Rare Laparoscopic Surgery Performed at CMC

Wed, Mar 6, 2013 at 11:59 AM 
A 3 year old Girl Child was suffering from pain

Ludhiana, 6th March, 2013:(Shalu Arora and Rector Kathuria):A 3 year old girl child, daughter of a labourer was suffering, with continuous pain in the lower abdomen and urinary infection for past threemonths. She was referred tothe Department of Paediatric Surgery CMC and Hospital Ludhiana for further management. Investigations revealed that there was a 2.5 cms. long and 1.5 cms. thick,stone which was completely  obstructing the flow of urine from left kidney to urinary bladder and causing urinary infection and abdominal pain. Since there was no free flow of urine from kidney, there wasswelling and deterioration of kidney function with continuous abdominal pain.

Dr William Bhatti Professor &Head, Department of Paediatric Surgery and his teamdoctors, Dr N Bedi, Dr A Gupta and Dr S Dhuria, successfully performed laparoscopic removal of stone from the ureter. Theparents are happy as their daughter does not have a big operative scar on her abdomen and she ispain free because of the laparoscopic surgery. This type of operation, where the impacted stone at lower ureterovesical junction in a 3 year old child,was removed by laparoscopic operationis the first to be performed in India. So far this type of surgery has been done by open procedures which results in long scar marks and prolongedhospital stay. In laparoscopic surgery,the child will have 2-3 tiny scars of 5mm on their abdomen, with  less pain and shorter hospital stay as compared to open surgeries.

Dr William Bhatti further mentioned that presence of stones in urinary system is a common problem in children and it can be managed safely with laparoscopic operations. Parents should not ignore if their child complains of continuous abdominal pain and paediatric surgeons should be consulted immediately to prevent further complications.

National Stroke Conference Concludes in Ldh

300 delegates attended the event

Dr. Monika Singla explaining secrets to prevent stroke at Ludhiana (Photo by Rector  Kathuria)

Ludhiana, 3rd March, 2013: (Shalu Arora and Rector Kathuria)The 8th National Conference of Indian Stroke Association organised by the department of Neurology, Christian Medical College, Ludhiana concluded today. There were 300 delegates who attended the conference from all over India including 18 International faculty members. Delegates also attended from the SAARC countries like Bangladesh. Yesterday there was a banquet for the delegates at the The Grand Pearl Resort. Mr RandhirKanwal the famous Ghazal singer entertained the guests. The medical students also displayed their artistic talent with a Bhangra dance.

Dr Jeyaraj D Pandian, Professor and Head of Neurology at CMC Ludhiana, the organising Secretary mentioned that all the major advances in stroke diagnosis and treatments were discussed in the conference. On the last day a special session on research in stroke was held and delegates from across the world discussed about the on-going important stroke trials and projects. A Skills workshop on the use of Botulinum toxin injection in treating stiffness of arms and legs following stroke was also held on the last day.

Dr Pandian said that for the first time a separate stroke rehabilitation skills workshop was held as a parallel meeting in CMC auditorium as part of the National stroke conference. More than 150 delegates attended this workshop which was organised by Dr SantoshMathangi. One of the main highlights of the conference was the Teaching course on stroke which was held on Day 1 for MBBS students as a separate event at CMC. Medical students from three colleges in Punjab participated in this course.

Dr Pandian stated that overall the conference had a major impact on the local doctors, neurologists, neurosurgeons, undergraduate medical students, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists and allied health trainees from across the country. This would improve the care and treatment of stroke patients.

National Stroke Conference at Ludhiana

Inaugurated by Health and Family Welfare Minister of Punjab Madan Mohan Mittal

                                                                                                                        Photo by Rector Kathuria

Dr Jeyaraj D Pandian talking to media (Photo:Rector Kathuria)

Ludhiana, 1^st March, 2013(Shalu Arora and Rector Kathuria):The department of Neurology at Christian Medical College, Ludhiana is organising the 8^th National Stroke Conference of Indian Stroke Association from March 1^st to 3^rd in Hotel Park Plaza. The honourable Health and Family Welfare Minister of Government of Punjab Shri.Madan Mohan Mittal was the Chief Guest for the Inauguration of the conference. In his inaugural address the Health Minister stated that stroke is the second commonest cause of death and fourth leading cause of disability worldwide.In India 1.44 to 1.64 million cases of new acute strokes occur every year and 12% of strokes occur in the population aged below 40 years.  In India 40-50% of stroke patients are left with permanent disability. From the on-going Indian Council of Medical Research funded stroke survey conducted by CMC, in Ludhiana city the incidence rate i.e. number of new cases every year is 162 per 1,00,000 population. There is an enormous need to improve the stroke care in our country and in Punjab. ShriMadan Mohan Mittal also released the Stroke Solidarity String which is an Indigo colored string as a symbol of stroke support and awareness across the world.

Dr Abraham G Thomas, Director of CMC Ludhiana appreciated the efforts of the department of Neurology in bringing the conference to the city of Ludhiana. He also mentioned that Ludhiana city and Punjab has a very high number of stroke patients. CMC has a comprehensive stroke program to cater to the needs of the patients.

Dr Jeyaraj D Pandian the Organizing Secretary mentioned that today experts from India and overseas talked about how to diagnose and treat stroke patients as quick as possible in the ABC of stroke session. In the noon stroke experts discussed about acute stroke treatment with emphasis on thrombolysis.

Dr MR Sivakumar, President of Indian Stroke Association (ISA) mentioned about the various activities of ISA in improving the stroke care and awareness in the country. Dr Natan Bornstein (Vice-President, World Stroke Organisation), Dr Richard Lindley (President, Stroke Society of Australasia) and Dr Craig Anderson (President Elect, Asia Pacific Stroke Organisation) stated the importance of improving care of stroke patients in low and middle income countries like India. 

Dr Manoj K Sobti, member Punjab Medical Council and President, Indian Medical Association, Punjab explained the role of Punjab Medical Council in improving continuing medical education the State. Dr Yashpal Singh gave the vote of thanks. 

The conference will continue till Sunday March 3^rd. 

