Spinal surgery on tumors involving the spinal cord is the most challenging of all due to its high risk of possibly precipitating the neurological deficits that are disastrous. Tumors that arise in the cervical ( neck ) region of the spinal cord are rare and pose great challenge to the Neurosurgeons. The tumor expand the spinal cord and produce neurological deficits viz; sensory and motor ( weakness of limbs/paralysis). Neither all spinal cord tumors can be totally removable nor they are greatly amenable for radiotherapy too. Anna Mushi, a young housewife from Tanzania presented to us with progressive weakness of limbs, pain and disturbances in walking and limited daily activities. She had a long and large tumor that occupied 8 cms of the central part ( Intramedullary ) of the spinal cord in the neck that extended from the second to sixth cervical spine. This highly vascular tumor ( Ependymoma) was meticulously removed in total using Microsurgical technique by our team led by Dr.J.K.B.C.Parthiban,Senior Consultant Neurosurgeon, Spine Neurosurgery, Apollo Hospitals Chennai. The surgery last for more than 6 hrs on July 9th 2012 at Apollo Specialty Hospital. The spinal cord was split vertically from the back and the tumor was dissected from the spinal cord neural tissues and removed safely preserving the motor and respiratory functions of the patient. Anna Mushi is now walking and undergoing rehabilitation at Apollo Specialty Hospital. Neuro Spinal Surgery is an advancing speciality in Neurosurgery that address not only the soft spinal cord but also the spine ( bone ) . Skill in Microsurgery and Spinal Instrumentation are the hallmarks of this specialization.  

In association with Supertech Group and Network18, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals today organised the NOIDA 10K Run at Ramleela Ground, NOIDA Stadium, Sector 21A, Noida. Meant to promote Clean, Green and Safe NOIDA, the 10-km run drew enthusiastic participation. In the wee hours of Sunday at 5:30 AM, around 13,000 people participated in the 10-km run tagged ‘RUN KO BANAO FUN’. The run was supported by Hindustan Times, Barista-Lavazza, Smile Foundation, Bisleri, PVR Cinemas, Spice Mobile, Fever 104 FM, Lotto, Running and Living, Make a Wish, Cafe Buddy and Gold’s Gym. Organized to spread awareness about healthy living and emphasize the importance of clean and green surroundings, it also aimed to bring people together and motivate the community to take the necessary steps possible towards a healthy environment. The messages promoting the Sunday run included: Run for clean, green and safe Noida. Run for a strong Noida. Run for a healthy Noida. Run for a healthy you. Mr Jaideep Gupta, MD Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, said: “Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals has always promoted initiatives that foster healthy living. The objective behind supporting such a run is to spread awareness about the tangible benefits of exercise and encourage positive action. Simultaneously, this initiative is also meant to accelerate awareness about sensitive environmental issues and encourage healthy living habits.” With thousands of runners racing across the track, the stadium was abuzz with positive energy. The run also acted as a massive show of solidarity and unity of purpose, not only via the partners and sponsors of the run but also through the active participation of people in and around Noida. Almost 40 doctors and nurses from Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, as well as their families, also ran for the cause.  

