Sports Medicine and Tips

Sports medicine is a specialized field for the medical and therapeutic aspects of sports participation and physical activity. This includes sports or exercise-related injuries. It focuses on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of injuries that occur in sports and exercise. Sports medicine has to deal with sports science. Sports science is a focused study and application of the principals of physiology, anatomy, and psychology as they relate to the human movement and physical activity. It is also known as exercise science.

Some of the injuries that are treated in sports medicine are concussions, asthma, diabetes, and more. Sports medicine is not only for athletes, but for common people as well. Anyone from children and elderly to professional athletes can be found benefiting from this medical field. This field helps anyone with learning what to eat, how to safely exercise, and many other things. Since it is a fairly new field of study, there is still research being done on how much exercise the human body needs and can handle.

One of the main focuses of sports medicine is to help prevent athletes and runners from injury. For those who are under this category (or even just someone who exercises), here’s some tips to prevent injury in the future. First of all, drink plenty of water! However, there is such thing as drinking too much water. Over-hydrating is a condition called hyponatremia. To know how much to drink, calculate how much fluid weight is lost during a normal workout and drink 16 ounces of water per pound lost. Another tip is to watch how intensely you train. It is not always better to train longer and harder to get better. The next tip, team training programs are not generic. Team training programs are ones like programs for marathons. They are meant for anyone, but it does not mean your body can handle every step. It is crucial to know your limits and not to overdo it.

For more information on Sports  medicine contact us on http://www.grandopinion.com .

Works Cited

1. Quinn, Elizabeth. “What Is Sports Medicine?” Sports Medicine. About Health, 06 Sept. 2013. Web. 02 May 2015. http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/educationemployment/a/whats_sportsmed.htm

2. N.d. Hub Home Design. Web. 02 May 2015. http://hubhomedesign.com/vegetarian-athletes-nutrition-and-diet-tips-sports-medicine.

3. “AAPM&R – American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.” Hot Topics in Sports Training: Advice for Recreational and Elite Runners from Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physicians. American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, n.d. Web. 03 May 2015.https://www.aapmr.org/patients/conditions/msk/Pages/Hot-Topics-in-Sports-Training.aspx

4. N.d. Athletico Physical Therapy. Web. 02 May 2015. http://www.athletico.com/2012/04/04/hip-flexor-tightness-in-distance-runners.

Is Telemedicine Right for You?

Telemedicine a creative way to provide interactive healthcare through modern technology and communications. It allows all kinds of patients to visit with their concerned physicians live over video in order to communicate their current health status or any sickness that they are facing. The concept of this technology is to provide immediate care, especially for those patients who find it hard to go to the doctor physically. Telemedicine serves you more by capturing the video and still shots that are saved and sent to physicians so that the condition is duly understood and diagnosis and follow up treatment is done accordingly. The overall idea of telemedicine is to improve the patient’s clinical health status.

Telemedicine, also known as telehealth started around 40 years ago by very few hospitals to help those who live in remote areas. However, it is not a separate medical specialty it’s just an enhanced technology. Through telemedicine, patients can do a lot of things with the latest technology like remote monitoring of vital signs, e-health including patient portals, continuing medical education, consumer-focused wireless applications and nursing call centers. With telemedicine, patients can get diagnosis immediately instead of having to make an appointment and waiting longer for an answer.

Telemedicine is right for anyone, but if you relate it to any of the following then it is an even better option. Being homebound is tough, especially for chronic patients. However, if you are homebound then telemedicine can help you to send data to your physician so you don’t suffer from any pain to go to them. By using telemedicine, the patient can send specific vital signs like blood glucose and heart ECG to their physician at any time to have constant monitoring. This can help to have more accurate and faster results. It also helps to have faster diagnosis and it makes sure that the patient is not getting worse day by day.

Telemedicine also helps in connecting with specialists. Does your specialist live 20 minutes away? 30? 40 or more? Also, less hospital visits! If you need to be under constant watch then in most cases you usually end up in a hospital, but here you have another alternative. Hospitals always need more beds, but you don’t need to be in one! Telemedicine provides constant care and you can stay with your family instead of being stuck in a hospital. You can relax at home and be able to monitor your illness in a peaceful environment surrounded by those you love.

