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Health Surgical Procedures

Can we prevent Brain Tumors?

Brain tumors are a common type of tumor found in the body. These tumors result from uncontrolled and abnormal growth of the brain tissue affecting a specific part of the brain and its functioning. Neurological problems are a common outcome of brain tumors. Some brain tumors may be present without showing any symptoms. Brain tumors can be genetic or can occur from other various factors. If you have a history of cancer in your family, you should discuss it with your healthcare professional and should take some important preventive measures beforehand. Brain tumors cannot be prevented completely, only their chances of occurrence can be reduced.

Here are some of the important steps you need to take if you want to lower the risk of a brain tumor explained briefly by India’s best neurosurgeon Dr. Kalyan Bommakanti:

  • Avoid alcohol consumption as much as you can. As it can seriously affect your health and impair your immune system. Having alcohol regularly can increase the incidence of developing brain tumors. This consumption also varies among gender, as men should not consume more than 2 drinks a day while women should limit their alcohol consumption to one glass per day.
  • Limit smoking habits. Smoking is very dangerous for health and is a leading cause of causing cancer in individuals who smoke on a regular basis. Not only active smoking but passive smoking can be as risky too.
  • Regular exercise is key to living a healthy and happy life.  It decreases the prevalence of various health problems including cancer too.
  • A balanced diet can fight everything that is going to negatively impact the functioning of the body. Your body is what you eat. If eating junk and fast food is your way of living, then forget about the immunity you need to fight certain health battles for your own body. Processed food should be avoided as much as possible.
  • Obesity is a leading cause of almost all the health problems that can occur in the body. Staying active, and eating clean can help you maintain a healthy weight.
  • Sunscreen should be made an everyday essential. Protecting your skin from the radiation coming from the sun is very important to avoid the chances of developing skin cancer.
  • Getting genetic counseling as per need.
  • Regular screening and checkups must be followed religiously.

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Health Surgical Procedures

What are the grades of Brain Tumors?

Brain tumors are abnormal and uncontrolled growth of brain tissue. They may occur inside any lobe of the brain or in the lining of the brain. These tumors can be fatal depending on their severity and the patient’s health. Brain tumors may be of two types i.e. primary (benign/non-cancerous) or secondary (malignant /cancerous). To precisely diagnose and prepare a treatment plan, doctors need to classify these tumors into various grades. These grades are discussed here in this article by India’s best neurosurgeon Dr. Kalyan Bommakanti.

The brain tumor grading system determines the severity of the tumor. A biopsy is done and then the tissue is examined under a microscope. The grading indicates the severity and the growth rate of the tumor. These grades range from 1-4 indicating 1 as the least severe and 4 as the most severe.

Grade 1:                   

Grade 1 tumors are the least aggressive in nature and have the relatively least fatality rate. These tumors are benign, slow growing, and non-cancerous in nature. The symptoms are mostly not very serious. The prognosis is usually good and there are good chances of long-term survival. Under a microscopic investigation, the anatomy and the structure of the cells don’t seem to be disrupted. Grade 1 tumors are common in children and younger adults.

Grade 2:

These tumors are slightly more aggressive than grade 1 tumors. They also grow at a slow rate but tend to metastasize. These tumors can spread to some other parts of the brain. Under a microscopic investigation, the structure of the cells seems to be slightly altered. These tumors can be recurrent and can come back with a higher grade than before. The prognosis is not as good as in grade 1.

Grade 3:

When the tumor is at stage 3, it is very active in nature and continues to produce abnormal cells which are cancerous in nature. These tumors are malignant and can metastasize to other parts of the brain, and recur with a higher grade and intensity. These too under the microscope present abnormal cells.

Grade 4:

This is the most aggressive stage of the tumor. It grows at a very fast speed and is very severe in nature. The cells multiply at a high rate and create new blood vessel networks to facilitate their growth. The cells look abnormal under the microscopic investigation. These tumors show necrotic areas inside them.