Pediatric specialists of Apollo Hospitals successfully completed a complex surgery on the bladder base of a 7 year old child from Africa with the assistance of a Robot. The child’s urethra, the tube from the urinary bladder was crushed in a road accident. 7 year old Farhana’s (Name changed) urethra got damaged in a road accident; several medical attempts that she underwent in her native did not yield in any means. Farhana had to suffer physically and mentally with a tube hanging from her bladder to pass urine, she was brought to Apollo Hospitals Chennai in 2011 for medical assistance. After a series of medical examinations, Pediatric Urologists of Apollo Hospitals identified that the child’s bladder had been constantly draining to the outside without a control mechanism for almost a year, resulting into shrinking of the bladder capacity. A medical team under the supervision of Dr. V. Sripathi, Consultant Pediatric Urologist, Apollo Hospitals performed a novel surgery on the child in which, a flap of bladder muscle was fashioned into a tube (to act as the urethra) and tunneled to a normal position above the vagina. Farhana was brought back to Apollo after a period of one year for medical examination, during which, it was identified that in the process of healing, Farhana’s left ureter had been pulled closer to the bladder neck and urine was reversing its flow back into the kidney. As this reversal of flow would damage her kidney and cause urinary infection, a three hour Robotic Surgery was performed to stop the urine reflux. Explaining the Robotic Surgical procedure, Dr. V. Sripathi, Consultant Pediatric Urologist, Apollo Hospitals said, “We did not perform open surgery to cease urine reflux, as it would leave Farhana again with tube to pass urine. With the help of Robotic arms, without reopening the bladder a new bed was made in the bladder muscle and the ureter was placed in it and sutured with ease.” He further added that, “This is the first complex redo on the bladder base. Robotic surgery enabled us to achieve a perfect result in a very difficult situation with very minimal morbidity, with no pain and helped achieve discharge within a day. Robotic Surgery will revolutionize the practice of surgery in children especially in such complex situations without resorting to large incisions and prolonged hospitalization.” Post the complicated surgery, Farhana is now completely normal and as cheerful as any other child of her age. Robotic surgery is the latest and greatest tool in the operating room. It gained rapid acceptance over the few years as the preferred mode of surgery by doctors and patients. Until recently it was primarily used for adults. Now, Robotic arms are working their surgical magic on child patients as well. Robotic surgery has made its way into the present age and is helping doctors in saving children.  

Super specialists of Apollo Hospitals gave a new lease of life to a 52 year old woman who suffered a severe throat injury. The patient had an open cut throat with her food and wind pipes sliced in a chain snatching incident. Apollo Specialists performed a complicated surgery to bring back life and voice into her. 52 year old Shanthi (Name changed), a resident of Korukkupet, was brought to Apollo Hospitals with a deep cut in her throat, leaving her voice box, food pipe and wind pipe completely sliced. A team of doctors under the supervision of Dr. M. Babu Manohar, Senior Consultant ENT, Head & Neck Surgeon, Apollo Hospitals performed a 4 hour surgery on her. Shanthi, wife of Ganapathy an imitation jewellery retailer, was engrossed into business in their shop near Korukupet, while a man in guise of a customer snatched her 10 sovereign chain and cut off her throat to run away. Shanthi was immediately rushed to Apollo Hospitals, Tondiarpet for first aid and then was brought to Apollo Main Hospital, Chennai for further treatment. Due to the deep injury in her throat, Shanthi sustained heavy blood loss and severe suffocation as her wind pipe was totally sliced. A team of doctors examined her and the ENT Surgeon performed a surgery to mend the voice box, food and wind pipes. According to Dr. Babu Manohar, Senior Consultant, ENT Surgeon, Apollo Hospitals, “”As Shanthi had the deep cut from beside her right ear down into the mid part of the neck crossing onto the left side, cutting through many big blood vessels and nerves posed a life or death situation. It also led to a complete paralysis of the right side of her face””. He further explained, “”We thought about to remove the voice box in such complicated situation, but for Shanthi, we did not do so. Instead we patched up the cut off nerves, veins and also the voice box to ensure her speech is restored. Reconstruction of the upper part of the food pipe was under taken to restore the normal swallowing mechanism. We also performed an additional surgery to rectify the paralysis on her face””. Post a 4 hour complicated surgery and 40 days of serious observation Shanthi is now completely well, breathing normally and swallowing normally and is able to carry on her day to day activities. Message from Apollo Hospitals : Our well equipped Reach Hospitals can take up such case -stabilize. Apollo main hospital- emergency is there to receive & stabilize and coordinate multidisciplinary super specialists to save the life. Credit to paramedics who go in the ambulance to attend the patient on site. In such instances the initial few minutes make all the difference. Message to the public : Invest the money in gold- it is appreciating well. Do not wear it in such quantity and invite threat to the life. It is wrong to steal-it is equally wrong to induce stealing.  

