Mysuru: It is a myth that brain tumours, spinal ailments and other disorders are killers and that post-surgery patients are left with major side-effects. Timely diagnosis and early intervention can help cure many tumours.

Thirty-nine-year-old Shivanna Gowda and 40-year-old Lakshmi Neelambari suffered from low back pain. As in most cases, the patients and their companions had many myths about post- operative complications. Lakshmi had already been operated elsewhere but pain had recurred.

“Both patients underwent spinal surgery. One a simple discectomy and the other instrumented spinal fixation TLIF (Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion). Both have recovered from surgery and are getting back to active life,” said Dr. Maqsood, Consultant  Neurosurgeon, Columbia Asia Hospitals, Mysore (A Unit of Manipal Hospitals).

“I was worried about my daughter’s condition and was not able to understand the sudden surge in her pain levels. Upon diagnosis at Columbia Asia we understood the problem and underwent treatment. Today my daughter is leading a normal life,” said Ningappa, father of Lakshmi.

Twenty-year-old Fathima was suffering with severe headache and dizziness. A CT scan and MRI of the brain done at Columbia Asia showed a large life-threatening tumour at the centre of the brain and it was necessary to remove the tumour surgically. A detailed pre-anaesthetic check was done to ensure all goes well during surgery which went up to 7 hours and today the patient is perfectly fine leading a normal life. The tumour was removed through an interhemispheric transcallosal approach. Modern adjuncts like an operating microscope, CUSA were used to remove tumour.

“In another such case, 45-year-old Syed Abdul Saleem came to Columbia Asia suffering from excruciating facial pain not responding to drugs. He could not brush his teeth, drink cold liquids or eat food. High dose of drugs caused him to be drowsy. We conducted an MRI of the brain and it showed a blood vessel compressing the trigeminal nerve, the nerve carrying facial sensations. A deep brain surgery with a small opening of the skull behind the ear was done and the nerve was decompressed near the brain stem,” said Dr. Maqsood.

“I used to feel breathlessness during such episodes of pain and life was traumatic. But with the support of my family and timely surgical intervention now I lead a healthy life,” said Syed.

These high-risk surgeries were possible by a team approach comprising Neurosurgeon, Anaesthetist and Intensive Care. Success rates are more than 95%. The type of infrastructure and equipment offer an edge in such cases, said Dr. Upendra Shenoy, Chief of Medical Services, Columbia Asia Hospitals, Mysore.

“We always emphasise on not neglecting even the slightest symptoms when it indicates that something major might be aligned to it like persistent headaches, low back pains, tremors, chest pain etc. These could be the silent killers which require immediate expert intervention. Our constant endeavour is to create awareness of disease symptoms to people so that they respond timely for better outcomes,” said Dr. Gautam Das, General Manager, Columbia Asia.