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Health Surgical Procedures

How to treat Brain tumors?

The treatment of brain tumors depends on their type and location where they are localized.  It also depends on the patient’s age, gender, general physical health, and other risk factors associated with the treatment type. The type of treatment chosen can be used independently or usually a combination treatment protocol is designed according to each patient’s condition and health. Various brain tumor treatment options are explained in this post by Dr. Kalyan Bommakanti India’s best neurosurgeon.

  1. Chemotherapy:

It is a treatment protocol specifically used to kill cancer cells. It includes a combination of one or more drugs that work together to prevent cancer cells from growing and to prevent symptoms. These drugs can be taken orally or intravenously. The most common type of drug used is temodar.

Chemotherapy also possesses various side effects that include nausea, fatigue, vomiting, compromised immune system, and hair loss. These effects depend on the type of drug and dosage. Chemotherapy is considered to be more effective in lymphomas and tumors in children.

2. Radiation therapy:

The use of radiation to kill cancer is an effective treatment option. It uses x-rays and high-energy beams for this purpose. High-energy beams allow the doctor to take more precise control over the radiation. This treatment can be done via external beem radiation or internal beem radiation. In external beem radiation, the radiations come from a machine and pass through the body from outside. However, in rare cases, brachytherapy is used in which radiations are placed inside the body close to the targeted brain tumor. The side effects usually include nausea, vomiting, hair loss, memory issues, and scalp irritation.

3. Surgery:

Removal of brain tumors through surgical approach is also common however it is a challenge for the neurosurgeon to precisely remove the tumor leaving behind the healthy brain tissues intact. The aim is to remove the tumor cells as much as possible and to make sure that the patient’s vital neurological functions such as speaking, walking, etc. are preserved. The surgical approach to removing tumors has side effects such as bleeding and infection.

4. Rehabilitation:

Depending on the part of the brain where the tumor is located, various motor skills can be impaired such as vision, speech, and listening. Due to this reason, your doctor may refer you to a physical therapist, speech therapist, or occupational therapist to regain lost motor skills.

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Health Surgical Procedures

How are Brain tumors diagnosed?

A brain tumor is an abnormal mass of uncontrolled growing tissues, these tumors can develop in any part of the brain such as in its base or the lining. The brain is the control center of the body, these tumors may affect different neurological functions depending on the part of the brain being affected. There are over 120 types of brain tumors. Generally, brain tumors are categorized into two broad categories i.e. primary and secondary tumors. Primary tumors are non-cancerous and develop within the brain however secondary tumors are cancerous and are metastasized from tumors of any other part of the body. There are various ways to diagnose these tumors depending on their location, size, and type. These diagnostic tools and measures are briefly explained here by India’s best neurosurgeon Dr. Kalyan Bommakanti.

  1. General health investigation:

Normal functioning of the body is checked according to the symptoms being noticed. It also includes family history, past medical and surgical history, and current and past medication history.

2. A neurological examination:

The normal functioning of cranial nerves such as balance, hearing, vision, reflexes, and coordination are examined through special tests to rule out any neurological deficits. Any abnormality seen in one or more functions may indicate the presence of a tumor affecting the particular part of the brain responsible for that function.

3. Diagnostic imaging:

The diagnosis of tumors can be a complicated process, it requires a team of different specialists. Usually, a brain tumor is discovered while performing diagnostic tests for some other medical issues. Imaging includes an MRI, a CT scan, or a PET scan.

4. Biopsy:

To perform a biopsy, a part of the brain tissue needs to be obtained during an operation or can be performed using a needle. The brain tissue is extracted through the needle by drilling a hole in the skull, this tissue is then frequently guided by CT or MRI. The biopsy is done to see if the tissue is cancerous or not.

5. Spinal tap:

Lumbar puncture is done using a small needle to extract CSF from the spine. Laboratory tests are done on that fluid to look for cancerous material.

