Only 10 percent out of 35 percent adults with hypertension in Hyderabad and Telangana know that they are suffering from high blood pressure. This could lead to a massive increase in cardiovascular diseases in the country, warned health experts. Interacting with the media on the occasion of World Hypertension Day on Wednesday, Hypertension specialist Dr. C Venkata S Ram said that awareness is the key to prevent complications. A large population with uncontrolled hypertension despite medication is a serious concern as untreated hypertension can lead to stroke, heart failure and premature heart attack. “If not treated, it can lead to problems like kidney failure and paralysis,” he said. BP should be checked even in schools, colleges and IT firms, he added. BP should to be treated indefinitely. “BP medicines are not like antibiotics. Patients cannot stop them. If hypertension is being noticed in a person for the first time, it should be tracked carefully,” he said. Most people have misunderstood that medicines can be stopped after the BP is controlled. In some patients, high BP could be as a result of “secondary” hypertension like thyroid gland disease, adrenal grand problem etc . Hypertension also manifests differently in different people. It is observed that BP in some people goes high when they are at a doctor’s place or in hospital but normal outside. It is denoted as white coat hypertension. In some people, the situation is reverse and it’s called reverse white coat hypertension or masked hypertension. This can be diagnosed by the measuring 24-hour blood pressure (at work and home) with an automatic machine. If BP in the heart increases, patients will be at a higher risk. Hypertension during pregnancy can be extremely dangerous for both the mother and the foetus. Excessive alcohol use and pain relievers also can cause high BP. Unlike other ailments, hypertension does not manifest quite early. A majority of people suffering from hypertension realise only when things become complicated. Ironically, even the people who are aware that they are suffering from hypertension do not seek medical help. Hypertension can be controlled quite easily. One should always keep a tab on one’s blood pressure and if any abnormality is observed he or she should consult a doctor for medical advice and help.

Little did Ashok Panda, a fisherman, know that the fish he had gone to catch will directly jump to his mouth and get stuck in his throat. Panda, a resident of Podadiha village of Balasore district, was first admitted to a local hospital where the Doctors failed to bring out the fish and shifted him to SCB Medical College and Hospital and later to Apollo Hospital. Giving a new lease of life to Panda, the doctors finally pulled out the fish from his throat. The fish was identified as Climbing Perch or ‘Kou’ and was alive when completely taken out from the man’s throat. A team of doctors from Apollo Hospitals successfully removed the fish with the help of a mouth gag. Dr. Sanjeev Gupta, Senior consultant of ENT Department and Dr. Suryakant Pradhan, Junior Consultant were behind the successful treatment. Dr Pradhan said “The patient came to us on April 23 after conducting an X-ray at SCB Medical in Cuttack. As he was choking and in excruciating pain, we took him to the emergency operation theatre where he was administered local anaesthesia in the sitting position. Mouth gag was applied and the fish was caught with forceps. The patient’s condition is good and is talking normally. He has been discharged from the hospital”. Describing his ordeal, Panda said “I was cleaning our pond and at that time I was holding a fish which suddenly jumped into my mouth and got stuck in my throat. After doctors at SCB Medical said they couldn’t give guarantee, I came to Apollo where the fish was successfully pulled out.”  

The patient, Mr Tanveer Ahmed, aged 48 yrs, was taken up for gastroscopy under conscious sedation. Intragastric balloon was introduced with the help of an endoscope. Endoscopic bariatric therapy is a useful alternative to pharmacological treatment for obesity, with lower risks than conventional surgical procedures. The Intragastric balloon is associated with significant efficacy in body weight reduction and relief of comorbid disease symptoms among the various endoscopy options. This treatment is based on gastric space-occupying effects that increase the feeling of satiety and may also affect gut neuroendocrine signalling. The simplicity of the intragastric balloon procedure accounts for its widespread role in obesity treatment and its applicability to various degrees of obesity

