The highly-skilled medical teams at Apollo Hospitals, frontrunners in harnessing the symbiosis of technology and medical advancements have now successfully performed the World’s 1st iPod Navigation Hip Resurfacing Surgery at Apollo Speciality Hospitals, Chennai. They were also the third in the world to perform a Knee Replacement Surgery using the iPod Navigation technique. On the 19 April 2011, Mr. Guy Williams, a basketball coach from the United States and Mrs. Niranjana Shah, a housewife from Chennai underwent a hip resurfacing surgery and knee replacement surgery respectively at Apollo Specialty Hospitals, Chennai. The common factor in both these surgeries was that an iPod was used to “navigate” the surgeries thereby increasing the surgical accuracy. Commenting on the occasion Dr. Vijay C. Bose, Senior Consultant Orthopedic Surgeon, Apollo Speciality Hospital, who had performed these Joint Reconstructive Surgeries at Apollo Specialty Hospitals said “iPod navigation for Joint Reconstructive Surgeries marks a unique technological milestone for Apollo Speciality Hospitals, and also an era of universally applicable precision surgery for hip and knee replacements.” Dr. Vijay C. Bose added, “The iPod navigation developed in collaboration with Smith & Nephew Inc, promises to be a ground breaking change in the way joint replacements navigation will be done in the future.” The Ipod navigation in contrast to earlier standard navigation systems represents significant miniaturization, affordability and ease of use. The traditional systems had bulky towers stationed in the operating room which received the signals from the surgical instruments and processed the information before displaying a ‘navigation map’ for the Surgeon on a Flat screen panel mounted on the tower. The size of the machinery and distance from the operating table made it uncomfortable for the Surgeon to use it on a routine basis. The iPod navigation viewed on the iPod screen is in the hands of the Surgeon and is directly over the surgical wound. Thus it offers a more intimate interaction with the local bone and soft tissues that being navigated, increasing the accuracy. This is a prime example of technological innovations in mass market gadgets benefiting medical science. With this pathbreaking medical milestone, Apollo Speciality Hospitals has ushered in the next generation of navigated joint replacements for the hip and knee.

The Plastic & Reconstruction Surgical team at Apollo Specialty Hospitals, Chennai has added another milestone to Apollo Hospitals by successfully conducting exultant Micro vascular free tissue transfer and Aesthetic surgeries on more than 1000 patients by the end of March 2011. Earlier in the nineties there would be only 2 to 3 cases in a year for this surgery but presently Apollo Specialty Hospital deals with more than 125 micro vascular tissue transfer surgeries (also called flaps) every year. The success rate of this surgery at Apollo Specialty Hospitals is currently around 96 to 97 %, on par with the best centers across the globe. Dr. Shivram, Senior Consultant – Plastic & Reconstruction Surgery explained, “Micro vascular free tissue transfer enables reconstruction of major defects in the patient’s body that were irreparable earlier, as well as markedly improving function of that particular area. The surgery is performed by filling up the defected part with healthy autologous flap tissue harvested from any appropriate part of the patient’s body.” Flap surgery involves transferring tissue from the immediate vicinity of the primary defect (local flaps) or from distant sites (distant flaps). Distant tissue transfer involves transplanting donor tissue from one part of the body to another. Micro vascular free tissue transfer surgery is used for reconstruction of large tumors of the Head & Neck region, particularly the oral cavity. The advent of Micro vascular surgery has dramatically increased the scope and breadth of treatment options for patients who were previously considered non treatable, thus making a difference to people who had given up hope.

