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HEALTH WATCH
Cutting-Edge Cure
A breakthrough technique assures minimal tissue damage
during urological surgery
 Key-hole
surgery is now being applied to treat urological problems too. Laparoscopy,
which was scoffed at five years ago, has been used to cure incontinence
of urine as also to remove cancerous growth from the kidney. The two surgeries
were recently performed at Mumbai's Jaslok Hospital by consulting urologist
and andrologist, Dr Ajit M. Vaze.
As opposed to conventional surgery, laparoscopic
surgery involves the use of customised tools and video cameras to operate
with minimal tissue injury to the patient. The technique is advisable
because it allows a faster pace of recovery, minimal blood loss and shorter
stay at the hospital. In the urological surgery, a rare disease-ectopic
ureter (or incontinence of urine)-was cured and the patient, an 11-year-old
girl, was discharged within 48 hours. "The patient can be discharged
from the hospital within a week compared to three or four weeks needed
to recover after a conventional surgery," says Dr Vaze.
The procedure is now being practised and taught
at premier institutes like the All India Institute of Medical Sciences
(AIIMS) in Delhi and Mumbai's Jaslok and Bombay Hospitals. It is widely
recommended for surgeries on the deep-set organs like adrenal glands,
kidneys and for cancer cases. However, patients with a severe cardiac
condition or chronic asthma are not advised to go in for laparoscopic
surgery.
The only dissuading factor for using this technique
is the cost: a laparoscopic procedure costs Rs 30,000, which is 15-20
per cent more than what a conventional operation costs. "The high
cost of the equipment used and a limited number of experienced surgeons
has contributed to the slow growth," admits Dr Vaze. But he believes
that laparoscopy will become extremely popular in the coming years. "Frequent
practise will make the technique cost-effective and help doctors gain
experience," he says.
In a bid to make laparoscopic surgery a viable
option, Jaslok Hospital is building a dedicated centre and an animal laboratory
similar to the one existing at AIIMS. The hospital also plans to train
staff and import equipment needed for laparoscopic surgery.
—Himanshi Dhawan
IN SMALL DOSES
 Early
Benefits: Diabetes can be complex in the most unexpected ways. A study
conducted over a period of 15 years on 1.4 million people in Norway has
found that children of older mothers are more likely to suffer from childhood
diabetes-but only if they are the second or younger children. According
to the study which was reported in the prestigious British Medical Journal,
first-borns are, surprisingly, not at any such risk. But in families with
four children, the youngest child is 43 per cent more likely to be diabetic
with every five-year increase in the mother's age. Sometimes it's good
to be the oldest.
 At
a Loss: It really is downhill all the way once you cross 25. For your
memory that is. A study of 350 people aged 20-90, presented at the American
Psychological Association's meeting, says retention power starts declining
in the 20s. But it is noticed only when daily chores get affected-usually
in the 60s. The cure? Improving your general knowledge. Quiz addicts take
note.
 Drop
that Drink: Having an alcoholic drink if you are 15 or younger is
not just a matter of being trendy. It could be an early sign of alcoholism
and other behavioural disorders, according to two studies published in
the journal Alcoholism. Drinking at an early age runs in families. Children
whose both parents were alcoholics at an early age had a 60 per cent chance
of becoming alcoholics, compared to only a 13 per cent chance if neither
parent had alcohol at an early age. Other deviant behaviours associated
with early drinking are drug abuse, delinquency and poor educational achievement.
Drinks are not so cool after all.
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