One Lakh Hands – one of India's largest and most successful community sensitization platform on socio-cultural issues launched its campaign for the year, focused on someone dear to all of us, but often neglects herself – MOM, with the theme ‘She chases you for life, now chase her back for an active life’, on the occasion of Mothers’ day at Apollo Hospitals, Jubilee Hills. The occasion was graced by Ms. Sangita Reddy, Joint Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals; Actor; Model Mr. Milind Soman, accompanied by his mother Mrs. Usha Soman and Mr. Pullela Gopichand, Chief Coach, Indian Badminton. As part of the campaign, one lakh people will be directly enrolled for the adopted cause and they in turn would act as catalysts in bringing behavioural change and creating a ripple effect on the society. For the year 2017, One Lakh Hands creators have chosen the cause of “Happy and Healthy Mom”. As per the National Health Survey 2016, Hyderabad is ranked no 1 in cases of women’s obesity in India. Mothers often tend to neglect their own health at the cost of their family’s well-being. Their health takes a backseat after childbirth. Most mothers are malnourished and are woefully short on physical exercise. They endure ill health and postpone seeking medical attention, just to avoid upsetting the daily routine at home. Often such neglect and sacrifices reflect at a later stage leading to chronic ailments as they get old. The campaign started with a three-day art exhibition with works of Artist Kant Risa on the theme Mother and Child, on display at Apollo Hospitals. The guests and visitors at the well-attended launch program were presented with greeting cards with the imprints of the paintings to pen affectionate messages for their mothers. The launch was followed by a sustained campaign to further the cause and reach the message to a cross section of the society. As part of this, the expo will be taken to various Corporates, Hotels, educational institutions, besides hosting events all year round. Apollo Hospitals, which always emphasized on disease prevention, as a health partner, will bolster this initiative by organizing regular talks on women health, workshops on preventive care, extend its internationally acknowledged health check programs at a subsidized price and support all the health and wellness activities, especially meant for mothers and women at large.

23-year-old Promi Kassa from Bangladesh has been suffering from multiple joint pains due to Systemic lupus Erythematous for the past 7 years. Pain, swelling & deformities gradually worsened and over the last 2 years she had pain even while resting or lying down. She was unable to stand due to pain and even wheel chair mobilization was very painful, making her life miserable. She came to Delhi, India and met Dr Rohini Handa, Senior Rheumatologist at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals and was advised and started on special disease modifying drugs. However, drugs also did not help. Detailed investigations revealed destruction of both hip joints. Dr Handa referred her to Dr Yash Gulati, Senior Consultant – Joint Replacement Surgeon. She was thoroughly assessed by Dr Yash Gulati. She was found to be a frail, young girl in constant pain in spite of pain killers, unable to attend to her daily needs and unable to mobilize even in wheel chair. Inspite of her young age, Dr Gulati recommended Total Hip Replacement of both hips. Normally hip replacement is reserved for elderly and to offer this surgery to such a young girl was a difficult decision. Bilateral Hip replacement has never been done in India for this age group before. Dr Gulati had done one Hip Replacement in a 13-year-old Patient from Nigeria who was suffering from Sickle Cell Disease. However, in this case, the patient wanted to get out of her misery and in consultation with her family, she enthusiastically accepted the option of having both Hips replaced. All disease modifying drugs including Biological agents were stopped. Her nutrition was built up and once she was found fit for surgery, she was admitted for Total Hip Replacement. Left Hip Replacement was done in November 2016 and Right Hip Replacement was done in December 2016. Special type of implants were used which are likely to last for many years. Both the surgeries were successful and she was taken through a regimen of extensive Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation. The patient has completely recovered & is walking independently and as a matter of fact she is even able to do light jogs. Indeed, her life has now changed from one with pain and misery to freedom from pain and hope.  