8th National Stroke Conference at Ldh.

Sun, Feb 24, 2013 at 1:15 PM
Health Minister Pb MM Mittal will be the Chief Guest
Ludhiana, 25 Feb.2013:(Shalu Arora and Rector Kathuria): The department of Neurology at Christian Medical College, Ludhiana is organizing the 8th National Stroke Conference of Indian Stroke Association from March 1st to 3rd in Hotel Park Plaza. Dr Jeyaraj D Pandian the Organizing Secretary mentioned that about 250 delegates from all over India will be participating in the conference. He also added that 16 International and 25 National faculty will be delivering talks on various aspects of stroke in the conference. The honourable Health and Family Welfare Minister of Government of Punjab Shri Madan Mohan Mittal will be the Chief Guest during the Inauguration of the conference on March 1st at 5 pm. Dr Abraham G Thomas Director of CMC and the Patron of the conference lauded the efforts of the department of Neurology in bringing this conference to Ludhiana.

A special session on ABC of stroke is being planned on March 1st focusing on neurology trainees, physicians and general practitioners.  Dr Yashpal Singh the joint Organising Secretary mentioned that the latest advances in stroke treatment like clot bursting therapy (thrombolysis) will be discussed in the meeting.  Sessions on newer technologies and treatments will be the highlight of March 2nd program.  On March 3rd there will be a symposium on research and ongoing clinical trials in the area of stroke. The approach to long term problems after a stroke will be dealt in the last session of the conference.

There will be two parallel programs during the conference. On March 1st there will be a three hours teaching course on “Stroke”in the CMC Hospital auditorium for the MBBS students, junior doctors and Nurses. On March 2nd and 3rd a National skills workshop is being arranged in CMC Hospital auditorium on Stroke rehabilitation. This is for students, physiotherapists, speech therapists and occupational therapists. This workshop is being organised by Dr SantoshMathangi, Associate Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and College of Physiotherapy (Mr Dheeraj KV and Mrs Benjamin, Vice-Principals).

The registration for the conference is still open and the organising committee has subsidised the registration fee for Physicians and Indian Medical Association members. Ten credit hours will be available from the Punjab Medical Council. The details are available in the conference website:  www.isacon2013.org
National Stroke Conference in Ludhiana

Dr Sheila Das & her Team found more facts

Wed, Jan 16, 2013 at 5:11 PM
3.5 – 5 % were carriers of Beta Thal Major in the general population 
Aroras , Khatris , Ramgariah Sikhs , Jains the prevalence was 4.8% - 9.1% 

Ludhiana, 16th January, 2013 (Shalu Arora and Rector Kathuria):A CME on Thalassemia Awareness & Role of Molecular Genetics sponsored by the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR), New Delhi was conducted on the 16^th of January 2013 at the Christian Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana. The CME was attended by over 250 delegates which included Gynaecologists and Paeditricians from the Ludhiana city, including CMC Faculty.

Honorable Civil surgeon Dr.Subash Batta, was the Chief Guest, and Dr.K.Ghosh, Director, NIIH, Mumbai was the Guest of Honor, Dr.R.Colah, Dy Director, NIIH, Mumbai, Professor Vijay Obed, Dy Director, Prof.S.M.Bhatti, Pricipal, Prof. K.Masih, Medical Superintendent were also present.

The program was on generating awareness on the various aspects of Thalassemia, advancements in management and preventive strategies which included molecular diagnostics and prenatal diagnosis. The welcome address was given by Prof. Sheila Das, Principal Investigator, ICMR Thalassemia Molecular Genetics Project, Dr.K.Ghosh spoke on Why awareness of Thalassemia is necessary, Dr.R.Colah gave introduction of Molecular Genetics in Thalassemia and CVS study, Dr.Ranjeet S.Mashon, Research Scientist, ICMR Thalassemia Molecular Genetics Project gave a brief report of CMC experience in molecular genetics in Hemoglobinopathies, Ms. Geetanjali spoke on Awareness and Family sstudy in Antenatal women, Dr. Atul Goel, Assoc. Prof, Paediatrics spoke on challenges on managing a child with Thalassemia and Dr. J.John spoke on Bone Marrow Transplant in Thalassemia Children CMC experience.The CME was concluded by a vote of Thanks by Dr.Sheila Das.

It has been found by Dr Sheila Das & her Team in a previous ICMR Research Project by CMC Ludhiana that 3.5 – 5 % were carriers of Beta Thal Major in the general population while in some casts like Aroras , Khatris , Ramgariah Sikhs , Jains the prevalence was 4.8% - 9.1% and in Migrants from West Pak the prevalence was 8.3%.

All pregnant ladies during their first 3 months of Pregnancy are requested to come forward to CMC to get their blood screened for Beta Thalassemia, as this is the only center in Punjab to provide this facility as the ICMR Thalassemia Lab CMC Ludhiana is fully equipped with machines costing  Rs 75-80 lakhs sponsored by ICMR New Delhi .

Dr.Ranjeet S.Mashon may be contacted for more details at 8146560673

A CME on Thalassemia Awareness at CMC Ldh.

Dr Sheila Das and her Team found more facts

2nd International Yoga Conference

Fri, Jan 11, 2013 at 11:30 AM
Indian Cardiac Surgeon Dr. H S Delivers Key Note Address

