What you need to know about Cancer!

Cancer causes cells to divide uncontrollably- most of us are aware about that. But cancer is a broad term. It describes the disease that results when cellular changes cause the uncontrolled growth and division of cells. Some types of cancer cause rapid cell growth, while others cause cells to grow and divide at a slower rate.

Causes

 There are many causes of cancer, and some can be prevented.

In addition to smoking, risk factors for cancer include:

·         Excess body weight

·         Heavy alcohol consumption

·         Physical inactivity

·         Inadequate nutrition

Is cancer genetic?

The development of cancer depends largely on the genetic factors. Some genetic changes occur after birth, and factors such as smoking and sun exposure can increase the risk. A person can also inherit a predisposition for a type of cancer. This can be referred to as having a hereditary cancer syndrome. Get the bestcancer treatment in Bangalore only at Fortis Hospitals.

Treatments

Innovative research has come up with new medications and treatment technologies. Some of the approaches to cancer treatment are:

·         Chemotherapy aims to kill cancerous cells with strong medication that focuses on rapidly dividing cells.

·        Hormone therapy comprises of taking medications that change the pattern of hormones work or interfere with the body’s ability to produce them.

·         Immunotherapy uses medications and other such treatments to boost the immune system and further pushes it to fight cancerous cells.

·         Radiation therapy uses high-dose radiation to kill these harmful cells.

·         Stem cellsurgery can prove to be extremely beneficial for people with blood-related cancers, such as leukemia or lymphoma.

Diagnosis and treatments are getting better with time and Fortis Hospitals is surely considered to be one of the best cancer hospitals in India.

Common Myths About Kidney Disease You Need to Stop Believing

Fortis Hospitals which is considered to be one of the best kidney hospitals in India offers premium care to all the patients. There are innumerous misconceptions surrounding kidney disease and to burst the bubble, let’s discuss a few myths that are believed by most of you.

·         All types of kidney diseases are irreversible.

Acute kidney injury is potentially reversible if it’s detected at an early stage and treated efficiently.

·         In kidney failure, only one kidney fails

No. It may seem unbelievable but kidney failure actually means that both the kidneys together are functioning to less than 10% of their original capacity.

                                                                                                            

·         Does swelling of body mean your kidney is failing?

No. Swelling of body can be caused by other diseases, for instance: heart disease. In kidney disease, swelling is visible only when the patient has significant loss of protein in urine. This loss of protein can lead to kidney failure if not diagnosed and treated promptly.

·        Once dialysis is done, then it’s to last forever

In acute kidney injury, patient’s dialysis can be stopped after recovery of renal functions either partially or entirely. Even in chronic kidney disease sometimes sudden and abrupt deterioration may occur which may subside with dialysis for a short period of time.

·         Kidney donation cannot be done across gender

Both male and female can donate kidney voluntarily to their family member if the blood group is compatible.

·          All types of kidney disease are aggressive by nature

Not all kidney diseases are serious. Few worsen pretty slowly and may take a couple of years. However, kidney biopsy is needed to establish diagnosis precisely.

At FortisInternational Care , we take utmost care of all our patients who are suffering from immense kidney diseases. Backed by a patient-centric approach that’s focused on quality care utilizing leading edge technology, we are certainly one of the best kidney transplanthospitals in India.

An overview of Neurosurgery

As the name goes, neurosurgery is the surgical specialty that deals with the nervous system that includes the brain, spinal cord and various nerves of the body.

There are numerous types of brain surgery and it’s determined by the area of the brain and the condition of the same. Advances in medical technology have enabled surgeons to operate without a single incision and Fortis Hospitals has been consistent in providing the best neurosurgery treatment in India.

Trauma is a very common reason for neurosurgery. After severe trauma, the brain often begins to swell and surgery needs to be performed to release the pressure. Imagine spraining an ankle, it’s obvious to have a swollen ankle afterward. The same happens when your brain is injured, it swells and can cause further damage. Cancer can also be the reason that neurosurgery is needed as cancer can occur in the brain and along the spinal cord.

Why is it done?

Brain surgery is done to fix the abnormalities in the brain. You may need brain surgery if you have any of the following symptoms in or around the brain:

·         Bleeding

·         Blood clots

·         An aneurysm

·         Abnormal blood vessels

·         Nerve damage

·         Stroke

·         Brain tumors

Not all of these conditions require a surgery, but many may be helped by it, especially if they pose a risk to deteriorate your health further.