The new Apollo Cancer Institute will offer specialty healthcare of international standards with outcomes matching those of the world’s best hospitals. The Cancer institute, after completion will have two state of the art Linear Accelerator radiation machines to offer the latest radiation therapy treatment and Bone Marrow Transplant. This institute will also have Brachytherapy, whose function is to place radioactive sources inside the patient on a temporary or permanent basis to damage cancer cells’ DNA and destroy their ability to divide and grow. Apart from the above two technologies, the institute will also have Positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET CT). The new cancer block will be a five-storey building. Speaking on the occasion Shri Patnaik said, “When operational, this new Cancer Hospital will be a boon to Odisha’s cancer patients as they will get best-in-class treatment right here without having to travel to other states. Incidence of breast and cervical cancers among women in Orissa is high and both need special treatment, which this new hospital will provide”. Dr Preetha Reddy, Vice Chairperson, Apollo Hospitals Group said, “The Apollo Cancer Institute in Bhubaneswar will serve the people of Odisha and also patients from neighbouring States. At Apollo, we firmly believe that Cancer is Conquerable and this ethos motivates us to keep pushing the boundaries in cancer care. Our battle against this disease has spanned over two decades; it has witnessed several momentous milestones and set new benchmarks in the country. We are very grateful to farsighted leaders like the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Odisha, Shri Naveen Patnaik ji for encouraging us in our endeavour to introduce cutting edge Oncology into Odisha as Apollo is passionately committed to always bringing in the best in cancer care for its fellow citizens.” Shri Sudhir M. Diggikar, Regional Chief Executive Officer of Apollo Hospitals, Odisha & Chhattisgarh region added, “Apollo Hospitals has always taken the lead in providing superior quality healthcare and this Cancer Hospital when complete, will benefit the people of Odisha and the neighbouring states by providing them complete cancer care under one roof.” The facility also helps in increasing the overall bed capacity of the hospital by 50 additional beds. This simultaneously addresses the ever-increasing demand for intensive care beds, a speciality where Apollo Hospitals-Bhubaneswar has been the most preferred choice by the people of Odisha. The new block would also accommodate our second Cath Lab, dialysis beds, OPD chambers & a dedicated chemotherapy day care ward. Apollo Hospitals, Bhubaneswar, being a leader in healthcare, has always set up new avenues for catering to the health requirements of society at large. It has brought state-of the-art and advanced medical technology and services to the people of the State, while striving to augment capacities of doctors, paramedics and medical workers.

The Patient, Mr. Rasolonjatovo Honore, Member of the Parliament of Madagascar developed impaired vision that progressed rapidly over a month. His vision deteriorated to the extent that he needed support to move around. He was diagnosed with a tumour in the pituitary gland, situated near the optic nerve in the brain. Dr. Arun L Naik, Neurosurgeon and Dr. Pradeep Hosamani, ENT and Skull Base surgeon performed the endoscopic surgery on the 60-year-old Patient at Apollo Hospitals, Bannerghatta Road, Bangalore. “These tumours need surgery through the brain. This method is highly invasive and can lead to many complications such as paralysis and squint. These tumours can now be removed through the nose with a 6-mm endoscope. It is very precise, safe, minimally invasive and available only in advanced centres. This procedure is used to remove complex tumours from the underside and inside of the brain” said Dr. Naik. Endoscopic Brain surgery is a scarless procedure and recover is very rapid unlike in the case of traditional brain surgery. “An endoscope can also be integrated with a neuro-navigation system that maps critical areas of the brain to ensure safety and prevent damage to the brain cells” added Dr. Naik. Mr. Honore was referred to Apollo Hospitals by his doctor in Madagascar. “I am very happy with treatment here. I cans see as good as I use to before I developed the tumour” said Honore.  

For many Like 6-year-old T Siddharth, who underwent a liver transplant it was a morning to remember when the members of Sunrisers Hyderabad team came to Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad as a part of the joint programme of Apollo Hospitals and Jeevandan to create awareness about Organ Donation. Spin legend, Muthiah Muralitharan, Kiwi captain, Kane Williamson, Fast Bowler, Md. Siraj and Ben Cutting were present. The campaign was aimed at sensitising the need to donate organs and give a fresh lease of life to terminally ill patients. “Every year 5 lakh patients die due to non-availability of organs in India, 2 lakh perish because of liver diseases and about 1.5 lakh await kidney transplant” said Dr. Manish Verma. Donation after death is one of the effective ways to address this major issue as it can provide all organs for transplantation in addition to safeguarding concerns about liver donor safety” Dr. Verma explained. Ms. Sangita Reddy, Joint Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals said “Organ donation is like gifting life to a needy patient. The welcome feature is the facilitatory role of the government bodies and the efforts of NGOs in increasing the percentage of organ donation in the recent past. But still, lots more needs to be done”. “Apollo Transplant Institute offers a host of state of the art services including peritoneal and hemo-dialysis, management of liver, kidney diseases and also heart and lung transplants. The reason we involved cricketers is because in our country, they along with film stars are the most popular and provide the best platform to take the message to the masses” Ms. Sangita pointed out. Giving the cricketers’ perspective, Williamson felt it was a touching experience for them to be involved in this initiative. “We are glad that we are useful in spreading this significant message and wish the number of donors and beneficiaries will increase” he remarked. Ms. Swarnalatha, Chief Executive Officer of Jeevandan and Dr. Hari Prasad, President of Apollo Hospitals were among those who spoke about the importance of this campaign  