Veer Patel‘s family members were shattered when they came to know the cost of his treatment. There was no way a farmer from Dabhoi who reared his joint family of 10 members on rotating crop of maize and lentil could shell out Rs 10 to 12 lakh for a stem cell transplant for his son diagnosed with thalassemia major. The family waited for a year, mulling how to arrange the finances. Finally, the hospital and doctors came to his rescue and offered the entire allogenic stem cell transplant surgery for free. The transplant was done last month and Veer is now on the road to permanent recovery from the disease which otherwise has high a mortality rate. “Veer has been getting blood transfusions since he was nine-months old. Stem cell transplant is the only permanent solution. Veer belongs to a family of farmers with extremely moderate means and we decided to give him a chance at life. Neither the hospital, nor the doctors charged a single paisa. It feels good to see Veer permanently cured of the disease,” said hematologist at Apollo Hospital Dr. Chirag Shah. He added that Apollo Hospital too waived off all the expenses despite the fact that the procedure required him to be under strict medical vigilance for over one and half months. Thalassemia major is a condition which requires lifelong blood transfusion and most children die by the age of 15 to 20 years due to complications of iron overload. Veer received about 20 units blood transfusion and iron chelation therapy. Allogenic stem cell transplant was carried out where bone marrow from Veer’s 15-year-old elder sister was taken as a source of stem cells. The child was given special medicines to clear off his old blood-making stem cells. The transplant was then performed on March 2 where his sister’s healthy stem cells were given. “Veer will need to come for regular follow up and he will be transfusion free forever. He will need to take some medicines for few months to prevent any complications from transplanted stem cells. Thereafter, he will not need any medicine,” said Dr Shah. Veer‘s father Chandrakant Patel said that they have 10 members in the family. “We could have managed Rs 2 to 3 lakh by mortgaging some property. But, the decision of hospital and doctors to do the procedure gratis has saved my son from the disease,” he said.

Hosted by the Apollo Hospitals Group along with a consortium of Healthcare IT Companies, the Second Conference on Transforming Healthcare with IT was inaugurated on April 22nd, 2011 at HICC, Hyderabad, by Ms Preetha Reddy, MD, Apollo Hospitals Group. The conference witnessed a series of comprehensive discussions and panels to review the adoption of Healthcare Information Technology and industry best practices for enhanced operational efficiencies and patient care. The 2nd day of the Patient Safety Congress saw plenary discussions merging of IT with Healthcare to ensure better Patient Care. Highlights of the day: Inauguration of 2nd Conference on Transforming Healthcare with IT Launch of the Patient Safety Course Global View on Patient Safety by McKinsey, JCI and Davita Inc. Dr Prathap C Reddy Patient Safety Awards Role of ICT in Healthcare   At the conference Dr Prathap C Reddy presented the Patient Safety Awards to colleges and hospitals across India, the chief guest at the awards ceremony Hon’ble Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Shri Kiran Kumar Reddy appreciated the efforts of Apollo Hospitals in bridging synergies between caregivers, organisations and patients. Commenting on the two International conferences, Dr Prathap C Reddy, Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group said, “”To ensure Patient Safety, we need to realise that it is a global responsibility which needs to be cultivated within every healthcare system. Across the globe, healthcare providers and policy makers are grappling with a deep and diverse set of challenges to provide world-class healthcare delivery. Transforming healthcare will require much effort and a willingness to experiment with options. Active engagement, collaboration, and innovation will help to lead and shape this transformation. Optimum healthcare calls for a more collaborative, innovative, and technologically focused healthcare system.”” Across the globe, healthcare providers and policy makers are grappling with a deep and diverse set of challenges to provide world-class healthcare delivery. Healthcare delivery is a complex business and requires extremely close engagement amongst all stakeholders within the ecosystem. “”The realm of patient care is evolving every day and Healthcare IT has become a critical driver of this change. It represents an opportunity to not only improve quality and reduce cost but also enhance access, speed and scale,”” said Ms Sangita Reddy, Executive Director, Operations, Apollo Hospitals Group. “”This conference will help us bring along a wealth of knowledge from across the world onto a single platform””. T.Ramasami, Secretary, Department of Science & Technology, Government of India focussed on the role of healthcare, research and development as a national perspective. “”There has been shifting trends in healthcare and our challenge is to bridge technology and medical science into a single window. With the advancement in technology, we have seen global practices reach India in almost real time, making India a hub of medical tourism. Our effort today is to build synergy between research & development, technology & healthcare to address the need of human healthcare system,”” he emphasized. To ensure patient safety, we need to ensure that we do safety rounds at regular intervals; have a safe physical facility, medical and other equipments and people must be effectively managed. Management must strive to reduce adverse events, prevent accidents and maintain safe conditions. “”Patients can ensure a safer experience with the health care system by being involved and informed about their treatment. By asking questions and following through on their clinician’s treatment and instructions, patients can take part in the process and gain confidence in the system. Improving patient safety requires continuous learning and the constant communication of information between caregivers, organizations, and patients,”” said Ms Shobana Kamineni, ED – New Initiatives, Apollo Hospitals Group. The event brought together eminent policy-makers, healthcare providers and technologists from across the globe, combining the synergies of healthcare IT to bring about a more ‘Connected Healthcare Ecosystem’. Delegates at the event looked at the evolution of healthcare from a macro perspective: healthcare delivery can be improved with the use of information technology.