Types of Brain surgery

There are several types but it majorly depends on what the problem is:

·         Craniotomy: It involves making an incision in the scalp and creating a hole known as a bone flap in the skull. When the procedure is complete, the bone flap is usually secured in place with plates or wires.

·         Biopsy: This is used to remove a small amount of brain tissue or a tumor so it can b examined under a microscope.

·         Minimally invasive Neuroendoscopy: Here, the surgeons makes small holes in the skull to access parts of your brain during this surgery.

Risks involved:

All surgical procedures come with some kind of risk. Since, brain surgery is a critical medical affair, it carries extra risk:

·         Bleeding in the brain

·         Blood clot

·         Brain swelling

·         Coma

·         Memory Problems

·         Allergic reaction

Neurosurgery is an important part of medicine that deals with the healing and treatment of the brain. Equipped with world-class facilities and expert Neuro surgeons, Fortis International Care  has been one of the leading brain surgery hospitalsin India. 

Prostate Cancer – Risk Factors, Symptoms & Treatment Options

Prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancer found in men. Usually, prostate cancer grows slowly and is initially confined to the prostate gland. However, while some types of prostate cancer grow slowly and may need minimal treatment, other types are dangerous and can spread rapidly. At Fortis International Care, you’ll receive the most intensive care by the best urology doctors in India.

Risk Factors:

The exact cause of prostate cancer is still unclear, but there are many possible risk factors:

Ø  Age: It’s more common among men above the age of 50 years and rare under the age of 45 years.

Ø  Genetic Factors: It’s hereditary by nature which means if a man whose brother or father had prostate cancer has twice the risk of developing it compared to any other men.

Symptoms:

There are usually no symptoms detected at an early stage, however, if symptoms do appear, they involve one or more of the following:

Ø  Frequent urges to urinate

Ø  Signs of blood in the urine

Ø  Painful urination

Advanced prostate cancer may involve:

Ø  Pain in bones and often in the spine, femur, pelvis or ribs

Ø  Bone fractures

Treatment:

Treatment varies for early stage and advanced prostate cancers.

In the early stage, the cancer is small and localized and is usually diagnosed by thorough monitoring. Patients may also receive radiation therapy for 4 to 6 months. Treatments differ, so it’s advised to discuss with your urologist prior.

Now, talking about advanced cancer, it spreads aggressively and deserves quick attention. Chemotherapy may be recommended, as it kills cancer cells around the body. Get yourself diagnosed by the finest set of urologists in India.

Here, at Fortis Hospital, the uro-oncologists will review your treatment options thoroughly and choose the cutting-edge diagnostic options that will suit your needs. 

Cardiology: Things you need to know!

The dreaded cardiac arrest is something most people are all too familiar with. Someone or the other has either battled it out or survived or succumbed to it. The Department of Cardiology at Fortis International Care offers the best cardiology treatment in India.

Cardiology is the study and treatment of disorders of the heart and the blood vessels. A heart attack happens when the blood flow to a part of the heart stops. Thereby, causing damage to the heart muscle, resulting in death. Common symptoms include chest pain or discomfort that radiates to the arm, shoulder, neck or back. High blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes can increase the risk of cardiac arrest. The risk starts to increase with age. Listed below are some information regarding cardiology:

Ø  Angioplasty is considered to be an emergency procedure and is an immediate life-saving measure. A patient who’s gotten a heart attack needs to undergo a primary angioplasty in order to avert the permanent damage to the heart muscle. In this procedure, time is the essence. Also, it’s a far more complex treatment given what kind of a condition the patient is in. A hospital’s ability to respond effectively in this situation is very important, the reason why Fortis Hospital is known to be one of the best cardiac hospitals in India.

Ø  A balloon valvotomy is a minimally invasive procedure used to treat mitral valve stenosis. It widens the heart valve and allows the blood to flow freely. During this procedure, the cardiologist and the specialized team of nurses perform this surgery with a lot of precision.

Ø  Pacemakers are devices that help your heart beat for you. It provides electrical stimuli which cause cardiac contraction when the body’s normal electrical impulses are low.

Ø  Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (CRT) Heart Device is used for treating severe heart failure and abnormal condition which could be caused by a number of factors such as age, heart damage, medication, genetics and so on. A CRT device sends small, undetectable electrical impulses to both lower chambers of the heart to help them beat together in a more synchronized way. Thus, improving the heart’s ability to pump blood and oxygen to the body.

At Fortis International Care, the experienced team uses the latest technology, allowing greater freedom and higher levels of safety to patients than ever before. Here, you can find the set of best cardiologists in India offering interventional care to each and every patient.  