As members of a pioneering organization, we have always been at the forefront to improve the wellbeing of our great nation and persevered to address the challenges faced by it. This perseverance is perceived in every realm of our existence. Whether it is through our hospitals, pharmacies, clinics, health insurance, social initiatives or our participation to shape health policy in the country, our aim has constantly been to accelerate positive change. As part of this endeavour, we are proud to have partnered and steered various industry bodies and institutions and worked closely with the central and state governments. This wide-ranging engagement has ensured that the solutions that India offers are holistic, realistic and include the voice and the will of all stakeholders. One such industry body that Apollo Hospitals has actively supported is the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). Founded in 1895, CII’s primary goal has been to develop Indian industry and to ensure that government and society as a whole, understand both the needs of industry and its contribution to the nation’s wellbeing. Over the years, leaders at the helm of CII have been able to anticipate changes in the economic environment identify emerging challenges and evolve action-solutions for the nation’s growth and development. Over the past several years, Ms. Shobana Kamineni, our Vice Chairperson, has been working closely with the CII.  In recognition of her dedication, diligence and contribution, on 29th April 2017, in a landmark development, CII appointed her as its first lady President since its inception in 1895. This momentous milestone is a great honour for the Apollo family. Ms. Shobana has indeed set an example for all of us, especially our women citizens, and proven that glass ceilings can be shattered. We extend our heartiest congratulations to her as she leads CII to make India a truly inclusive economy and a healthier country.  

The transplant was perfomed at Apollo Hospitals – Health City, Arivola and the kidneys, heart and liver were harvested from a 20 year old brain dead person. The medico, hailing from Kalahandi district of Odisha, sustained injuries after falling from a height at a construction site and was admitted to Apollo Hospitals. The Doctors declared him brain dead the next day. Sourav’s parents were counselled about the Jeevandan programme after which they gave their consent and the family voluntered for organ donation to give a new lease of life to people awaiting organs. The organs were then allocated to beneficiaries by Jeevandan. The heart transplantation, performed for the first time was done on a patient from Guntur who was suffering from Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) for the past 2 years. The kidney was successfully transplanted to a Patient from Simhachalam who was suffering from chronic kidney disease for the past 3 years. The liver transplantation was performed on a patient from Kadapa district who was suffering from decompensated chronic liver disease for the past one and a half years. The lungs and eyes of the deceased were sent to Chennai for transplantation and LV Prasad Eye Institute of Vizag respectively. The heart transplant was performed by Dr. AGK Gokhale along with Dr. Subramanyam, Dr. Farooqi, Dr. Trivedi and Dr. Ravi. Liver transplant was perfomed by Dr. Manish Verma, Dr. Manjunath along with Dr. Muralidhar Nambada, Dr. B Sathish Babu and Dr. Srinivas. Kidney transplant was performed by Dr. Subba Rao and team and the Critical Care team comprised of Dr. Atchyut, Dr. Disha and team. “Every brain dead person can save 8 lives by donating his/ her organs, provided the transplantation is done within a span of few hours” said Mr. Sandeep Chathrath, Regional CEO – Apollo Hospitals (Andhra Pradesh & Telengana). He added “The lungs, kidney, liver, heart, eyes and pancreas can be harvested from a brain dead person for transpalnting into a patient”. Specialists suggested that the heart, kidney and the liver should be done within 4 hours, 6 – 8 hours and 10 – 12 hours respectively.

