Dubai, United Arab Emirates - Wednesday, April 15th 2015 [ME NewsWire]

Tumors affecting the brain are a leading cause of mortality and morbidity amongst all age groups, ranging from the infant to the elderly. These diseases have traditionally been considered incurable, the diagnosis being considered a harbinger of doom. This scenario is rapidly changing, according to an expert Indian Neuro Surgeon.

“The last few decades have seen a significant increase in the understanding of these illnesses, and coupled with better diagnostic tools and treatment techniques, resulting in many of these patients recovering to be able to lead productive lives,” says Dr. Dilip Panikar, Senior Neurosurgery Consultant, Neurosciences Centre of Excellence (CoE) at Aster Medcity-Kochi, the quaternary care hospital facility of Aster DM Healthcare.

Dr. Dilip Panikar specializes in  advanced brain tumor treatment. He was giving a lecture on ‘Advances in Diagnosis and Management of Brain Tumors’ at a Continued Medical Education (CME) session, conducted as part of the India – UAE Health Co-operation Program held in Dubai recently.

The Conference, organized by the Indian Consulate in Dubai, in association with the Ministry of Tourism – the Government of India and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), took place on April 9 and 10, 2015 at Ritz Carlton Hotel, DIFC, Dubai. The local health authorities accredited CME hours for doctors attended the program.

“Neurosurgery today has advanced in leaps and bounds. Importance of early detection for patients with brain tumors is important and advances in imaging technology like new generation MRI and CT scans, pet scans help in early detection and guiding treatment. Today, we have advanced surgical techniques and instrumentation which can make surgery safer and more effective. The need is to bring these technological advances in India and generate awareness about the better and cost effective treatment options available today,” Dr. Panikar says.

“Craniotomy is the most common method used to remove a brain tumor. During this surgery, the maximum number of tumors is removed. Most primary brain tumors are surgically removed; however there are some tumors that might not be removed completely. In these cases, the tumor may only be de-bulked in which the tumor’s size is reduced. This is helpful in relieving some symptoms. The patient may need to undergo chemotherapy along with surgery,” he added.

“The primary modes of treatment are by the use of surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy either in isolation or in combination. Advances in surgical techniques have made tumors in any part of the brain accessible and amenable to removal with reasonable safety. Surgical adjuncts like image guided surgery, endoscopic surgery and intraoperative electrophysiology have permitted limited access surgery and have improved the chances of functional recovery,” Dr. Panikar elaborated on.

“Radiation therapy is now safer and more effective, by the use of focused techniques and limiting the exposure of the unaffected brain to radiation, thus minimizing morbidity and long term debilitating sequelae (a secondary consequence) of radiation. Chemotherapy had always taken a back seat in the management of brain tumors, but with improved understanding of tumor biology and molecular profiling of tumors, the role of targeted chemotherapy is likely to increase for specific groups of tumors,” he said.

According to him, better therapy available for rehabilitation, including speech and occupational therapy has permitted a significant number of people to return to their lives and occupation after treatment.

The India – UAE Health Co-operation Program in Dubai, has been organized to develop strategic partnership in the medical and holistic healthcare sector between India and the UAE. This aimed to promote the quality healthcare services available at affordable prices in India across the range of medical streams. The event also aimed to improve the efficacy of health care delivery and to build its capacities to deal with healthcare problems and provide treatment solutions in the Gulf countries.

 The Conference created an eco-system for exchange of ideas and services, and developed a new vision for the future of the medical industry between India and the Middle East.  The Conference also offered an opportunity for hospitals and wellness centers from India to inform what they could provide and compliment the health care institutions in the UAE through mutual exchanges in the fields of telemedicine, geriatric care, hospital and emergency care, hospital best practices, and educational linkages among others.

-Ends -

About Aster DM Healthcare

Founded in 1987 by Dr. Azad Moopen- a doctor turned entrepreneur, Aster DM Healthcare is a private sector healthcare provider in the Middle East. The Dubai-headquartered healthcare conglomerate covers an array of healthcare verticals - from Hospitals, Clinics, Pharmacies (in GCC region), and an advanced Medical City.

Having operations across the GCC countries and several locations across India, Aster DM Healthcare has its footprint across boundaries of regions and nations, offering a diverse and comprehensive set of healthcare services. The multitude of health facilities are consolidated under the brands ACCESS, ASTER, MEDCARE, ASTER Medcity and MIMS; offering primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary care.

Contacts

Mohamed Sohel                                                                                                 

Aster DM Healthcare                                                                                         

Dir: +971 4 4546044                                                                                          

Email: sohel@dmhealthcare.com                                                  

Rasheed Palliyalil

Watermelon PR

Tel: +971 04 2833655

Email: rasheed@watermelonme.com

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