The Group of 20 announced the winners of the G20 Challenge on Inclusive Business Innovation, a global competition managed by IFC, a member of the World Bank Group at the G20 Summit in Los Cabos, Mexico, on June 18, 2012. Apollo Hospitals was declared a winner (the only healthcare organization in the World) for it’s Reach Hospitals initiative. Apollo Reach Hospitals is an initiative of the Apollo Hospitals Group to take quality tertiary healthcare to semi-urban and rural areas in the country. Apollo Hospitals Group provides specialized medical services in India’s underserved rural areas and smaller towns. Apollo Reach Hospitals were created to bridge the healthcare access gap by making specialized healthcare available to the poorest people. The Apollo Reach Hospital in Karimnagar, Andhra Pradesh was chosen by Apollo Hospitals Group to represent its model in the G20 Challenge. Dr. Manmohan Singh, Hon’ble Prime Minister of India inaugurated this facility in 2008. This pioneering initiative of the Apollo Hospitals Group aims to reach world-class healthcare to semi urban and rural India. Apollo Reach has a wide array of offerings apart from regular medical facilities, including pharmacies to insurance services. Ms Preetha Reddy, Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals Group said, “We are extremely proud to be recognized by the G20 for our efforts in bringing about a visible change in the lives of people at the bottom of the pyramid (BOP). More than 25 percent of families in India live on the margins, spending less than US$70 a month on goods and services. Many of their basic needs go unmet, and they have little access to clean water, financial services, and education. More than 85 percent of these families live outside major cities. Unfortunately, most tertiary healthcare facilities in India are located in major metropolitan areas – meaning that most Indians have little or no access to specialized healthcare services. We consider it our responsibility to extend the same kind of healthcare services and facilities to smaller towns. This is our way of reinvesting in the ecosystem and contributing to the Indian society at large.” Apollo Reach Hospitals operate in less-developed population centres – termed Tier II cities – and offer medical care at rates up to 30 percent lower than other major hospitals. Within Reach Hospitals, low-income care is subsidized by services sold to high-income patients from the same area. The world’s leading economies launched the G20 Challenge to rapidly expand commercially viable businesses that serve the large numbers of low-income people that constitute the base of the global economic pyramid. Its goal is to identify, showcase, and support innovative business models that can be replicated across developing countries. The online competition was launched to find the best examples worldwide of businesses in developing countries that provide critical goods, services, and livelihood opportunities in financially, environmentally, and socially sustainable ways to those living at the bottom of the pyramid, called ‘inclusive businesses’. The G20 Challenge on Inclusive Business Innovation recognized businesses with innovative, scalable, and commercially viable ways of working with low-income people in developing countries. An independent judging panel – including representatives from the G20, the private sector, academia, foundations, and International Finance Institutions – selected 15 Challenge winners based on the following criteria: Innovation Development results Potential for growth, including replication of the business model in other markets Financial sustainability Environmental and social sustainability “The winners demonstrate that commercially viable companies can also provide economic opportunities for poor people-along with better access to clean water, electricity, health care, education, housing, phone services, and financial services.” said Lars Thunell, IFC Executive Vice President and CEO. “They provide impressive models for others to follow.” The awards were presented by Ambassador Rogelio Granguillhome, Chair of the G20 Development Working Group, Dr. Edmund Duckwitz, Ambassador of Germany to Mexico and Mr.Lars Thunell, Executive Vice President of IFC at a grand award ceremony on June 18, 2012.  