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Surgical Procedures

Microdiscectomy

Microdiscectomy

The spine is an essential organ. It is slender and tunnels like in structure. It is connected to the brain and waist. It helps us in understanding straight, sitting up and getting down. Sometimes the spine may get affected due to age or ailment like back pain. In this situation, it becomes necessary to consult a spine surgeon specialist. Back pain and sciatica pain commonly affect spine health. When it becomes unbearable one has to go for Microdiscectomy. This is the most recommended surgery in this case

A Herniated disc is located in the back and it helps in standing and sitting down.

Microdiscectomy has become the most common form of surgery. This is a very specific surgery to remove the spine ailment. In microdiscectomy, minimal invasive techniques are used to remove damaged herniated discs. This is the surgery for correcting herniated lumbar discs. In this surgery, surgeons use invasive poke hole incision to remove damaged disc herniation. This is the best surgery to remove sciatica pain when it stays for prolonged periods.

Most sciatica pain will go away on its own. But if it persists for a long time surgery is the only viable option.

Its benefits:

Most surgeons prefer this surgery as it is very effective in healing and treating sciatica pain. Today most doctors use this technique to solve this common problem.

1. Removes sciatica pain.

It is very efficient in removing sciatica pain. It does this by removing the damaged portion of the hernia disc. A person will heal fully after undergoing this surgery.

2. Quick recovery time

Most spine-related surgeries take a longer recovery time. But not in Microdiscectomy. This is unique as a person can leave the hospital on the same day. One needs to take a few precautions as advised by the doctors.

Before the discharge, surgeons would advise you to do certain do’s and don’ts

Some common advice of most surgeons are:

1. You may have to avoid heavy work and lifting heavyweights. It might elevate the strain on the spine.

2. An effort must have to be made to keep the area always dry.

3. There are certain restrictions on daily movements like sitting. One may be advised to sit only for 45 mins.

4. You may be asked to do a follow up after 8-10 days.

The success rate of Microdiscectomy has made it the most popular spine-related surgery. It is good at keeping your spine healthy for a long time.

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Surgical Procedures

Endoscopic Discectomy

Endoscopic Discectomy

The spine is your body’s most essential organ. It is the spine which helps in anything from waking till sleeping. It is very common for everyone to experience back and neck pain at some point in life. Most of the times it will go away on its own. But when it doesn’t go on its own your Spine needs special care. This can happen with constant pain in your spine. In such a situation, it is best to go for special care. The spine health may get affected due to age and other factors.

In this scenario, one needs to consult a specialist for spinal surgery.

Endoscopic Discectomy is surgery performed on your Spine. Another common name for Endoscopic Discectomy is Endoscopic spine surgery. This is different from other spine-related surgeries. Amongst all the spine related surgeries, it is the least invasive form of surgery. In this surgery, the herniated disc material is removed. This is the material which causes pain in your lower back, legs, mid-back and arms. It has emerged as the best form of surgery to treat Spinal disc herniation. Sometimes it also keeps you away from more serious back surgery.

Its Benefits.

1. Lesser Infection.

It is common to develop an infection in any major surgery. Such is not the case here. In Endoscopic Discectomy, there is a minimal risk of infection. The infection is low as it is performed on a smaller area of your spine. The incision made too is very small. As this is a more contained form of surgery hence lesser risk of infection.

2. Lower rehabilitation period.

Most surgeries require you to spend some time in the hospital. In Endoscopic Discectomy a patient can go home on the same day. This can happen a few hours after surgery.

3. Very little pain medication needed.

Pain and surgery go hand in hand. This is not the case with Endoscopic Discectomy. The pain is little as the incision is very small. Being a small one feels very less pain.

It would be wise to say that Endoscopic Discectomy is the best and safest form of surgery. One can lead a normal life after this surgery.

It is ideal to go to the best Doctor for Spine surgery. Dr Kalyan offers the best in equipment to perform the surgery. Any surgery is done after a proper consultation only.

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