Ludhiana, 11th Jan, 2012 (Shalu Arora and Rector Kathuria): The 2nd International Yoga Conference on Yoga for Health organised by the Patanjali Research Foundation in Haridwar.  Amongst a galaxy of International speakers from USA (Brigham’s Hospital, Boston), UK, Europe (Portugal and Germany) , China and Australia – an Indian surgeon made India proud by delivering one of the most appreciated key note lectures . Dr Harinder Singh Bedi – Head of Cardio Vascular & Thoracic Surgery at the prestigious Christian Medical College & Hospital in Ludhiana , Punjab delivered his oration on ‘Yoga and Heart – Improving Cardiac Surgery Outcomes with Yoga–the Science and the Art “ . Dr Bedi is a pioneer of beating heart bypass surgery having published the first series of his technique in 2000 with publications in the major medical journals and presentations all over the world. Dr Bedi said that beating heart surgery has  made bypass a very safe and consistent procedure. However lung complications continue to slow the recovery in patients all over the world . With a view to reducing these Dr Bedi started using pranayam techniques in his patients before and after major heart surgeries . The results were dramatic and significantly much better as patients  could be removed from artificial ventilation much earlier and spent lesser time in the  ICU and hospital . The morbidity was considerably improved over patients who did not undergo yoga therapy and was much better than the best International standards. The address  was received very well and Dr Bedi got a standing ovation by the International audience . Swami Ramdev was all praise for the excellent scientific study conducted at CMC and congratulated Dr Bedi on the excellent results in his patients . The telecast was live and beamed to all countries in the world .
Dr Bedi is  one of the  few heart surgeons who has understood the importance of using traditional Indian yogic  systems to improve the  outcomes in heart disease patients . He has documented the effects of yoga on the  heart and lungs and presented his findings at various super-specialist meetings and conferences all over the world . Initially sceptical surgeons have been amazed by the results and have started using the beneficial effects in their patients  too. Dr Bedi explained that after major heart surgeries the lungs  do not function well and the patients are not able to cough out secretions resulting in low oxygen levels and pneumonia . With  the addition of simple yogic techniques by a full time yoga teacher – Mr Nirmal Singh – under medical supervision – patients are able to breathe well very soon leading to reduced infection rates and quicker recovery .
Dr Abraham G Thomas – Director of Christian Medical College & Hospital – said that the CMC & H is one of the very few Institutes in the world which has encouraged the addition of yoga therapy to improve the  well being of their patients . With a strong research oriented and patient centred compassionate approach to disease treatment and prevention the CMC was committed to bring the best medical care to the people of this region.

World Stroke Day 2012:

Stroke Walk and Road Show by CMC Stroke Unit 
Mon, Oct 29, 2012 at 1:57 PM

Ludhiana, 29th October, 2012 (Shalu Arora and Rector kathuria) CMC Stroke Unit has been carrying out several public awareness activities in the city for the past 6 days. This is to commemorate the Stroke Week and World Stroke Day. The World Stroke Day is celebrated throughout the world on 29th October every year. Dr Jeyaraj D Pandian, Chair of the World Stroke Campaign of World Stroke Organization said that this year’s theme is “1 in 6” people will experience a stroke in their life time. 

The medical students, physiotherapy interns and students, doctors of CMC, Staff and Students of All Saints College of Physiotherapy had gathered near Hotel Park Plaza today for the “Stroke Walk”. The number of people who participated in the walk was 120. During the walk they displayed placards, educational leaflets to the public. They concluded the walk near canal road. Another team of doctors, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and students in a separate vehicle did the road show. They passed through Sarabha Nagar, civil lines, model town and various Malls in the city. In the road show emphasis was placed on recognition of stroke symptoms and accessing to immediate treatment of stroke within 4 ½ hours. Dr Santosh Mathangi, Consultant, Physical Medicine Rehabilitation department who organized the stroke walk and road show stated that after the medical treatment patients should receive rehabilitation in the form of Physiotherapy, Occupational therapy and Speech therapy. 

Yesterday the team went to West End Mall and screened about 100 people for the risk factors of stroke. They also distributed stroke awareness pamphlets to the public.

The other key personnel involved in organizing the Stroke walk and Road show were Ms Lizzy Julia, Ms Rajni Arora,  College of Physiotherapy, Mr Navneet Singh, Mr Devan, Ms Deepika Sharma, Mr Dheeraj KV, Vice Principal, College of Physiotherapy, research staff of department of Neurology (Mr Amber Sharma, Dr Shweta Jain, Mrs Gagandeep Mehmi, Dr Deepti Arora, Mr Himanshu Koundal, Ms Raminder Kaur, Mrs Paramdeep Kaur) and students and interns of College of Physiotherapy CMC and All Saints College of Physiotherapy.

The stroke team at CMC is available 24/7 to rapidly evaluate stroke patients who come within the golden time of 4 ½ hours after the onset of symptoms. The stroke warning symptoms are sudden weakness, numbness in one side of the body, sudden trouble speaking or understanding, sudden loss of vision in one eye, sudden imbalance, sudden headache and loss of consciousness. If any of you experience the above symptoms please call the stroke hotline numbers 7508100222, 7508100111.

World Stroke Day 2012: 

Punarjot organizes State Level function//Subhash Malik*

Mass Thanks Ceremony of 299  Eye Donors of 2012 

Punarjot Eye Bank Society organizes a State level special mass thanks ceremony of Eye Donors of 2012 at Merry Land Resort for giving gift of sight to corneal blinds.


Mr. Subhash Malik, Hon. Secretary of the society welcomed the chief guest Bhagat Chunni Lal, Hon.  Cabinet Minister, Medical Education & Research, Pb. and other guests came from different parts of Punjab. Mr. Malik give the details of work done by the society and thank the eye donor families to restore the vision of needy on selfless basis. He also told that our society is no.1 in collection and transplantation of cornea in Northern India.


At the occasion the chief guest, Bhagat Chunni Lal, Hon. Cabinet Minister, Medical Education & Research, Pb inaugurated the event by lightning Punarjot lamp and all candles were ignited from Punarjot lamp in sweet memory of all eye donors from almost whole of Punjab in 2012. Hon. Minister appreciated the work done by the society by giving the facility of free corneal transplantation and announced a grant of Rs. 2 lacs to the society for this noble cause of eye donation.


Dr. Ramesh, Medical Director of the society while thanking the chief guest told that Para-medical staff can play a vital role to spread the message of eye donation at the time grief to the family as most of the family forgets the eyes even the diseased have pledged during lifetime. Dr. Ramesh thanked the electronic and print media for their support in this noble cause. Dr. Ramesh thanked the eye donation families, motivators and different by different associates working in the eye donation movement in different parts of Punjab.