Works Cited

1. Telemedicine.com, Inc. – What Is Telemedicine?” Telemedicine.com, Inc. – What Is Telemedicine? Telemedicine.com, n.d. Web. 08 Apr. 2015. http://www.telemedicine.com/whatis.html.

2. “What Is Telemedicine?” What Is Telemedicine. American Telemedicine Association, n.d. Web. 08 Apr. 2015. http://www.americantelemed.org/about-telemedicine/what-is-telemedicine#.VSVi4vmjOSp.

3. N.d. Ally Health. Web. 8 Apr. 2015. http://www.allyhealth.net/telemedicine-employee-benefit/.

What is Acute Kidney Failure?

Acute kidney failure is when the kidneys are unable to filter waste products from the blood. Also referred to as acute renal failure or acute kidney injury. The kidneys also lose their ability to filter the blood which can lead to dangerous amounts of waste accumulation. The accumulation can lead to your blood’s chemical make up to become unbalanced. Acute kidney failure happens rapidly; typically over a few hours or days. This type of illness typically occurs if the person is already hospitalized and is critically ill. Since this illness deals with very important organs, it can be fatal and needs extensive treatment. Shown below is an image both showing and explaining the differences between a healthy kidney and an effected kidney.

There is hope! Acute kidney failure’s symptoms can be reversed if you are healthy before getting it. Some causes of kidney failure are: conditions where blood flow takes longer to reach the kidneys, direct damage to the kidneys, or kidney’s urine drainage tubes become blocked. Many types of cancers like bladder cancer, cervical cancer, prostate cancer, and colon cancer can cause the last cause of kidney failure to occur. If you have any of these types of cancers, keep a look out for the following symptoms. Symptoms for kidney failure are: fatigue, confusion, decreased urine output, fluid retention, drowsiness, shortness of breath, nausea, seizures, comas, and chest pains. Keep a look out for any of these symptoms in order to prevent further damage to your kidneys and your body!

Works Cited

1. “Acute Kidney Failure.” Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic Staff, 06 July 2012.http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cancer/in-depth/cancer-fatigue/art-20047709.

2. N.d. Human Body. Web. 21 Feb. 2015. http://idhumanbody.com/search/Kidney-Failure-Symptoms.

10 Questions to Ask Your Doctor (oncologist)

Asking the right questions can help you understand important information about your cancer diagnosis. Here are 10 questions to ask your oncologist:

1. What types of diagnostic testing do you perform? An accurate diagnosis is critical because it is the basis upon which your treatment plan will be determined. For example, PET/CT scans help determine the precise location of cancer in the body to accurately plan treatment. Tumor molecular profiling identifies a tumor’s unique blueprint to choose targeted chemotherapy drugs. It’s important to have access to advanced diagnostic tests, as well as physicians who are experienced in performing them.

2. What does my diagnostic testing tell me?

The information you should receive from diagnostic tests includes: where the cancer originated, the size of the tumor, the stage of cancer and whether or not it has spread to the lymph nodes or other parts of the body.

3. What treatment options are available? What do you recommend and why? Many types of cancer have a variety of treatment options available. Your doctor should be able to explain the potential benefits of each to help you understand your options, even if he or she doesn’t perform a specific treatment.

4. What happens if a treatment approach doesn’t work for me? At any point, you should feel comfortable asking your doctor about the status of your treatment. When choosing a care team, you may want to consider doctors willing to try new therapies, depending on your response. Look for professionals who will tailor treatments to your specific diagnosis, and who are willing to pursue other options if your treatment isn’t progressing as expected.

5. What are the side effects of treatment, and how often do your patients experience them?

No two people will have the exact same response to cancer treatment, and side effects may vary depending on what type of treatment you choose. Ask your doctor what side effects you might experience, so that you can plan ahead and choose with all of the information you need.

