Top Multispeciality Hospital in Mangalore

Joint problems associated with obesity
1. Osteoarthritis

Obesity has been linked to an increased risk of osteoarthritis. Dr Yogeesh Kamat, hip and knee joint replacement and sports injury specialist, at KMC Hospital, Mangaluru, says, “In people with obesity, the wear and tear on the cartilage can be much more significant, leading to the development of arthritis at a much younger age compared to those who are not overweight.” Losing weight can help reduce the pressure on joints and decrease the risk of developing osteoarthritis, he adds.

Chronic pain is nagging, annoying, and disabling. Pain is now considered the body’s ‘5th Vital sign’. Pain lasting beyond the typical healing time is termed chronic pain beyond three months. Its occurrence is common.

Chronic Pain ranges from 11-40% in adults, about 1 in 3 senior citizens, and is the most normal symptom driving patients to doctor’s offices. The predominant chronic pains seen include low back, neck, and arthritic pains, but also does involve facial pains, migraine, neuralgias, and cancer-related pains. Dr. Gaurav Gomez who specializes in Interventional Pain Medicine & Neuro Rehabilitation, at KMC Hospital in Mangalore has suggested these 3 ways of relieving yourself from chronic pain.

KMC Hospital, organized a day-long programme, titled ‘Nephrology Continuing Medical Education (CME) – 2023’, on Saturday, March 11. The programme consisted of various sessions on awareness of public kidney health. The event witnessed a plethora of topics on nephrology being discussed and featured a host of speakers providing insights on Chronic kidney disease, dialysis in acute kidney injury, organ donation, and deceased donor transplant, among others. The eminent speakers dwelt on key concepts and advances in different topics of kidney disease. They explained the various treatment options available for those suffering from kidney diseases.

Saghir Siddiqui, Regional Chief Operating Officer, KMC Hospital, Mangaluru, said “We are proud to celebrate 20 years of Nephrology services at KMC Hospital in Mangaluru. Our hospital boasts the largest Dialysis Centre with 35 dialysis stations, backed by senior Nephrologists and experienced technical staff. We were the first to introduce modern high-end dialysis with Nephrologist supervision in Mangaluru, and have performed many ground-breaking procedures, including Live Donor Kidney transplants, Swap Transplants, and Paediatric Transplants”.

Have you ever heard about how one person can have multiple personalities? This mental health condition is known as dissociative identity disorder, in which a person identifies having two or more personality states within them. These personalities, also referred to as 'alters' or 'ego' states, have distinct behaviours, memories, and thoughts. It is mostly seen in the form of possession by demons in our country. It is a form of dissociative disorder, which means the separation of some aspects of mental functioning from conscious awareness, leading to mental dysfunction. We spoke to our expert, Dr. Krithishree Somanna, Consultant Psychiatry, KMC Hospital, Mangalore, who explained the causes, diagnosis, and treatment for dissociative identity disorder. 

There are many surgical procedures that can be done on the soft palate like palatal implants and electrocautery which cause stiffening of the soft palate, uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, LASER and collator-assisted uvuloplasty, barbed wire pharyngoplasty and palatal advancement surgery.

The tongue procedures aim at reducing the bulk of the tongue either by removal of the tongue tissue or removal of the lymphoid tissue on the tongue using LASER.

When OSA treatments are being considered, a stepwise approach should be used. Surgical correction of structures in the nose, pharynx, tonsils, and tongue will definitely benefit the patient. Tracheostomy (opening on the windpipe) should be a last-line option in severe disease or in treatment-refractory patients. Postoperative sleep studies should be performed to assess the progress.

Dr Anurag Shetty, gastroenterologist, KMC Hospital, Mangaluru, says that fermented food is rich in probiotics and consuming it increases the good bacteria in the intestine which helps in regulating the symptoms of IBS. However, fermentation comes at a cost. “Along with good bacteria, bad bacteria can also grow when fermentation is done in an unhygienic way,” he says.

“We ask people to take probiotics such as curd and buttermilk which does not have any side effects unless consumed when sour, leading to gastritis. But with traditional fermented rice, there is a risk of people getting an infection and food poisoning which can make their condition worse if hygiene standards are not met,” says Dr Shetty

Every year three to four lakh children are detected with cancer in the world. In India, the reported case is over 50000 per year. There is a big gap in the survival of these children between developed and developing countries. Most of these cancers can be cured if we detect them early, and provide the right treatment and right supportive therapy. In many parts of our country, these children are not able to receive tertiary care oncology services. 

Sahana (name changed), a homemaker from Bengaluru, said that her 15-year-old son was becoming rebellious and she noticed him hanging out with older classmates. She didn’t think much of it initially, but when his grades dropped in school, she decided to follow him in April 2021. “He was sitting with some older boys and trying to smoke Marijuana at an empty site near our house. I dragged him home and tried to talk him out of it,” she told Happiest Health.

Most teens are exposed to substance abuse in high school due to impulsiveness and inquisition, says Dr Krithishree Somanna, psychiatrist, KMC hospital, Mangaluru, Karnataka. “Teens try to create their identity in groups and tend to fall into bad habits. It is important for parents to know what their children are up to – whether they are in good company or bad,” she says.

Treatments Galore

Dr Thomas thinks the increasing number of gynecomastia surgeries should not be seen as a negative trend. “It is consistent with the growth of aesthetic surgeries in India, partly a consequence of the increased affluence.” Patients seeking breast reduction surgery undergo a basic psychological evaluation to rule out body dysmorphic issues. Dr Thomas Joe, a plastic surgeon at KMC Hospital, Mangaluru.

Dr Vasu says new surgical methods involve a small incision of hardly a centimetre through which all of the breast glands are removed. The scars are barely noticeable. Radiofrequency or laser-assisted liposuction is done for skin shrinkage and body contouring. It is now possible to give a chiselled look to patients with a normal body mass index. Surgical complications are rare and patients can get back to their routine in 3-4 weeks, Dr Vasu said.