At this occasion students of college of Nursing DMCH & CMCH, Guru Teg Bahadur college of Nursing, Dr. Mohan Kaur institute of Nursing, Arvindoo College of commerce and Management and All Saints college of medical sciences participated in the Declamation, Skit and Rangoli competition on the theme of Eye Donation under the dynamic guidance of Dr. Ranbir Singh Sekhon. Dr. S.M. Bhatti, Principal, CMCH and Dr. G. S. Bajwa, HOD (Eye), DMC Ludhiana selected the winners of the competition.


The function was attended by Sh. R.K. Verma, commissioner and Sh. P.S. Bhullar, Joint Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Sh. Parveen Bansal, President BJP, Distt. Ludhiana, S. Harcharan Singh Gohalwaria, counselor, S. Inderjit Singh Gill, owner of the resort, Dr. Subash Bansal, President, Optical association Punjab, Mohd. Sadique and Hakam Bakhtariwala renown singers.

*Mr. Subhash Malik is contributing his services to the humanity as the Hon. Secretary of The

Punarjot Eye Bank Society. His Contact Number is: 93575-06505

...And 20 year old got a new life

CMC Heart surgeons breathe life into hopeless case 

In a happy mood Ramandeep with Dr Harinder Singh Bedi and faculty of CTVS department of CMC & H

Ludhiana, 11th August, 2012: (Shalu Arora and Rector Kathuria):
Mr Ramandeep Singh - the 20 year old son of Mr Sohan Singh of Ludhiana   - had a massive accident while driving a scooter. A large piece of bamboo fence went through into his body from his left neck into his right chest. He was transferred to the Christian Medical College and Hospital from a local hospital. Here he was seen by Dr Harinder Singh Bedi – Head of Cardio Vascular & Thoracic Surgery. Mr Ramandeep was in shock and very unstable. He had lost about 3 litres of blood in his right chest and was not able to breathe. He was taken for emergency surgery. The bleeding was found to be a torrential one which could not be adequately controlled because the right lung was solidified due to the injury and was interfering with the exposure. So a rapid decision was made to stop the lungs by putting the patient on a special heart lung machine. Dr Bedi explained that in this rarest of rare cases the only option was to stop the lungs and the only way to do this was to use a sophisticated heart lung machine which takes over the function of the lungs (the machine has a special area through which oxygen is pumped in and purifies the blood just as a normal lung would). The massive bleeder was identified as a complete transection of the origin of the subclavian artery. The torrential blood coming out of this tear was pumped back into the patient. The tear was now controlled and an imported graft used to restore continuity so that the right hand of   would be saved.
Even after the surgery the right lung continued to be non functional due to the massive trauma. So a special method of ventilation called independent lung ventilation was carried out. Here the left and right lungs were separately ventilated with 2 machines, made a slow but complete recovery.
The intricate respiratory care was done under the supervision of the cardiac anesthetists Dr S Garg and Dr Melchi. The other members of the team are Dr A Joseph, Dr Anish Verghese, Dr Pratap, Dr Meenu, Dr Ashwin, and Dr Nina. The heart lung machine was handled by Mr Jairus Wilson and Mr William Prem Sagar aided by Mr Mathew.
Dr AG Thomas – Director of CMC & H – said that it was the quick thinking on the part of the surgical team which was instrumental in saving Ramandeep   . He reiterated the commitment of the CMC & H to serve the people of the community with the highest level of care and expertise.

Another achievement for CMC Stroke Unit:

Awarded Indo-USA Brain Collaborative grant 

Ludhiana, 8th August, 2012. (Shalu Arora and Rector Kathuria)The Stroke Unit of Christian Medical College, Ludhiana has received a 1.18crores grant from the department of Biotechnology, India and National Institute of Health, USA. Dr. Jeyaraj Durai Pandian, Professor and Head of Neurology is the receipient of this award. This grant money is to develop a National Stroke Registry between India and USA. Dr. Pandian is the Principal Investigator from India and Dr. Aneesh Singhal, Stroke program, Massachusetts General hospital, Boston (Harvard University) is the Principal Investigator from USA in this grant. Dr. Pandian said that this research grant will help India and USA to develop a common stroke database and do cross cultural studies. New information regarding various risk factors for stroke, clinical services for stroke and reasons for delay in treatment are some of the important parameters that will be studied in this research. The information on stroke will be collected from 4 other centers in the country besides CMC Ludhiana. They are PGIMER Chandigarh, AIIMS New Delhi, NIMS Hyderabad and SCTIMST Trivandrum.
Dr. Pandian stated that this research proposal was selected out of 72 grant applications. Dr. Yashpal Singh, Professor of Neurology said that this Indo-USA collaborative registry will collect data for the next 2 years and many sub-studies will be carried out once the stroke registry is established. Dr. Abraham G Thomas, Director, CMC lauded the efforts of the Neurology department in getting the grant.  

A new success by Dr. H S Bedi at CMC Ludhiana

Rare major open heart surgery saves  a new life
Ludhiana, 16th July, 2012 (Shalu Arora and Rector Kathuria)

Mr Vikas Masih – a   35 year old teacher – was in a very serious condition. He had developed a large blood clot in his lungs – a condition called massive pulmonary embolism – due to which he was not able to breathe. He was referred to Dr Harinder Singh Bedi – Head of Cardio Vascular Endovascular & Thoracic Surgery at the Christian Medical College & Hospital, Ludhiana. On examination and investigation Dr Bedi realized that Mr Vikas was in imminent danger of death as his oxygen levels were dangerously low. This was damaging his brain and kidneys.
He had already been put on maximal medical therapy including the latest blood thinners at another hospital – but they did not work. The only option to save his life now was a major and rare open heart surgery called pulmonary thrombo-endarterectomy. Dr Bedi said that the surgery is done on a heart lung machine but additionally for a short period of time the circulation even through the heart lung machine has to be stopped. This is called circulatory arrest and is like totally stopping the heart and the lungs - both the natural and artificial ones.
Dr Bedi explained that this is because otherwise the blockage in the lungs cannot be seen clearly. During the tense 10 minutes while the patient was ‘clinically dead’ - on no circulation at all – his lungs were totally cleared of all the deadly clot. Dr Bedi is a pioneer in this field and in fact has trained in this rare surgery at the St Vincents Hospital in Sydney. However this was a very challenging case as Vikas is very young and this extent of disease was unexpected.
The other members of the Heart team are Dr A Joseph, Dr Sheetal Garg, Dr Melchi, Dr Paul, Dr Reenus ,  Dr Dinesh, Dr Pratap, Dr William, Dr Pearl,  Dr Savan, Dr Meenu, DR Nina and Dr Ashwin  . The heart lung machine was manned by Mr Jairus and Mr William – who are the senior most perfusionists of Punjab – along with Mr Mathew.
Dr Abraham G Thomas – Director of CMC & H – said that the CMC was committed to bringing the latest technology to Punjab so that the people of this area were given the best possible therapy. 