6. How will you help me manage side effects?

Integrative therapies can help prevent or manage side effects, so you stay strong and avoid treatment interruptions. Some therapies that can support your wellness during cancer treatment include: nutrition therapy, naturopathic medicine, mind-body medicine, acupuncture, oncology rehabilitation, spiritual support and pain management. Ask your doctor if any of these are available at your hospital, and how they can be incorporated into your treatment plan.

7. How many patients have you treated with my type and stage of cancer, and how successful have you been?

Ask how much experience your doctor has treating your type and stage of cancer and whether he/she is a board-certified specialist. You may also want to ask about his/her facility’s treatment results so you can see how successful they have been in treating your cancer type.

8. Who will be involved in my care, how often will they meet and who is my main point of contact?

An integrated care team including a surgical, medical, and/or radiation oncologist; dietitian; naturopathic oncology provider; clinical nurse and medical advocate (often a nurse care manager) can ensure you get support for your entire well-being during treatment. If you don’t already have a team like this in place, talk to your doctor about assembling a multidisciplinary team.

9. Where will all my treatments, appointments, tests, etc., take place?

When looking for a treatment facility, consider the coordination and convenience of your treatment. Having appointments and procedures in one location can make treatment less stressful for you, and it may allow you to start treatment sooner.

10. How will you help me balance my cancer care with the demands of my normal life? Your cancer treatment should adapt to your individual needs, and family and professional obligations. Talk to your doctor about your personal needs, so that all aspects of your life are considered when choosing a treatment plan.

For more information on getting a second opinion on  your treatment contact us on http://www.GrandOpinion.com .

What to Eat While Dealing with Cancer

Cancer is an illness that affects many functions of the body including how the body processes nutrients. The person with cancer can experience a number of symptoms like loss of appetite or diarrhea. In order to help you or a close one who has cancer make good decisions on your/their next meal, here’s some tips! Each type of cancer needs a different diet in order to supplement what the body is losing. However for most people, their diet should include large amounts of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. There should be moderate amounts of meat and milk products. Also, consume small amounts of fat, sugar, alcohol and salt.

Another tip is to include more protein and calorie rich foods if your body needs more than usual. This includes eggs, milk, and cheese. Sometimes, the patient will have trouble swallowing and chewing. A tip for this issue is to include more gravies and sauces in your diet. They are easier to eat, but can contain lots of flavor and nutrients if made right. Avoid any kinds of drinks that have bubbles like soda. They can make the person have bloating and heartburn. If the patient is experiencing frequent nausea, add some ginger to their diet. Ginger can come in capsules which are easier to digest and help reduce nausea. Hopefully some of these tips will help!

Works Cited

1. “Eating Hints: Before, During, and After Cancer Treatment.” National Cancer Institute. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 9 June 2012. Web. 21 Feb. 2015.http://www.cancer.gov/publications/patient-education/eating-hints.

2. N.d. Healthmonitor. Web. 21 Feb. 2015.http://www.healthmonitor.com/breast-cancer/9-nutrition-tips-cancer-patients.

10 Medical Mistakes that can be avoided !

When you’re a patient, you trust you’re in good hands, but even the best doctor or nurse can make a mistake on you or someone you love. The harm is often avoidable, and there are strategies you can use to help doctors and nurses get things right

#1 Mistake: Treating the wrong patient

• Cause: Hospital staff fails to verify a patient’s identity.
• Consequences: Patients with similar names are confused.
• Prevention: Before every procedure in the hospital, make sure the staff checks your entire name, date of birth and barcode on your wrist band.

#2 Mistake: Surgical souvenirs

• Cause: Surgical staff miscounts (or fails to count) equipment used inside a patient during an operation.
• Consequences: Tools get left inside the body.
• Prevention: If you have unexpected pain, fever or swelling after surgery, ask if you might have a surgical instrument inside you.

#3 Mistake: Lost patients

• Cause: Patients with dementia are sometimes prone to wandering.
• Consequences: Patients may become trapped while wandering and die from hypothermia or dehydration.
• Prevention: If your loved one sometimes wanders, consider a GPS tracking bracelet.

4. Mistake: Fake doctors

• Cause: Con artists pretend to be doctors.
• Consequences: Medical treatments backfire. Instead of getting better, patients get sicker.
• Prevention: Confirm online that your physician is licensed.

