Srinagar: A lung cancer patient was successfully managed by a team of doctors through the newly introduced Bronchoscopic Intervention technique at Chest Diseases Hospital here.
“Continuing with the pursuit of upgrading and providing advanced services to the patients, Chest Diseases hospital has started another advanced technique “Electro cautery knife and CRE (controlled radial expansion) balloon dilatation” for palliative care of cancer patients”, reads a statement , adding a 60-year male with lung cancer was referred to Chest disease hospital with history of shortness of breath and noisy breathing.
“For management of lung cancer the patient had received chemo-radiotherapy. Bronchoscopy was done to visualize patients’ airways, revealing narrowing (stenosis) and obstruction of patient’s right side of the lung severe enough to cause patients symptoms. Obstruction was relieved using an electro cautery knife and CRE (controlled radial expansion) balloon dilatation. To avoid or reduce the chances of restenosis and obstruction, topical Mitomycin C was also applied locally (at the site of obstruction). The procedure was done under conscious sedation and the patient had relief of symptoms immediately post procedure. He was kept under observation for 12 hours and was discharged later”, the statement reads.
Maintaining the airway obstruction is caused by a number of diseases that include both cancerous and non-cancerous causes, the statement reads that patients present with varying degrees of symptoms ranging from cough, shortness of breath to life threatening respiratory failure. Management of such patients include bronchoscopic intervention like application of laser, use of electrocautery or placement of endobronchial stents and surgical interventions. Most of the time patients are not medically fit to undergo surgery and could be managed with bronchoscopic interventions. Facilities of various bronchoscopic interventions for management of airway stenosis are available at Government Chest disease hospital, Srinagar. It has improved the management of patients with airway obstruction and will reduce the need of such patients to move outside UT.
The procedure, the statement reads, was performed by a team of interventional pulmonologist lead by head of department Prof. Dr Naveed Nazir Shah, Dr Tajamul Hussain, Dr Firdous Manzoor, Dr Aaliya Azad, Dr Adnan Hamza, Dr Hina Mustafa, Dr Naeem , Dr Arshid Ahmad and Dr Aadil. Anaesthesia support during the procedure was provided by Dr Nazima and Dr Sadiya under the guidance of HOD Prof.Dr Rukhsana Najeeb. OT technicians included Mr Gulzar, Mr Muhammad Younis and Mr Hafiz.
Pertinent to mention here that the department headed by Dr Naveed with the support of Dr Khursheed and other faculty members had already started advanced interventional procedures like Rigid bronchoscopy and stenting in cancer patients.
The department has in the meantime expressed gratitude to the administration of CD hospital and Principal Government Medical College Prof Masood Tanvir for providing support to the department for upgrading the facilities to provide quality services to the public.