The First International Patient Safety Congress was inaugurated today at HICC, Hyderabad. Hosted by the Apollo Hospitals Group, the two-day conference was inaugurated by Ms Preetha Reddy, MD, Apollo Hospitals Group. This Congress was organized by Apollo Hospitals Group in concert with Johnson & Johnson, Philips, Quality Council of India, Joint Commission International, National Patient Safety Foundation, Indian Medical Association – Hyderabad Chapter, FICCI, APNA, Astron Consultancy, Medvarsity and other reputed organizations. The prime purpose of this Congress is to discuss how proactive practice in healthcare systems can improve Patient Safety. The multi-disciplinary invigorating learning sessions involve participants from all areas of the healthcare continuum, including clinical and administrative leaders, practitioners, healthcare academics, healthcare regulators as well as patients and caregivers. Key lectures delivered: Patient Safety priorities in healthcare Framework – A Safety Imperative Focus on Monitoring & Analysis 4 Essentials of Patient Safety – the challenges faced Best Practices in Patient Safety Panel Discussion on Nursing   Ms Preetha Reddy, MD, Apollo Hospitals Group “Emphasised that Patient Safety is a global responsibility which needs to be cultivated within every healthcare system. It is for the first time we have come together to address this issue, which focuses on the reporting, analysis and prevention of medical error that might lead to adverse situations. A challenging global issue both for developed and developing countries, Patient Safety also helps in defining quality healthcare. We have to come forward to train and educate people about patient safety which is a very important aspect for any healthcare provider.” Meeting these goals helps healthcare providers ensure a safe healthcare environment for patients. Accreditation is the most important initiative to improve Patient Safety standards in an organization, region or a country. Elaborating on Patient Safety, Ann Jacobson, ED, JCI said: “To promote Patient Safety, practitioners should identify problem areas in a hospital and thereafter develop practices to correct these errors. A global Incident Reporting System and evidence-based Patient Safety solutions should be part of Standard Operating Procedures. Sentinel events should also be tracked. JCI-accredited hospitals has a mandate to conduct a root cause analysis of any sentinel event within 45 days of occurrence. All these procedures will go a long way in ensuring better Patient Safety outcomes.” Recognizing that healthcare errors impact one in every 10 patients worldwide, the World Health Organization calls Patient Safety an endemic concern. “It is with this background that Apollo Hospital Group accords the highest priority to the safety and quality of care for each of its patients. The Patient Safety Model was first launched in a few Apollo Hospitals and has now evolved and been adopted across all the hospitals within the Apollo Group, in India and overseas,” revealed Ms Sangita Reddy, ED – Operations, Apollo Hospitals Group. Backed by a proper framework inculcating regular use of checklists, Apollo has seen positive results and is seeking to share these results with the entire healthcare fraternity. The response has been overwhelming, with more than 600 delegates from reputed organizations, healthcare institutions and professional societies across the globe participating in this conference. The Congress aims at putting together a Patient Safety Coalition of intensely focused, problem driven and knowledge-rich individuals. The world’s best minds are speaking at the Congress, including Ms Ann Jacobson (JCI), Ms Diane P (NPSF), Ms Geeta Mehta(WHO), Dr Giridhar Gyani (NABH), Dr Anupam Sibal(Apollo Hospitals) and many others.