Appeal to help 7 year old Nagma

Help Nagma for successful stem cell transplantation 
Ludhiana, 15th June, 2012 (Shalu Arora and Rector Kathuria) 7 year old Ms Nagma (Hospital No: -C-7372377) is diagnosed to have severe Aplastic Anemia, a disease in which all her blood cells stop their production from the bone marrow. Patients with aplastic anemia require multiple blood transfusions and may have life threatening infections and bleeding as the cells to protect the body from these are absent.Appeal to help 7 year old Nagma

            Her only hope for cure is Haematopoietic stem cell transplant with cure rate of 80-90 % is done at the right time. She is fortunate to find a full house HLA match in her younger sister. The estimated expense of a stem cell transplant is approximately cost Rs. 8 to 10 Lakhs. Her father is a truck driver and is unable to meet the daily needs let alone bear the cost of transplant.
Parents who have 3 daughters is keen to proceed with the treatment of their eldest daughter. Christian Medical College is providing free bed charges and is arranging some free facilities and medication. However, the added expenses need to be met. This is a request to all the well wishers to donate for this young girl and give her a second chance to live. If any one is willing to contribute for the same please contact Clinical haematology office – 0161-5037957 (cmcbmt@gmail.com) or All drafts/Cheque may be taken in favour of “Christian Medical College Ludhiana, Society” and please write  Nagma - C-7372377 at the back of the cheque.  All your contributions would be acknowledged.

Dental Implants: Ambition to reality

Continuing Dental Education Programme on 19th May, 2012 
Ludhiana, 18th May, 2012(Shalu Arora and Rector Kathuria) Christian Dental College, Ludhiana is organizing a one day continuing Dental Education Programme on ‘Dental Implants: Ambition to reality’, which is accredited with six CDE points by the Punjab Dental council on 19th May, 2012 at the historic Lady Willingdon Assembly of Christian Medical College, Ludhiana.

The Chief Guest for the programme will be Dr. RS Mann, President, Punjab Dental Council and the Guest of Honor will be Dr. Abraham G Thomas, Director of Christian Medical College, Ludhiana. Dr. Vikas Jindal, Vice president of Punjab Dental Council and President of the Ludhiana Branch of the Indian Dental Association will also be the Guest of Honor for the occasion.

Recently implant dentistry is taking lot of importance in dental practice with the predictable success rate of replacing missing teeth with titanium implants into the bone and attaching the prosthetic component immediately or later depending on the clinical condition. Implant dentistry is practiced at Christian Dental College (CDC) since 2002 and there are more than 2000 implants placed successfully with good follow up of all the cases with a dedicated team for the same.

The faculty for the programme will be Dr. Sumir Gandhi (CDC), Dr. Laxman Kumar (CDC), Dr. Nitasha Gandhi (CDC) and Dr. Abhinav Sood (New Delhi).

The programme has already generated lot of interest amongst the professionals in the sense that at present there are more than 170 participants already registered for the event.

The main topics covered during this programme will be diagnosis and surgical treatment planning, diagnosis and prosthetic treatment planning, case discussion (live), implant design, osseo-integration and introduction to various implant systems, two live surgeries, impressions in implants and live demonstration on impression making.

Dr. Abi M. Thomas, Principal, emphasized that there will be a follow up workshop for advanced training in dental implantology.

Early intervention for optimal treatment of squint

Every case of squint can lead to loss of stereo vision
Ludhiana, 2nd May, 2011(Shalu Arora and Rector Kathuria) Generally squint is considered important only from the cosmetic point of view. It is true that deviated eyes do not look good on a person’s face. Added to this is the psychological and emotional distress. However this is not the only deficit caused by squint, says Dr Satish Thomas, pediatric ophthalmologist and squint specialist at Christian Medical College & Hospital, Ludhiana. It can cause decreased vision because of amblyopia if the squint is in one eye. In addition, every case of squint can lead to loss of stereo vision or 3 dimensional vision.  We can have 3D vision only when both the eyes function simultaneously. Children with squint suppress image from one eye in order to avoid double vision, but in the process lose 3D vision.

Squint is best corrected as early as possible after its onset. This is because 3D vision can only be restored if eyes are realigned within about a year of onset, which is before 2 years of age. Amblyopia or lazy eye can only be treated before 7 or 8 years of age. If squint is to be operated only for cosmetic purposes, then timing of surgery does not matter as much. A surgeon can operate and correct squint at any age, but unless it is done very early in life, the patient cannot obtain any binocular vision and 3D perception ability. This is a very important criterion for many professions and careers like sports, surgery, becoming a pilot etc. It is extremely important even for most simple activities like threading a needle. Unfortunately many patients who come to us late have been advised by many doctors that they have to wait until they get older to have squint operated. Most squints do not improve with time and if we wait in the hope of spontaneous improvement, everything will be lost except a chance of straight eyes.
Dr Satish Thomas says that for the last 7 years, ever since he returned from doing fellowship in pediatric ophthalmology and squint from Sankara Nethralaya in Chennai, he has been earnestly campaigning for early treatment of squint. It is encouraging that over the last few years more and more patients are coming in earlier for treatment. In the last year Dr. Thomas said that he has seen close to 100 new children with squint in the hospital who have been appropriately treated. Twenty of them have been operated upon and many of them have been corrected with appropriate spectacles and occlusion therapy. However, the number of adults coming in with congenital squints is also on the rise. During the last year about 50 adult patients underwent surgery for squint which they had from childhood. This is a reflection of the society’s understanding of the disease which needs to change. Almost all the varieties of primary squint originate in childhood and need to be operated early in life for maximum benefits. 