5. Mistake: The ER waiting game

• Cause: Emergency rooms get backed up when overcrowded hospitals don’t have enough beds.
• Consequences: Patients get sicker while waiting for care.
• Prevention: Doctors listen to other doctors, so on your way to the hospital call your physician and ask them to call the emergency room.

6. Mistake: Air bubbles in blood

• Cause: The hole in a patient’s chest isn’t sealed airtight after a chest tube is removed.
• Consequences: Air bubbles get sucked into the wound and cut off blood supply to the patient’s lungs, heart, kidneys and brain. Left uncorrected the patient dies.
• Prevention: If you have a central line tube in you, ask how you should be positioned when the line comes out.

7. Mistake: Operating on the wrong body part

• Cause: A patient’s chart is incorrect, or a surgeon misreads it, or surgical draping obscures marks that denote the correct side of the operation.
• Consequences: The surgeon cuts into the wrong side of a patient’s body.
• Prevention: Just before surgery, make sure you reaffirm with the nurse and the surgeon the correct body part and side of your operation.

8. Mistake: Infection infestation

• Cause: Doctors and nurses don’t wash their hands.
• Consequences: Patients can die from infections spread by hospital workers.
• Prevention: It may be uncomfortable to ask, but make sure doctors and nurses wash their hands before they touch you, even if they’re wearing gloves.

9. Mistake: Lookalike tubes

• Cause: A chest tube and a feeding tube can look a lot alike.
• Consequences: Medicine meant for the stomach goes into the chest.
• Prevention: When you have tubes in you, ask the staff to trace every tube back to the point of origin so the right medicine goes to the right place.

10. Mistake: Waking up during surgery

• Cause: An under-dose of anesthesia.
• Consequences: The brain stays awake while the muscles stay frozen. Most patients aren’t in any pain but some feel every poke, prod and cut.
• Prevention: When you schedule surgery, ask your surgeon if you need to be put asleep or if a local anesthetic might work just as well.

Do you have a personal story to tell about a medical mistake? Share it in the comments section below or email us on support@grandopinion.com

Cold and Flu – Prevention and Treatment

Flu is easy to catch, but also easy to prevent .

The flu is a communicable disease. Everyone knows what it is and they are afraid to catch it yet many people do not take steps to prevent it. The most effective way to prevent yourself from catching the flu, like most 5-20% of U.S. residents do, you must get the flu shot vaccine. You can conveniently get it at most pharmacies like CVS , Walgreens etc if you are unable to go to your regular doctor. According to the CDC or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the flu vaccine protects you from three or four common viruses. However, there are other steps you can take to prevent catching this contagious respiratory illness.

Wash your hands and cover your mouth while you cough! It helps to prevent spreading of germs, especially if you are going to populated places during the day like the grocery store or work. Also, try to avoid being too close to those who are sick. If you have children who are sick, clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces in order to prevent yourself or others from catching it. Of course, drinking plenty of fluids and eating healthy helps your body prevent catching the flu. If you do happen to catch it, you can also take antiviral drugs prescribed by your doctor to lessen the effects and shorten the time of being sick. The flu is easy to catch, but also easy to prevent if you follow some of these tips!

Works Cited

1. “CDC Says “Take 3″ Actions To Fight The Flu.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 09 Sept. 2014.

2. “Preventing the Flu: Good Health Habits Can Help Stop Germs.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 28 Aug. 2014.

3. N.d. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web. 3 Feb. 2015. http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/habits.htm.

Telemedicine: Saving Lives

Being able to reach an expert across the miles and getting the right care is the biggest advantage of telemedicine

Image source- rcctvm.gov.in

Living in a remote place, no access to good medical experts and you are facing multiple health issues and need some good expert opinion. Which is the best way now to reach out to experts- travelling across the miles or telemedicine? Yes Telemedicine today has a great promise- to bring an expert’s opinion to your door step, cutting costs and helping save lives.