ClearWay™ RX – Rapid exchange therapeutic perfusion catheter helps save larger area of heart muscle in heart attacks. Cardiac interventionists have now veered round to the view that it is not sufficient to bust the big clot that produces a heart attack; ensuring that the small vessels supply blood to the heart muscle is just as crucial. When interventionists attempt to thrombolyse or bust the clot that has triggered a heart attack, in most cases pieces of the blood clot travel down the micro vessels and get lodged there, cutting off supply to that portion of the heart muscle, explains Dr. G. Sengottuvelu, Consultant Interventional Cardiologist, Apollo Hospitals, Chennai. “”If there is good micro-circulation, then there is no problem. But, in instances where there is improper flow of blood right to the end of the vessel, it has to be corrected. If we don’t, then the amount of permanent damage will be higher.”” Cardiologists operate with the aim of saving as much muscle as possible after a heart attack has occurred. In an acute myocardial infarction, there is interest only in the block that caused the attack, but once that has been thrombolised it is essential to check for the myocardial blush score-to see if the blood flow has been restored. The longer a blush lasts it means the block has not been successfully removed-that there may be blocks in the smaller vessels, he explains. Recently, a 70-year-old man was brought to the emergency unit with a massive attack. “”Even as we sent in a catheter through the hand (radially) to thrombolyse the clot, it turned out that the re-perfusion was not so smooth. The angiogram showed segments of the smaller vessels being cut off. Through the traditional method of passing drugs through a catheter to bust those clots, it has been proven that over 50 per cent of the drug would be washed away and a further 20 to 25 per cent delivered to unwanted branches of the small vessels (that have no clots). In effect that means that less than 20 per cent of the drug will reach the target area,””he says. So the idea is to use a device that will prevent the microvasculature from clogging. Dr. Sengottuvelu’s 70-year-old was lucky. Apollo Hospital indeed had at hand a state-of-the-art device, a local therapeutic infusion device, the ClearWay catheter. It has a balloon at its end that “”gently weeps”” the drug into the targeted area, dissolving the clot. Typically such Occlusion Containment Infusion (OCI) equipment removes the occlusion (block) in the vessel. It contains the thrombus (clot) at the site itself and infuses the drug gently so that the clot dissolves. The prognosis for the patient is also better, and saves a larger area of the heart muscle.