Insights into Blood Cancer

Cancer is one of the most dreaded diseases in the world and blood cancer is a common term used for cancers arising from blood (leukemia), lymphatic system (lymphoma) and bone marrow (myeloma). In this case, you can see an uncontrolled growth of a particular component of blood which causes adverse effects on the body. It is also known as hematologic cancer.

Fortis Hospital provides quality blood cancer treatment in India with experienced oncologists who are capable of handling any kind of complications. Let’s understand the basics of blood cancer:

Ø  Leukemia affects white blood cells

Healthy white blood cells help your body fight infection. Now, if a person has leukemia, abnormal white blood cells form in the bone marrow and spread into the bloodstream where they compete with healthy cells, thereby weakening the immune system.

Ø  Myeloma affects plasma cells

Plasma cells are basically white blood cells that produce antibodies. In myeloma, abnormal plasma cells accumulate in the bone marrow, causing weak bones, fractures and other such symptoms.

Ø  No screening for early detection

Unlike breast or colon cancer, which can be detected and treated at an early stage, there are no such effective screening tests available for blood cancer. This means that people with this disease are usually unaware until they experience symptoms like weight loss, fever or weakened immunity.

Ø  Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is the usual choice of treatment. It involves taking drugs that destroy cancer cells, leading to slowing down the progression of the disease. In some cases, patients might have to undergo radiation therapy and bone marrow transplant.

Ø  Living longer and better

Survival rates have doubled in the last 20 years. New treatments are being introduced that target specific proteins in cancer walls without causing any further harm to other cells. This leads to fewer side effects and guarantee longevity of life for patients.

Ø  On the verge of discovery

Introducing new cutting-edge technology, Fortis has thrived to be one of the best cancer hospitals in India. These treatments which include immunologic treatments that harness the body’s immune system to fight malignancy have proved to be effective in the long run.

Ø  But there’s a long way to go

Fortunately, blood cancer is a type of cancer in which the cure rate is immensely high. With the right medication and treatment, a patient can actually be entirely cured. One should exercise regularly, live a healthy lifestyle, compromise on junk and drink plenty of water in order to prevent this from spreading further.

Fighting blood cancers is a massive effort. We’re all in it together.

About Bypass Surgery

Heart surgeries can be stressful but having proper knowledge regarding your heart’s condition, what to expect from the procedure, lowering risks of the surgery and aftercare can alleviate your fear to an extent. First of all you need to understand what heart bypass surgery is. It’s performed to bypass one or more damaged or blocked arteries in your heart with a blood vessel graft to restore normal blood flow to the heart. It aims to create a new pathway and divert the flow to your heart muscle. Fortis is considered to be one of the best heart hospitals in India. With a team of erudite doctors and cutting-edge medical technology, our hospital is listed among the best heart surgery hospitals in Bangalore.

Why is it done?                                                                         

If you’re detected with symptoms like chest pain, irregular heartbeat or shortness of breath, you’re most likely to get a heart attack. It is caused by the buildup of fatty deposits or plaque in your coronary arteries.

Things you should consider before your surgery:

Plan your surgery taking into account the time of your surgery, for how long your hospital stay would be and recovery time, so that it doesn’t affect your daily routine. Also, check with your doctor before stopping any medication. Quit smoking as it’s one of the major risk factors for heart diseases and also delays recovery time. Get your blood pressure and diabetes checked as well.

Tests done a few days before the surgery:

·         Complete blood count (CBC): If you’re diagnosed with low blood count, then your doctor can prepare for blood transfusion in advance.

·         Chest X-ray: To assess the shape and size of your heart and aorta.

·         Cardiac catheterization: To identify the location of blockages in your coronary arteries that will help your doctor in planning your surgery.

·         Other tests include kidney and liver function tests to determine the functionalities of these organs.

Recovery post-surgery:

It usually requires you to stay for about a week in the hospital. Bypass surgery is an invasive procedure and may have a long recovery time. It’s important to take care of your incision wound and look for any signs of redness, swelling or drainage from the wound. Advised to consume healthy food, avoid any kind of situation that puts you through stress, cut fat from your diet and quit smoking for a speedy recovery. You must keep in mind that bypass surgery is not a procedure that cures the underlying heart disease, you need to make some lifestyle changes as well and follow the medications prescribed by your doctor to prevent further blockage.

Incorporating innovative technology and clinical expertise, Fortis International Care Hospitals stands out to provide the best-in-class open heart surgery in Bangalore.