Frequently Asked Questions

With advance in technology, obtaining cells from a donor or harvesting has become relatively simple. Bone marrow is harvested using needle from the hip or at times breastbone area, after inducing general or local anaesthesia. The harvested bone marrow is processed to remove blood and bone fragments, combined with a preservative and frozen at sub-zero temperatures to keep the stem cells alive but dormant until required. This technique is known as cryopreservation. We have a cryopreservation unit where we can cryopreserve stem cells for many years. In order to harvest PBSCs, the donor is given medications to produce and release excess stem cells into the blood stream. Called apheresis, blood is drawn from the donor and subject to a process that removes only the stem cells. The blood is then returned to the donor and the collected cells, stored in the cryopreservation unit. This usually takes 4 to 6 hours. We also obtain stem cells from umbilical cord on consent, to treat children and adults. We can cryopreserve these cells or even the entire cord for years.

If you are the bone marrow donor, you might feel tired and lethargic after donating the cells. However you will return to normalcy in a few days or sometimes, in a few weeks. As it is a procedure done under anaesthesia, you might need to do all relevant health checks before donating. Aphersis, however is easier, except for occasional giddiness, headache and some discomfort caused mainly due to the medicines given for increasing stem cells.

Post-surgery care is extremely crucial and you have to take up the responsibility of your own health and wellbeing. Make sure you take your medications on time. And remember that these medications must be taken for life. Exercise - we encourage heart transplant recipients to increase physical activity to improve the functions of the heart and avoid weight gain. However, you’ll need to take the advice of your Cardiologist and Rehabilitation Therapist before you start on your regime. We’ll give you specific instructions on what you should eat and what you should not. A low-fat, low-sodium diet will decrease the risk of heart diseases, high blood pressure and fluid retention. Remember, how you recover, how well you recover and how quickly you recover depend on many factors including your age, general health and your response to the transplant. Patients, especially children will need to be monitored all their life to ensure nothing is wrong. Fortunately, according to worldwide statistics, almost 85% heart transplant recipients get back to their normal life within a reasonable time. The most important of all are regular check-ups. Missing even one means you are neglecting your health. So visit your doctor at regular intervals, get your investigations done on time and lead a healthy lifestyle. It’s a second chance at life, make sure you live it well.

A medical subspeciality of Radiology that plays a vital role in both emergency and elective care, Interventional Radiology (IR) is the minimally invasive, image-guided treatment of certain diseases/ conditions that may otherwise require an open surgery. IR procedures are performed with the help of advanced imaging modalities like MRI, CT and ultrasound scans, in cath labs/ sterile operation theatre environments. The interventional radiologist can see the inside of the body and treat complex conditions ranging from brain aneurysms to cancers, through very small incisions (2-3mm in 90% cases), with unmatched precision and speed.

Genetic predisposition is one of the reasons for obesity, it is a well-known and currently proven fact. Around 43% of the general population is susceptible to become obese due to genetic factors.

In some scenarios the cause of liver cancer is identified, for instance chronic hepatitis infection damages the DNA in the liver cells and cause liver cancer. Sometimes liver cancer occurs in patients with no underlying health conditions and it's not clear what causes it.

When the organ for transplantation is obtained from a deceased or brain-dead donor, it is called cadaveric transplant.

Produces blood proteins that help your immune system function well, carry oxygen and enable clotting Stores and releases nutrients to your bloodstream Produces bile – the enzyme that helps help digest food Breaks down saturated fat and produces cholesterol out of it Stores glucose in the form of glycogen Keeps your body free from toxins.

The three major liver diseases induced by alcohol are alcoholic fatty liver disease, alcoholic hepatitis and alcoholic cirrhosis. Alcoholic Fatty Liver Excess alcohol consumption leads to accumulation of extra fat in your liver.
The first stage of alcohol-related liver disease, this condition usually goes unnoticed as there might be no symptoms at all. However, some patients do present symptoms like unexplained fatigue and weakness. The fat accumulation in the liver will mostly go away by itself if you stop drinking alcohol at this stage. Those who are overweight and have diabetes will need to be extremely careful, for the risk of permanent liver damage is way higher in them. Alcoholic Hepatitis This is a condition that causes the liver to swell, in turn damaging it. The symptoms of alcoholic hepatitis include loss of appetite, vomiting, abdominal pain, fever and jaundice. It is estimated that one out of every three heavy drinkers develops alcoholic hepatitis.Alcoholic hepatitis can either be mild or severe. Mild liver damage can be reversed; all you need is to quit drinking. However, if one continues to consume alcohol despite having mild alcoholic hepatitis, the liver will slowly start becoming dysfunctional. According to reports, more than 50% of patients with severe alcoholic hepatitis do not survive. Alcoholic Cirrhosis Alcoholic cirrhosis is permanent scarring of liver caused due to excess alcohol consumption. A life-threatening condition and the most serious alcohol-related disease, the liver fails to function normally as healthy liver tissue gets replaced with scar tissue. The damage caused to the liver is usually irreversible. Though stopping alcohol consumption may help prevent further damage, related complications are not curable. In addition to the symptoms of alcoholic hepatitis the patient may develop severe bouts of jaundice, vomit blood, suffer from fluid accumulation in the abdomen and feet, get mentally disoriented or worse, slip into coma. Estimates say that almost 20% of heavy drinkersdevelop liver cirrhosis.

If the liver gets irreparably damaged and cannot be managed medically anymore, your doctor might recommend a liver transplant, depending on your health condition.