Apollo Hospitals has formed a subsidiary to impart healthcare-related training to 392,000 people in 10 years. NSDC has agreed to buy a stake in Apollo Med Skills Ltd., a Unit of the Apollo Hospitals Group. The investment on the project will be around Rs. 39 crore, of which NSDC will loan Rs. 25.13 crore to Apollo Med Skills. Apollo will contribute Rs. 9.88 crore. NSDC will also buy a 27% stake in Apollo Med Skills for Rs. 3.65 crore. Dr.K. Prabhakar, Chief Executive Officer of Apollo Med Skills, said the company is entering the sector because it realises the requirement for trained manpower. Dr.Prabhakar said the group formed the unit towards the end of 2011 and was engaged with NSDC for the partnership. “”We have now got their board approval,”” he said. The company will train people in subjects such as medical lab technology, dialysis and non-invasive cardiac courses, radiology and imaging, and operation theatre technology. It will also train doctors and nurses to update their skills. Ms.Sangita Reddy, executive director of operations at Apollo Hospitals, will oversee the work of the training subsidiary as a director. NSDC representative said. “”Since they are an established player, we can expect complete commitment from them.”” The company plans to set up about 47 centres in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Orissa, Jharkhand, Karnataka and West Bengal. “”Since, we have partnered with NSDC, we can use some government school buildings for running classes, especially in the evenings,”” Dr.Prabhakar said. Apollo will also find jobs for the trained people in its hospitals and other healthcare centres.  

Apollo Cancer Institute, Chennai urges people to kick tobacco chewing and smoking habits and organizes activities in collaboration with Madras Road Transport Corporation to create awareness on Oral & Lung cancer on the occasion of “”World No Tobacco”” day on May 31st. “”World No Tobacco”” Day (WNTD) is observed around the world every year on May 31. It is meant to encourage a 24-hour period of abstinence from all forms of tobacco consumption across the globe. The day is further intended to draw global attention to the widespread prevalence of tobacco use and to negative health effects, which currently lead to 5.4 million deaths worldwide annually. According to WHO tobacco is the second major cause of death worldwide. For creating the awareness for oral and lung cancer and also the harmful effects of tobacco usage, Apollo Speciality Cancer Hospital arranged a series of activities, throughout the no tobacco campaign week. With the mission of making Chennai a healthy city, Apollo Cancer Institute, Chennai have collaborated with Madras Road Transport Corporation (MTC) & organized series of activities on this occasion. An awareness talk and Pulmonary function tests were organized for the staff of Madras Transport Corporation. Usually the drivers from MTC are more prone to hazards of pollution & they are also in the forefront of active as well as passive smoking and chewing tobacco, in order to reduce the stress that they come across in their day today work. Keeping this in mind, Apollo Cancer Institute has taken the initiative to educate the staff of MTC against the harmful effects of tobacco & smoking. More than 500 employees from Madras Transport Corporation are expected to benefit from this test conducted. Apart from this major campaign Apollo has also initiated various activities, focused on PSUs, Corporates to create awareness on the harmful effects of smoking & tobacco. Again, PFT test is being conducted and awareness talks are organised at these Corporates to highlight on the need for a Healthy Life style & importance of regular cancer screening. Around 10 Corporates have been screened throughout the week, which includes screening of more than 1000 people. The workforce which includes more than 5000 people, have been given awareness on the hazards of smoking and chewing tobacco through awareness talks by Cancer Specialists from Apollo Speciality Cancer Hospital. The Corporates have also joined wholeheartedly in this noble initiative from Apollo Hospitals.  