Marking a new beginning in diagnosis of Breast Cancer, South Asia’s first-of-its-kind, Full-Field Digital Mammography with Tomosynthesis (3D) system was inaugurated at Apollo Speciality Cancer Hospitals, Chennai by Dr. Prathap C Reddy, Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group, in the presence of Mr. Jack Cumming, Chairman, Hologic Inc., USA and Dr. G S K Velu, Founder & Managing Director, Trivitron Healthcare. Digital Mammography with Tomosynthesis (3D) is the latest technology for breast cancer. This device Breast Tomosynthesis is a 3-dimensional imaging technology that involves acquiring images of a stationary compressed breast at multiple angles during a short scan. The individual images are then reconstructed into a series of thin high resolution slices that can be displayed individually or in a dynamic cine mode. Digital breast Tomosynthesis offers a number of exciting opportunities including the possibility of reduced breast compression, improved diagnostic and screening accuracy, 3-D lesion localization, and contrast-enhanced 3-D imaging. Speaking at the inauguration, Dr. Prathap C Reddy, Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group said, “Breast cancer is the one of the commonest malignancies afflicting women. According to recent research data, over 16 percent of Indian women in the age group of 40-60 years face a potential risk of breast cancer. Beyond this, delayed detection can result in 1 of every 22 women actually developing breast cancer. As the pioneering healthcare leader, Apollo Speciality Cancer Hospitals is committed to fight the menace of cancer. Now, the contemporary Digital Mammography with Tomosynthesis (3D) technology at Apollo Speciality Cancer Hospitals Chennai, the first-of-its-kind in South Asia, will enable faster and accurate Stereotactic biopsies. This technology needs shorter examination time for diagnosis of breast cancer and also significantly improves patient comfort and convenience and will certainly motivate early detection”. Dr. Reddy added, “In standard mammography, images are recorded on film using an x-ray cassette. The film is viewed by the radiologist using a “light box”. With digital mammography, the breast image is captured using a special electronic x-ray detector, which converts the image into a digital picture for review on a computer monitor. The digital mammogram is then stored on a computer, for further use”. The benefits of digital mammography are at many levels: Quick and easy procedure Less discomfort to the patient Low dose of radiation Accuracy is better, particularly in the 40 to 50 years age group All images are archived and stored digitally and hence loss or damage of films will not affect patient care during follow up Since it is digital, it can be sent electronically to other center’s for another opinion Storing digitally creates an enormous database, which is useful to teach and train the younger generation.   At the inaugural function, Dr.G.S.K.Velu, Founder & Managing Director, Trivitron Healthcare said, “”As a part of our commitment to bring world class medical technology at affordable cost in India and other emerging markets, we are proud to be the first in South Asia to bring this 3-D digital mammography system to Apollo Hospitals, Chennai. The launch of 3 D Digital Mammography / Tomosynthesis will facilitate the medical practitioners in early and accurate diagnosis of breast cancer in women.”” Mr. Jack Cumming, Chairman, Hologic Inc, USA added, “”Our advanced full field Breast Tomosynthesis with 3 D technology is a significant advancement in breast cancer diagnosis, including lower radiation dose, reduced breast compression pressure and improved cancer detection rates.”” Hologic is defining the standard of care in women’s health. Our technologies help doctors see better; know sooner; reach further and touch more lives.

The Economic Times-ET Corporate Dossier’s survey-India Inc’s most power CEOs 2011: Most powerful women leaders ranked Dr. Preetha Reddy, MD Apollo Hospitals Group as the 5th among the Most Powerful Women Leaders. Along with the main survey, ET had also asked their respondents to do a separate power-listing of women CEOs. Dr. Preetha Reddy was ranked the 5th most powerful woman leader, with Ms. Chanda Kochhar, CEO of India’s largest private sector bank on top, followed by Ms. Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, India’s most best known woman-entrepreneur and HSBC’s Ms. Naina Lal Kidwai at the third palce and Axis Bank’s Ms. Shikha Sharma at the fourth. The survey, now in its seventh year, asked 500 senior executives from India Inc largest companies to rate India Inc’s CEOs on leadership, strategy and innovation, performance, stature, social contribution and governance. Promoters continue their strong performance in power listing, with 52 out of the 100 CEOs are members of well-known family business houses.

Apollo Hospitals Group Website wins the “Best Healthcare Provider Website” Award in the Internet Advertising Competition – IAC 2011 by the Web Marketing Association, USA. The Web Marketing Association (WMA) was founded in Boston in 1997 to help set a high standard for Internet marketing and corporate web development on the World Wide Web. The organization is made up of Internet marketing, advertising, PR and design professionals who share an interest for improving the quality of advertising, marketing and promotion used to attract visitors to corporate Web sites. The Web Marketing Association is the producer of the Web Awards, an annual award competition that is designed to judge corporate Web sites against an Internet standard and against peer sites within their industry. Now in its 15th year, the Web Award Competition has become the premier event for web developers and marketers each year. The Internet Advertising Competition Judges represent all aspects of the advertising and Internet worlds. Entries will be judged on the judging criteria and compete head-to-head with other entries within their specific category. Judging Criteria includes Creativity, Innovation, Impact, Design, Copywriting and Use of the medium. The Judges are experienced professionals with an in-depth understanding of the current state-of-the-art in advertising design and technology and the objectivity to score entries according to a predefined set of criteria. The 2011 judges represented some of the best the Internet Advertising community had to offer, including: Arc Worldwide, BGT Partners, Brunner Digital, Campbell-Ewald, CNN News Group, Deep Interactive Asia, Digitas, EuroRSCG 4D, Google, IBM Interactive, imc2, JWT, LeapFrog Interactive, Mass Transmit, McCann Worldgroup, Razorfish, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Tectis GmbH, TMP Worldwide, Universal McCann Interactive and Wunderman / Y&R.

