Technology Helps Accurate Diagnosis
Cutting edge technology in endoscopy helps in accurate diagnosis of bronchial problems, doctors at the Kovai Medical Center and Hospital here said on Monday while explaining the benefits of a newly-acquired Endo Bronchial Ultra Sound equipment (EBUS). Stating that very few centres in the world had this equipment, Chairman of the hospital Nalla G. Palanisamy told presspersons that such modern technology helped in providing better healthcare options for the people. President of the hospital U.K. Ananthapadmanabhan said what made this a state-of-the-art equipment was that the EBUS was a combination of an endoscope and ultra sound. Consultant in Pulmonology and Sleep Medicine V.R. Pattabhi Raman said the EBUS was being used now only for diagnosis. Research was being done on its therapeutic uses such as injecting antibiotics in the problem area. “This can be a development in the future, as the equipment has the scope for it,” he said.
At present, it could diagnose problems such as tuberculosis in the lung region and cancer when it manifested as lymph nodes. As for cancer, the equipment helped in detecting at what stage the disease was. Explaining pleuroscopy, a method of diagnosing problems in the pleura (that covered the lungs), Consultant in Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine S. Mahadevan said accumulation of air, fluid, pus or blood caused problems in the pleura. The video pleuroscopy provided such scope for accurate diagnosis that it helped in avoiding injury to the lung.
Unlike the EBUS, the pleuroscopy could be used for therapeutic purposes also. Dr. Palanisamy said the aim of the hospital was to acquire all sophisticated equipment if it had doctors with the necessary expertise.The hospital was into expansion at Rs. 200 crore. It already had a 350-bed structure functioning on 3.54 lakh sq.ft. The new project was to build another 350-bed wing on six-lakh sq.ft. It included a full-fledged cancer centre with all the latest equipment. Everything was expected to be completed by the end of December 2010, he said.