An appeal from CMC Ludhiana

A 15 year old girl waiting your helping hand 
Ms. Diksha d/o Late Sh. Des Raj (Hosp No: C-7366016) is a 15 year old girl from Himachal Pradesh studying in class IX. She came to CMCH in March 2012 with painful swelling of her right leg. Her investigations confirmed the diagnosis of Osteogenic Sarcoma – a type of bone cancer. This is an aggressive type of cancer but has not spread to the rest of her body. She has a high chance of cure if she completes chemotherapy and surgery. Some patients with this disease may also require Radiotherapy after surgery. The approximate expenditure for the same is Rs 2 lakh over the next 3 months. Her father passed away and she is being cared for by her mother on a pension of Rs 3000/month. 

The patient and her family are very keen for treatment and her relatives are also supporting the family in seeking treatment. She has already received 2 cycles of chemotherapy with good response in the tumour. She is currently admitted in CMC Hospital for managing low blood counts and infection which can happen due to chemotherapy. It would be a great help to the family if any financial assistance can be provided both to deal with the current crisis and to help pay for her definitive treatment. The Medical Oncology Unit at CMCH is providing some of her medicines and chemotherapy drugs at subsidized rates. However, the added expenses need to be met to enable this young girl and the family to get her back to normal life without cancer. 

We appeal to the people of Ludhiana to please come forward and help the family. If anyone is willing to contribute for the same, please contact CMC Medical Oncology helpline numbers – 09780005333/09915851194 or (cmc.oncology@yahoo.com) or Miss. Amarjit, Publicity Manager Ph: 9888588840. Donations can be deposited in the patient’s name in the form of cheque/DD in favour of “CMC Ludhiana Society”. Cash payments will also be accepted at our accounts/billing section. Donors will be eligible for tax exemption.    -Shalu Arora and Rector Kathuria    

A Daring Lung Surgery at CMC Ludhiana

Latest device used for the first time

Photo: A happy Mr Birbal Singh with Dr Harinder Singh Bedi

Punjab is now among the very few cities in India where the latest technology is being used to cure lung disease patients surgically without complications.  This was in the form of a new generation bronchial stapler used by Dr Harinder Singh Bedi – Head of Cardio Vascular Endovascular & Thoracic Surgery in the prestigious Christian Medical College & Hospital in Ludhiana.  Dr Bedi explained that in lung surgery for cancer and TB – the air channel (bronchus) to the diseased part of the lung is cut and then repaired. There is a major risk of the sutures giving sway as the suture area is always wet from lung secretions. This complication - called a broncho-pleural fistula - is a dreaded and sometimes fatal complication all over the world. To reduce this risk a new device called a bronchial stapler has been developed by the Ethicon Company of USA in conjunction with Cardio Thoracic surgeons. This has a double row of titanium clips which on deploying securely close the bronchus with an extremely low risk that a leak will occur.
This was used recently by Dr Bedi in Mr Birbal Singh r/o Basti Jodhewal , Ludhiana    . He suffered from a life threatening bleeding from the left upper lobe of the lung. He was referred to Dr Bedi by Dr Mary John – the Head of Medicine at CMC & H.  Mr Birbal was in a critical state and Dr Bedi realized that he would be at high risk of a fistula by conventional surgery. So the new device was used for the first time in Punjab. Dr Bedi has trained in Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery with Dr Mark X Shanahan – the former Chairman of Cardio Thoracic Surgery at St Vincents hospital in Sydney. There he had done many complicated cases. In fact Dr Bedi has been invited to give lectures on lung surgery by the Association of Cardio Thoracic Surgeons. But according to Dr Bedi – Mr Birbal presented a special challenge as he had lost blood and was very weak. The stapler was successfully used and Mr Birbal made a remarkable recovery.
The other members of the Heart – Lung Team are Dr A Joseph, Dr S Garg, Dr Paul, Dr Melchi, Dr D Benia, Dr William, Dr Savan, Dr Pearl., Mr William and Mr Jairus and Yoga Acharya Mr Nirmal Singh. Dr Bedi explained that in lung surgery major cardio-vascular repair can be required at any time – so it is important that the team be a fully trained Cardio- Vascular & Thoracic one.  Dr Bedi is a board certified surgeon qualified and authorized to perform cardiac vascular endovascular and thoracic surgery.
Dr Abraham G Thomas – Director of CMC & H – said that the CMC was committed to bringing the latest technology to the people of Punjab. He complimented Dr Bedi and his team for this pioneering surgery. Dr Thomas told that under the leadership of Dr Bedi CMC & H is regularly performing minimally invasive lung surgeries and is one of the  few centres in India doing this routinely . Shalu Arora and Rector Kathuria