S.N. Bhatt (now 94 years) and Vijay Laxmi Bhatt (now 87) who underwent Total Knee Replacement at Apollo Hospitals Delhi have become the oldest couple in the country to undergo bilateral total knee replacement (TKR) in a single sitting. While Mr. Bhatt underwent TKR of both knees (bilateral) in a single operation (under same anaesthesia) in April last year at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital here, his wife was successfully operated upon six months later. Indraprastha Apollo Hospital senior consultant orthopaedics and joint replacement surgeon Dr. Raju Vaishya who operated on the duo has now filed for a new record with the Limca Book. Mr. Bhatt, who retired as Principal of a degree college, played hockey along with the late legendary Dhyanchand when he was young and an avid horse rider as well. “”With this surgery it’s like a new lease of life for me and I feel like playing hockey again!”” he said at a Press conference. He said that before the surgery he was forced to use a wheelchair because of acute arthritis. His son who is an anaesthetist encouraged him to go in for TKR. “”An active schedule in his prime years enabled Mr. Bhatt to keep lifestyle diseases at bay and besides arthritis and mild hypertension he had no other ailment before the surgery. However, he had huge defects in the tibia (shin bone) which required bone grafting and therefore his surgery lasted about three hours. Mr. Bhatt started walking in four days post surgery and was discharged from the hospital after six days. And with this, he also entered the Limca Book of Records as the world’s oldest man to have undergone bilateral TKR in a single sitting,”” said Dr. Raju Vaishya. Delighted at being able to perform activities of daily living with complete ease, he convinced his wife, Vijay Laxmi, to undergo bilateral TKR in a single sitting as well. Vijay Laxmi was operated in November last year — six months after her husband’s surgery — despite ischemic heart disease. “”This makes them the oldest living couple in the country to undergo bilateral TKR in a single sitting,”” said Dr. Vaishya. The physician noted that TKR is one of the most successful orthopaedic surgeries that have even surpassed the outstanding long-term results of total hip replacement.  

Dr Ananthakrishnan Sivaraman, Consultant Urologist has been conferred a Special Achievement Award in Robotic Surgery by the Bengal Urological Society at Bengal Urology Society Conference( BUSCON) as part of their 50th Anniversary celebrations held in Kolkata. The award was given by Ms Chandrima Bhattacharya, Health Minister of Bengal on November 24th 2013. The award has been given as recognition to his efforts in initiating, facilitating and mentoring robotic surgeons in Kolkata over the past one year. A live work shop on robotic urological procedures was conducted where Dr Ananthakrishnan was the Faculty. Four robotic surgeries were performed as part of the work shop.                       

To mark the International Nurses Day on 12 May 2012, Apollo Group of Hospitals organized the 3rd National Nursing Conclave 2012 at Apollo Hospitals Bangalore, in association with innovative products maker and research and development leader 3M, to help nurses, their leaders and educators build confidence in the complex medical environment and meet patient expectations in a holistic manner. This will be followed by two days of leadership summit. Dr E. V. Ramana Reddy, Secretary – Health and Family Welfare, Government of Karnataka was the chief guest for the conclave. The keynote address was delivered by Dr (Ms) Preetha Reddy, Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals Group. Dr E. V. Ramana Reddy said: “”This is a novel idea to recognize the key role played by nurses in providing healthcare to the people. There has to be a commitment towards achieving good health for all, which must be a country-wide goal. Quality healthcare provisions and their easy accessibility are paramount in a country like India with a population of over a billion. Care is most needed for patients with progressive and life-threatening diseases such as cancer. Nurses must understand their crucial role in bringing health to the ill.”” In her keynote address, Dr (Ms) Preetha Reddy said: “”Care-giving standards and procedures need to be improved across the country. Today’s healthcare settings are quite complex compared to earlier times. In such a scenario, it becomes imperative for nurses to understand the care environment and its requirements so that they can work and serve with confidence despite numerous expectations. Apollo has always tried to develop leadership expertise in nurses besides the necessary care-giving skills. By giving confidence, strength and varied opportunities to the nursing staff, we appreciate their efforts in serving the patients.”” Roadblocks in quality healthcare, medical errors, nursing education, need for nurses to take care of themselves and importance of communication to provide care to others were mooted by way of debates, panel discussions and paper presentations. Capt. Usha Banerjee, Group Director – Nursing, Apollo Hospitals Group, Ms Mary Jose, Director – Nursing, Apollo Hospitals Bangalore and Mr Gautam Khanna, Executive Director, Healthcare Business, 3M India were also present. Capt. Usha Banerjee said: “”With the theme – ‘Caring with Confidence – Building People — this conclave provides a platform for exchange of views among nursing professionals to overcome various challenges they face while taking care of patients. Sharing research outputs and sustainable solutions is important for improving healthcare in the long run. Upcoming nurses must enter their profession with a clear understanding and know-how of its demands. Quality nursing education with emphasis on developing the required skill set will go a long way in the much-needed advancement of nursing standards in the country.”” Mr Gautam Khanna said: “”Superior standards of healthcare practices can only be ensured through adequate training of healthcare providers like the nursing community. 3M’s collaborations with associations like Infusion Nurses Society, Critical Care and Operating Room Nursing Clubs bears testimony to our support for the nursing fraternity. Forums such as these are an excellent platform to engage care-givers and share best practices in healthcare delivery.”” International Nurses Day is celebrated on 12 May every year, which is the birth anniversary of legendary nurse Florence Nightingale – the founder of modern nursing.  