In India today there are various efforts being made to implement different models of telemedicine. The Gujarat government is trying to implement their telemedicine project by tying up with private hospitals in Canada. The Indian health ministry is going to launch a National Medical College Network where all the government medical colleges will be interlinked so they can form a telemedicine network and help fill in the scarcity of doctors in rural areas. Telemedicine has indeed become the need of the hour today.

DEFINITION

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What exactly is telemedicine? Does it mean talking to the doctor on the phone, communicating through other modes like email or is it a complete process of consultation across the miles. Earlier it just meant transferring medical records via electronic media among experts to provide patients the best care but today according to World Health Organisation, telemedicine is defined as, “The delivery of healthcare services, where distance is a critical factor, by all healthcare professionals using information and communication technologies for the exchange of valid information for diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease and injuries, research and evaluation, and for continuing education of healthcare providers, all in the interests of advancing the health of individuals and their communities”.

THE NEED FOR TELEMEDICINE

The need for telemedicine arises in several situations. It is not just needed for people who live in remote areas and need expert opinions and care but also in case of emergencies. Imagine the emergency room of a hospital where many patients get admitted in a critical state. The duty doctors manage to stabilize them but beyond that the patient needs some expert care depending on his or her condition. This is where telemedicine can play an important role and these doctors could reach out to experts at the critical hour, discuss the patient’s case and provide the right care which could help in saving the life of the patient. One great example of this is Global med which has a platform called eNcounter which allows the emergency doctors to share a CT scan and real image of the patient with a remote specialist and seek his or her opinion on whether the patient needs more specialized care and needs to be shifted to a bigger hospital with better facilities.

PROTECTING PATIENT DATA

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A very important aspect of telemedicine is collecting patient information. A lot of the patient’s personal data is collected and used to maintain patient records. But the million dollar question is about how secure this data. A classic example of this is the case of hospital in Brighton Massachusetts has HIPAA violations for having shared patient information through unsecured methods. A USB flash drive and laptop had been used for this purpose.

But now there is an app for this purpose which helps to share patient information over a secure portal. This is called eNcounter and in this app the patient info is shared on a cloud and never on a resident computer or laptop. Only authorised people have access to this information and if a person forgets to shut the computer before leaving then within a few minutes the app shuts off automatically. It is very important to protect patient date which is confidential and people are always trying to get hold of this kind of information.

TELEMEDICINE FOR PEDIATRIC CARE

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One field in which telemedicine is making great strides is paediatric care. Although it seems that telemedicine works the same way for both adults and children but the field of paediatrics has benefitted greatly from telemedicine.

Health- E- Access is a telemedicine program based in Rochester started by Dr Neil Herendeen which provides video conference doctor visits to children directly to their schools and day care centres. They use tools like digital stethoscopes, high definition cameras, physicians and nurses at the Golisano Children’s hospital to make routine diagnosis of common childhood problems and to communicate their finding and recommendations to the parents. This app since 2001 has seen a 63% reduction in preschool absences due to illness and a 23% reduction in evening-hours emergency room visits.

ADVANTAGES OF TELEMEDICINE

Telemedicine benefits both the patient can doctors alike. For the patients the benefits include-

• Better outcomes because of timely access to specialists and right kind of treatment.
• Reduction in unnecessary admission to hospitals
• Avoiding moving from one place to another because the expert is able to suggest treatment in the local area itself.

For doctors the benefits include-

• Facility to extend their care and expertise to people in remote areas
• Save time travelling from one place to another seeing patients
• Emergency room physicians can reach out to experts and seek their opinion to give patients better care
• Develop good relationships with doctors and facilities in remote areas.

GRANDOPINION FOR TELEMEDICINE

Today there are several portals offering different kinds of platforms for telemedicine. Since we live in an era of Skype and what’s app, people only look for options to reach out to experts online. Grandopinion is one such portal which is a virtual clinic and helps both patients and doctors reach out to experts who are on board. If a patient needs a medical opinion he or she can share records with the experts and they within a limited period of time offer their opinion. The patient information is kept secured and only experts have access to it. Similarly if the doctor wants to speak to the experts for an opinion also they can access the services on this portal which is a true example of telemedicine.