Loving care of daughters and Latest Endovascular technique

CMC Saved a woman suffering from massive blood lots

In a  happy mood Mrs Amrit Kaur and family with Dr Harinder Singh Bedi

Ludhiana, 6th April, 2012 (Shalu Arora and Rector Kathuria) Mrs Amrit Kaur–a 65 year old lady - W/o S. Gurcharan Singh of Janakpuri was in a serious condition. She had developed a large clot in her left leg which was in imminent danger of getting loose and blocking her lungs. She was seen in the Emergency by Dr Harinder Singh Bedi – head of Cardio Vascular Endovascular & Thoracic Surgery at the Christian Medical College & Hospital in Ludhiana. On examination and investigation Dr Bedi found that she already had previous episodes of pulmonary embolism. As it is – she suffered from a lung disease called Interstitial Pulmonary Fibrosis for which she was already under treatment. Her lung functions were very low because of the ILD and any further pulmonary embolism would have been potentially fatal. After a thorough check up she underwent a new procedure called catheter directed thrombolysis (CDT) with a strong blood thinner – tissue plasminogen activator (TPA) . Dr Bedi explained that this clot buster is given directly into the clot so that it can dissolve the clot faster. As she already had pulmonary embolism so before the therapy – a filter called IVC filter was placed in her vein to trap any small clots and prevent them from entering the lungs. The CMC & H is one of the few centres doing endovascular surgery . Dr Bedi is trained in this specialized advanced therapy and holds Limca Book World Record on a different form of vascular surgery too .
According to Dr Bedi, chronic venous disease is quite common in India as most of our population works in the standing position, leading to pressure on the veins which dilate. It is estimated that over a lakh die due to venous disease (DVT and PE) each year is the equivalent of the disappearance of a city the size of Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. Dr Bedi told that the Obese and elderly are at greater risk of DVT while women who take birth-control pills are 10 times more likely to develop blood clots . Long distance flights are another risk factor. Those taking multiple flights over a short period of time are also at a higher risk. This is because the risk of DVT does not go away completely after a flight is over, and the risk remains elevated for about four weeks. It is interesting to note that the famous tennis player – Serena Williams - suffered from the same condition some time back. Even the research of World Health Organisation on DVT shows that the risk of developing venous thromboembolism (VTE) doubles after travel lasting for over two hours. The study of the WHO Research Into Global Hazards of Travel (WRIGHT) project, which was conducted by scientists from Britain, Switzerland and Netherlands, said the risk of developing blood clots during any form of travel longer than four hours was one case for every 15 fully-booked jumbo jets.
The symptoms of DVT include pain or cramp in the calves and swelling of the leg.
DVT and PE are often silent conditions – they can occur suddenly and without symptoms. Pulmonary embolism has a very rapid and deadly progress unless detected and treated in time.
The month of March has been allocated as the DVT Awareness Month in memory of Mr David Bloom – a NBC reporter in Iraq who died of DVT. His widow Melanie Bloom has started the Coalition for Prevention of DVT. The Vascular Society of India and the Venous Association of India - of which Dr Bedi is an integral part - have been very active in this regard.
Mrs Amrit Kaur is now well – her leg is back to normal. The other members of the Heart team are Dr A Joseph, Dr S Garg, Dr Melchi, Dr Paul, Dr Deepak, Dr Vaishu, Dr Sarah and Dr Amrutha. Dr Avinash Kumar – Asst Prof Radiology – helped with the Radiology part of the therapy.
Dr Bedi was especially impressed with the loving care given to Mrs Amrit Kaur by her husband and 5 daughters . Both Mrs Amrit Kaur and Sardar Gurcharan Singh were of the firm opinion that daughters are as good or even better than sons.
Dr AG Thomas – Director of CMC - told that CMC was one of the very few Institutes in the region dealing with the successful management of this disease entity.

A 30 years old Punjabi farmer got a new life from CMC

Bypass on a beating heart the risk of the repair is reduced:Dr.Bedi

A happy Mr Baljinder and family with Dr Harinder Singh Bedi 

Ludhiana, 17th March, 2012 (Shalu Arora and Rector Kathuria) Mr Baljinder Singh – a 30 year old farmer of Nakodar – was in a difficult situation. This young man had suffered 2 massive heart attacks 4 and 2 years back due to which his heart pumping was very weak and he was unable to breathe. He was investigated at heart hospitals in Chandigarh where it was diagnosed that besides blockage of his heart arteries he also had a severe leakage of his main heart valve (the mitral valve). He was in imminent danger of another heart attack but because of his double pathology (blockage + valve leakage) he was refused surgery. He then came to Dr Harinder Singh Bedi – Head of Cardio Vascular & Thoracic Surgery at the Christian Medical College & Hospital in Ludhiana. Dr Bedi realized that the valve leakage was not due to an intrinsic defect or tear of the valve but was due to the heart size becoming big (dilating) leading to failure of the valve to close properly. Contrary to popular Punjabi belief – Dr Bedi said – a ‘large’ heart is not really a healthy heart. The leakage led to a vicious cycle wherein the leak caused a further enlargement which in turn leads to more leakage. Till now the treatment was a complicated valve repair which was not always successful or a valve replacement which had its own problems.  A new repair technique is now being used all over the world – it is called a mitral valve repair using a McCartney-Carpentier-Adams Edwards IMR ring. This has been designed by Edwards company of USA in collaboration with world leaders in valve repair techniques – Dr McCartney and Dr  Adams from USA and the legendary Dr Carpentier from Paris . This technique was taught to Dr Bedi by the inventor Dr McCartney himself. Dr Bedi added his own modification by doing the bypass first on a beating heart - Dr Bedi is credited with having done the world’s first series of beating heart surgery and has a Limca World Record for the same. Dr Bedi explained that by doing the bypass on a beating heart the risk of the repair is reduced. The heart was then put on an imported heart lung machine for a very short time and stopped with ice. The heart chambers were opened and the valve repaired successfully with this new ring. The operation was successful and the valve leakage immediately stopped.

Baljinder is now doing well. The other members of the Heart team are Dr A Joseph, Dr S Garg, Dr Melchi, Dr Paul, Dr Deepak, Dr Vaishu, Dr Amruta, Dr Sarah, and Mr Jairus, and Mr William. Dr Bedi explained that if the valve had been changed Baljinder would have required life long close supervision and expensive medications. Dr McCartney has congratulated Dr Bedi and CMC on the excellent result and complimented him on his skills.

Dr Abraham G Thomas – Director of CMC & H – said that the CMC was committed to bringing International level expertise and equipment to the people of the region.

“Population based stroke registry survey”

Objective of the study is to find the burden of stroke
Ludhiana, 14th March, 2012 (Shalu Arora and Rector Kathuria)

Photo courtesy: Lourdes

The department of neurology at Christian Medical College is conducting a “Population based stroke registry survey” sponsored by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). This is a unique project being conducted in the country only in the city of Ludhiana under the HOD, Depttof Neurology, CMC&H. The burst of development, evolving socioeconomic status and wealth in the city has led to change in lifestyle, increased stress affecting the health of residents. The risk factors like hypertension, diabetes, heart diseases, alcohol consumption etc lead to stroke in the form of brain attack, paralysis, brain hemorrhage. In this national program, information about all the first stroke patients that occur in Ludhiana city, is being collected from August 16th 2010 onwards.