Advancement in technology plays an important role in the healthcare system, and it offers new and better ways to solve the key health problems of the new century. The latest is the Robotic surgery which has gained rapid acceptance over the past four years as the preferred mode of surgery by doctors and the patients. The Apollo Institute of Robotic Surgery, Chennai launched in November 2011, offers world class treatment extensively in Gynaecology, Urology, Oncology, General and Bariatric Surgery. With the use of the state of the art “”da Vinci Robotic System””, Apollo Hospitals has successfully completed 56 complicated surgeries. With more number of patients opting for the robotically assisted surgery, the institute is planning to expand its reach in Cardiac, Head and Neck Surgeries. This minimally invasive field of surgery has integrated advanced technology with computer enhanced platforms and surgical skills to improve efficiency, precision and safety. Less blood loss, faster recovery with invariably less pain and scar, lesser tissue trauma are some of the aspects that make Robotic surgery preferable to the conventional surgical procedure. Highly complicated surgical tasks beyond the limitations of human hand are successfully treated using EndoWrist instruments attached to robotic arms that are controlled by a Robotic surgeon. Though the robot has no intelligence to conduct any single movement on its own, it is primed to carry out several safety checks per second. Robotic Surgery is the best treatment for patients with obesity and diabetes in addition to those who require complex surgical procedures and for patients who have undergone multiple surgeries. Dr Prathap C. Reddy, Chairman, Apollo Hospitals appreciated the overwhelming response to Robotic Surgery. He said, “”Robotic surgery is developing at a fast pace in India. With the inception of the Robotic era, there is a need to spread awareness on this modality of surgery and its technological benefits. Adopting Robotic Surgeries in various specialties will help patients across all regions to access the benefits of minimal invasive surgery.””  

Aneurysms of thoracic aorta and abdominal aorta are rare and their treatment traditionally involved complex surgical repair with attendant morbidity and mortality. Nowadays, interventional non-surgical management with Endovascular grafting using covered stent grafts (EVAR : Endovascular Aneurysm Repair) has become the treatment of choice in the majority of cases. This is the tale of a 67 year old hypertensive gentleman with Coronary artery Disease presenting with very large saccular Aneurysm in the Descending thoracic Aorta with another large saccular aneurysm in infra-renal abdominal aorta, again with impending rupture and layered clot in the aneurysm sac. He was refused treatment citing high risk as the reason in several placed and came to us as a last resort. A double TEVAR and EVAR procedure was performed by Dr Y Vijayachandra Reddy, Consultant Cardiologist, Apollo Hospitals Chennai. The final result was excellent with no complications and no endo-leaks. Patient withstood the procedure well and was shifted to ICU. He has been extubated and doing well now. The points of interest in this case are 1. Rarity of the procedure – stenting of both thoracic and abdominal aortic aneurysms in the same sitting 2. Aneurysm starting just after the left subclavian artery was considered inoperable because of high surgical risk involved and non interventionable due to lack of good landing zone for stenting. A carotid subclavian bypass was done enabling the case to be made suitable for TEVAR : the perfect example of a hybrid procedure. 3. The anatomy of abdominal aorta Aneurysm was interesting with gross disparity in size and tapering distal end precluding the use of the usual aneurysm stents . A balloon expanding Covered stent was deployed across the abdominal aorta aneurysm with post-dilation to mould the stent to the tapered aorta