Pacemakers are the most common way to treat Bradycardia to help restore the heart’s normal rhythm and relieve symptoms by sending electrical impulses to the heart to increase the heart rate. The patient was a 68-year-old gentleman who had a reaction from a previous implanted regular pacemaker, due to which it had to be removed. Since his veins were blocked (which are normally used for regular pacemaker leads), his only lifesaving option was the new Leadless pacemaker which is implanted through the leg. The leadless pacemaker, which has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is a new type of heart device that offers the most advanced pacing technology at one-tenth the size of a traditional pacemaker. This first implant in Karnataka was performed by Dr. Arun Srinivas, Head of Cardiology Department & Interventional Cardiologist, Apollo BGS Hospitals, Mysore along with Dr. Guruprasad H.P, Dr. P. Jayakumar & Dr. Adithya Udupa. “The device attaches directly to the walls of the heart and gives electrical signals for maintaining a normal heart rate. This new pacemaker is entirely MRI compatible and can adjust the heart rate according to the patient’s activity and needs of the body.” Said Dr. Arun Srinivas. Comparable in size to a large vitamin capsule, the Clinical Team elected to use the leadless pacemaker because unlike traditional pacemakers, the device does not require cardiac wires (leads) or a surgical “pocket “under the skin to deliver pacing therapy. This is a boon for patients who have a pacemaker / lead infection or blocked veins in the chest. It has reduced the complications and risks associated with the routine pacemaker by almost 50%, like lead infection, pacemaker pocket infection, venous obstruction etc.”, said Dr. Arun Srinivas. The Leadless Pacemaker also incorporates a retrieval feature to enable retrieval of the device when possible. However, the device is designed to be left in the body. For patients who need more than one heart device, the miniaturized leadless pacemaker is designed with a unique feature that enables it to be permanently turned off so it can remain in the body and a new device can be implanted without risk of electrical interaction. It is the first and only trans catheter pacing system to be approved for both 1.5 and 3 Tesla (T) full-body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, providing patients with access to the most advanced imaging diagnostic procedures available, if and when they need one.  

The care of Liver failure and post liver transplant patients is a complex multidisciplinary exercise. Most often, it involves multiple consultations across specialties, that spreads over many days, and involves a lot of running around by the patients. The Multidisciplinary Liver Board is a meeting of professionals with specialized expertise in taking care of the complex health needs of the pre- and post- liver transplant patients. This will be held once every week on Wednesdays. This will be a multidisciplinary meeting involving Liver Transplant Surgeons, Transplant Hepatologists, Liver transplant Anesthetists, Critical care specialists, Pulmonologists, Transplant Infectious disease specialists, Cardiologists, Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Nutritionists, Physiotherapists, Social workers and Transplant coordinators. All the issues related to Patients’ medical condition will be discussed and the best plan to address the issues will be formulated. This would ensure maximum safety to the patient undergoing liver transplantation, superlative post-liver transplant care, and speedy identification of problems and their timely and effective management. The liver transplant programme of Apollo Hospitals, Jubilee Hills is known for its excellent outcomes. Patient survival rates are better than the international benchmarks. The Liver board is going to be a major contributor towards providing medical care of international standard to the liver failure and liver transplant patient. The Team Liver Transplant Surgeons Dr. Manish C. Varma Dr. L. Sasidhar Reddy Transplant Hepatologist Dr. Naveen Polavarpu Dr. Somsekhar Liver anesthesia and Critical care Dr. Manjunath B Cardiologist Dr. Manoj Agarwala Pulmonologists Dr. C. Vijay Kimar Dr. Sai P. Harnath Transplant Infectious disease Dr. Sunita Nareddy Dr. Ravi Barigala Psychiatrists and Psychologists Dr. Ashok Alimchandani Dr. Namita Singh Transplant coordinators Mr. Girish Shetty Mr. M. Sandeep Social workers Ms. Rashmi Singh Physiotherapists Ms. Hema Ms. Jagpreet Kaur