With the introduction of radiation therapy with capability of radiosurgery, we have ensured that Orissa gets the best of technology available in the world. With the best of clinicians focused on cancer types and the most modern technology, patients today have a better chance to win over cancer.” Mr. Sudhir M Diggikar, Regional CEO-Central Region (Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh & Odisha) Apollo Hospitals Enterprises Limited said, “The inauguration of the cancer center marks an important day in the history of the healthcare industry in Odisha. Built on the key principles and vision of Apollo Hospitals, ACC Bhubaneswar will offer high-end tertiary care across processes and treatments. The multi-disciplinary team of doctors with the finest expertise will deliver exemplary patient treatment and experience.”

Apollo Proton Cancer Centre (APCC) has performed a unique surgery of Elective Caesarean section and Robotic Assisted Radical Nephrectomy for a large left kidney tumor to save both the mother and child in the best possible manner. The surgery was performed on a 27-year-old doctor who had two concurrent conditions – a physiological condition of 32 weeks of pregnancy and a pathological condition, a large tumor (RCC) in the left kidney. The surgeon at Apollo Proton Cancer Centre said that it was for the first time in the world, that such a unique case has been reported and operated on. Performing the surgical procedure with a multi-disciplinary team of specialists from OBG (Obstetrics and Gynecology), Neonatology, Surgery and Anesthesiology; a plan was devised to go for optimum anesthesia to reduce the risk for the foetus and mother. The elective Caesarean section was done by Dr Meera Raghavan, Senior Consultant- Uro-Gynaecology, Apollo Proton Cancer Centre under Spinal Anesthesia, immediately followed by General Anesthesia for a Robotic Left Nephrectomy in the same sitting. The surgery to remove the tumor was performed by Dr N Raghavan, Senior Consultant, Urologist & Robotic Surgeon, Apollo Proton Cancer Centre. Read more about World’s first combined elective caesarean section and robotic assisted radical nephrectomy performed by APCC

Apollomedics Super speciality Hospital has been treating patients of Lucknow and nearby areas with ultra-modern technology since its inception. The experts at Apollomedics Super Speciality Hospital have performed many complex surgeries, which weren’t possible at other hospitals. Some of these surgeries may be considered medical miracles too. In one such case, the medical team at Apollomedics Super Speciality Hospital treated a 51-year-old patient by performing an acute aortic dissection surgery. The surgery was extremely complex as the patient’s heartbeat was stopped and his blood was cooled down to the temperature of 18 degrees centigrade (called Total Circulatory Arrest or TCA in medical terms). The patient is currently healthy and has been visiting for regular follow up. Dr. Mayank Somani, MD & CEO of Apollomedics Super Specialty Hospital, Lucknow, while expressing his happiness on the success of this complex surgery, said, “It is with immense pride I can say that Apollomedics Super Speciality Hospital continues to live up to the expectations of the people by performing complex surgeries successfully. Our super skilled doctors and paramedical staff have been consistently proving that we have the best team when it comes to meeting medical challenges. This particular surgery of acute aortic dissection was successfully performed by Dr. Bharat Dubey and his team. Normally, the patient would have to travel to cities like Delhi or Mumbai, which could have put his life in danger as his arteries could have burst at any time. But Dr. Dubey and his team treated the 51-year-old patient successfully and now he is healthy.” Senior CTVS and Heart Transplant Surgeon, Apollomedics Super Speciality Hospital, Dr. Bharat Dubey has more than two and a half decades of experience in Cardio-Thoracic and Vascular surgeries. He explains, “The condition of acute aortic dissection is very rare and overtly critical condition. This problem is more common in older people, but it can also arise in young people as well. The symptoms of this disease are not very pronounced because they are quite similar to that of heart disease. If aortic dissection is detected and treated early, the condition could improve and the risk of death also is reduced.” Dr. Dubey further explains, “Aorta, is the largest and major artery, which propels blood throughout the body. Sometimes due to different reasons, a leakage starts in the layers of aorta, known as Aortic Dissection. This is a serious condition in which blood starts leaking from the lumen of the artery and starts flowing into its inner wall by creating a space between layers of the artery wall. This flow of blood creates pressure that can rupture the outer wall of the aorta, resulting in serious condition, immediate death.” Elaborating on the complicated procedure of surgery, Dr. Bharat Dubey said, “During the surgery of acute aortic dissection, it becomes necessary to stop the beating of the heart as a part of this surgery can be performed only on a motionless and bloodless body part. Adopting this procedure requires considerable experience, concentration, and a skilled team & very advanced postoperative care. When the heart stops beating, blood is supplied to the body and brain through a heart-lung bypass machine. and then heartbeat is resumed. After a few days of keeping the patient under observation, he was discharged from the hospital. Now, the patient is completely healthy and is visiting the hospital for regular check-ups.”

For the first time in Tamil Nadu, Apollo Proton Cancer Centre has successfully performed a 3D printing technique to save the knee joint and limb of an 8-year-old boy suffering from bone cancer. The family of Master Akhilan from Madurai (Ramanathapuram) approached Apollo Proton Cancer Centre where he was diagnosed with non-metastatic osteosarcoma of his left proximal tibia. In the procedure, the bone containing the tumor was sterilized with a single fraction of radiation to kill the tumor cells and the same bone was re-implanted. Owing to the small piece of bone remaining proximally, a 3D printed customized plate was designed which ensured near perfect reduction and stabilization of the bone.The surgery was performed by an experienced team led by Dr. Vishnu Ramanujan, Consultant, Orthopaedic Oncology& Dr RadhakrishnanSatheesan, Senior Consultant- Paediatric Surgeryand Dr Srinivas Chillukuri, Senior Consultant- Radiation Oncology(Paediatric) at Apollo Proton Cancer Centre in January 2022. The patient is recovering and will be able to ride a bicycle again in a few months. Read more about how Apollo Proton Cancer Center used novel technique to save an 8-year-old boy’s knee joint and limb.