The objective of the study is to find the burden of stroke, stroke types and risk factors for stroke in Ludhiana city. The data collection is done from city birth and death division, selected health care institutions and scan centers.

The Deptt of neurology, CMC offers free check-up and blood test to stroke patients whose information could not be collected because, due to some reason, they received treatment outside of Ludhiana. The stroke should have occurred after August 16th 2010 and should be a first stroke with patient being above 18years of age. To seek appointment regarding the same you can contact Dr.Jeyaraj D.Pandian at 9915784750; Dr.Shweta Jain:9855334242; Ms.Gagandeep mehmi:7837743961; Mr.Amber sharma:7696575767. 

Therapist Uses Art to Help Troops Heal

The center provides treatment, recovery, rehabilitation and...
By Terri Moon Cronk
American Forces Press Service

Creative arts therapist Melissa Walker offers a wealth of supplies to service members to complete their art projects in the Healing Arts Program at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. Walker developed her program to help those with psychological health issues and traumatic brain injuries. DOD photo by Terri Moon Cronk 

BETHESDA, Md., March 8, 2012 - An art therapist is using the power of creativity to help service members heal from traumatic brain injuries and psychological health issues, including post-traumatic stress disorder.

Melissa Walker designed the Healing Arts Program at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence on the campus of the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center here. She is the program's sole art therapist, and also serves as its coordinator. The program aims to help the recovering service members find a creative haven where their buried post-war thoughts and emotions can come to the surface through art and therapy.
With gentle encouragement from Walker, active-duty troops create their way to healing. By working on their art projects in a personal manner, they confront the circumstances of their injuries and begin to overcome the uncertainty they might feel, she said.

"What's bothering them runs the gamut of that moment in time: ... the frozen trauma, the frozen memory. They can't seem to shake what they've internalized," Walker said.

Service members with psychological health issues and traumatic brain injuries create an endless variety of designs on papier-mache masks to help them clarify their thoughts and sense of self, art therapist Melissa Walker said. Their designs vary from their war experiences to picturing themselves as healing while undergoing treatment at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. DOD photo by Terri Moon Cronk.Download screen-resolution                                    Download high-resolution

The center provides treatment, recovery, rehabilitation and, sometimes, reintegration to active duty for service members who have psychological health issues and traumatic brain injury. All have mild to moderate post-traumatic stress disorder, and most also have had some kind of head injury from exposure to a blast injury or fall, Walker said.

When these service members come to the center, they're often in a confused place, and some experience a loss of identity. Those who want to return to duty have a difficult time because they're passionate about their jobs, and those who will rejoin the civilian world wonder what they'll face, she said.

"They need to realize, 'It's time to take care of myself,'" she said.

Art therapy is one element of the center's interdisciplinary treatment. Walker, who designed the Healing Arts Program when the center opened two years ago, said creating art slows down the brain so people can focus and improve their cognitive skills and hand-eye coordination.

Walker's interest in the effects of war on troops stems from childhood memories of her grandfather returning from military service in Korea with what she now believes was post-traumatic stress. But, she said, "there wasn't a name for it then." White House, Defense Department and Veterans Affairs officials have made traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress treatment and prevention a top priority during the past decade of war.

By their third week in the Healing Arts Program, Melissa Walker assigns service members montages to design that signify their experiences at the center and characteristics they see in themselves. One wrote a poem in a creative writing class and incorporated it into his montage, which Walker said brought him "full circle." The art therapy program is a four-week piece of the treatment plan at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., for those with psychological health issues and traumatic brain injuries from their service in Iraq and Afghanistan. DOD photo by Terri Moon Cronk.
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Walker begins her treatment by meeting the service members one-on-one so she can get to know them and their goals while they are at the center. This also helps her meet the art therapy needs of each small group of about five people, she said. She has the service members design a mask, a montage and a postcard in any design with any materials they want, from magazine clippings to beads and paint. Most of their artistic creations, she said, reflect their inner thoughts concerning deployment, their injuries, various war experiences, and their futures.

Since the start of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, military officials have recognized family members' needs for support, and Walker's Healing Arts Program is no exception. One night a week, family members come to Walker's family class to do the same projects as the service members, to give this group of caregivers a break and a chance to "breathe," Walker said.

Service members' mask designs vary, she said, recalling a service member who divided his mask into the halves of two faces, depicting how he saw himself as both a civilian and a member of the military. The split-self has to do with identity, she said. Some who still have war images in their minds might design a scene of the injuries they and their fellow troops suffered.

The groups discuss their mask creations and what they mean. Walker said these discussions bring up personal and symbolic experiences. Sharing and discussing artwork establishes a sense of community and bonding with one another, which is particularly helpful to those with post-traumatic stress who tend to isolate themselves and don't trust others, she said.

"Some feel a lot has been lifted off their shoulders," she said of the group discussions. "Some will share things they never have before and feel validated. They realize they aren't alone."

Walker said the service members with psychological health issues and traumatic brain injury have "layers and layers of complications." In a similar manner, the montages they design often reflect the past, present and future of who they are, which helps them clarify their sense of self, Walker said.

The art therapist described the montage of another student who created a representation of himself in three stages: gradually coming from the dark side of war, opening a door labeled "NICoE," and stepping into brightness to depict healing, she said.

Walker's goal at the final week's commencement is to leave each
service member in "a forward-thinking mode," by asking them to design a postcard with a "positive" hand-scribed note for one of the center's recent graduates.

"One wrote, 'Remember what you learned here,'" she said.

Walker said she is confident future studies will bear positive results of art therapy for those with PTSD and TBI. For now, she added, she stands determined to help people confront and cope with their wounds by expression through art.

"I always tell them, 'I'm so glad you're here and taking time for yourself, and the biggest step you've taken is being open to this,'" she said. "That's huge. That's brave."

Related Sites: National Intrepid Center of Excellence Walter Reed National Military Medical Center