Apollo Health City – Hyderabad has become the first hospital in the country to be recognized as the “”Best Medical Tourism Facility for 2009-2010″” by Ministry of Tourism – Government of India. This prestigious National Honor was given on 28 March 2011 by Ms. Meira Kumar – Honorable Speaker, Lok Sabha in New Delhi in a glittering ceremony. Shri Subodh Kant Sahai – Honorable minister for Tourism, Government of India presided over the function, while Ms.Priyanka Chopra – Bollywood actress was the Guest of Honor. This prestigious National Honor was given on 28 March 2011 by Ms. Meira Kumar – Honorable Speaker, Lok Sabha in New Delhi in a glittering ceremony. Shri Subodh Kant Sahai – Honorable minister for Tourism, Government of India presided over the function, while Ms.Priyanka Chopra – Bollywood actress was the Guest of Honor.

Mr. Ghassan Mohamad from Iraq was admitted at Apollo Speciality Hospital Chennai with a type of movement disorder called Cervical Dystonia with Dysphonia. His neck was tonically turned to the left side always and affected all his activities as he had to turn around to face people, and for other activities. He had also lost his voice (dysphonia) because of the spasm of the neck muscles. He had visited many countries like Turkey, Saudi Arabia, UAE etc., but was told no treatment is possible. A Deep Brain Stimulation surgery was done on Mr. Ghassan Mohamad, by Dr. R. Ramnarayan, Consultant Neurosurgeon, at Apollo Speciality Hospital, Chennai and his dystonia has been almost rectified. After programming of the stimulator his dystonia is almost gone and he is able to face forward and his voice has improved to about 60%. This is only the second such case to be done in our country. Sustained and progressive improvement is expected in over a period of time and Mr.Ghassan Mohamad would also be able to join back on his fireman job soon.

Apollo Life, a sister initiative of the Apollo Hospitals Group, launched Apollo M.I.N.D. Line, a tele-counselling helpline to address an array of psychological issues prevalent in society. According to the company, Apollo M.I.N.D. Line has been conceived to offer guidance and extend support to individuals of all ages in finding the right solutions to all their emotional and psychological problems – be it their professional woes, family troubles, or even a minor personal conflict that they are confronting alone. There are multiple such services available today, but the expertise of its service is one of its kinds. As a corporate social responsibility, this service is available freely to all students below the age of 23 to get the right counselling on time management and methods to deal with examination stress. Speaking at occasion of the launch, Mr.Yogesh Sethi, CEO, Apollo Life, said, “”We found that individuals find it difficult to open up and talk about what is bothering them concerning their friends and family. Added to the time constriction, they are even apprehensive in consulting a psychologist. Apollo M.I.N.D Line is for them, it assures complete confidentiality and anonymity to all the individuals. It is a safe comfort zone for refuge.”” Dr Savita Date Menon, senior VP – R&D, Apollo Life and a Clinical Psychologist, stressed the importance of a service like this in today’s competitive world. “”Time today doesn’t stand still for anybody. Every person has to be in a rush to get ahead with life. In such a world, it is necessary that people share their problems with somebody who can give guidance without being judgmental.”” To reclaim control over one’s life, a person has to follow just three simple steps: SMS ‘APOLLOLIFE’ to 54545 Register online Book appointment with their counsellor   This help-line has been conceptualized by some of the most distinguished clinical psychologists from the Apollo Hospitals Group, making it a credible source to turn to. Experienced to deal with highly delicate and personal issues, these counsellors will help people of all demographics within the society, from college students coping with academic or teenage issues; to mid-career professionals who need work place related advice; from young women suffering from various forms of abuse; to people over sixties, battling with anxieties of age. For more details and to register, please visit http://mindline.apollolife.com.