A boon to all, telemedicine is the most necessary tool in today’s era when medicine has advanced so much and people want the best care to be easily accessible to them.

Seeking Help of Doctor for Advanced Healthcare

When it comes to dealing with critical diseases it definitely helps to take the help of a doctor to take a second opinion.

Image- http://www.newyorkmedicalservices.com

Making a decision regarding your health is probably one of the most important decisions in a person’s life. You have just been diagnosed with a critical disease, the expert has advised you a certain line of treatment but you are still confused and distraught. Lots of questions in your mind and you are still not sure whether to go with what the experts have said. This is a time when you should seek your doctor’s help in not just getting another opinion but also to understand about your problem, the lines of treatment, prognosis and other implications if any. It is of prime importance to be well informed before deciding your line of treatment.

NEED FOR ADVANCED HEALTHCARE DECISIONS

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A healthcare decision may not be the easiest decision for you to make. There may be several reasons when you may need to reach out to another doctor to understand your problem better and to take a proper decision about your line of treatment. These reasons could range from a misdiagnosis to being asked to undergo an unnecessary surgery or maybe there are not enough advanced health care facilities in your area or it could be your own distrust in the medical system and your gut feeling asking you to take a second opinion.

MISDIAGNOSIS- A MAJOR SETBACK

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According to a study done by the BMJ Journal of Quality and Safety 12 million adults in the US are misdiagnosed every year which means that 1 out of 20 adults are misdiagnosed and can even be harmed due to this misdiagnosis. According to a study done by JAMA in 2012 the main reasons for misdiagnosis include ordering wrong diagnostic tests, the patient not providing the correct medical history and a wrong interpretation of a test result by the doctor.

According to Kaiser News, 28 percent of 583 diagnostic errors were either proved fatal or ended in a permanent disability. Some of the most common conditions which are misdiagnosed include heart attacks, cancer, celiac disease, stroke, depression, thyroid conditions, fibromyalgia , pulmonary embolism to name a few.

If you have just been given a diagnosis and have your doubts on it, just head to another doctor – a specialist with all your reports, give them your entire history and understand your health condition and whether your diagnosis is correct or not.

LACK OF ACCESS TO SPECIALTY HEALTHCARE

One of the main reasons why people need to seek further help for their healthcare is because of the lack of specialty healthcare services in their area. People living in the rural areas of India and in smaller cities end up travelling to the bigger metro cities to seek advanced healthcare because they know they will get the best in big cities. If your primary healthcare physician has just given you a diagnosis of a major health problem, it is better you go to better well equipped hospital, meet a specialist and try to understand what you are going through. The specialist may advise you further tests or may just look at your current reports and tell you about your diagnosis, the options for treatments you have, the prognosis and any other info you need to know. It is indeed important that if you live in a city which lacks access to specialty health care and if you are diagnosed with a critical health issue you immediately reach out for some help from a better equipped centre. A Lancet Study shows that 3.6 lakh children below the age of five die pre term every year because of the lack of proper healthcare facilities in their area.

UNNECESSARY SURGERIES

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If your doctor has just told you that you need a surgery, please don’t say a yes unless it is an absolute emergency. Time and again we hear that doctors are performing tens of thousands of unnecessary surgeries which instead of helping patients get better end up creating other complications for them. According to USA Today a dermatologist Michael Rosin was sentenced to 22 years of imprisonment and fined $ 7 million because he repeatedly and intentionally misdiagnosed patients with skin cancer so he could perform surgeries on them. Being advised an unnecessary surgery is one of the main reasons why people seek help of other specialists for opinions to understand the conditions, weigh their options and decide if they really need a surgery or not. The most commonly advised surgeries which may be unnecessary include cardiac angioplasties for stents, pacemakers, hysterectomies, knee and hip replacement surgeries and caesarean sections.

DISTRUST IN MEDICAL SYSTEM

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According to a study done by the National Institute of Health America on 961 adults, 20% to 80% of the respondents said they had a lot of distrust on the healthcare system. This distrust is due to various reasons including misdiagnosis, unnecessary tests and surgeries.

Seeking your doctor’s help for advanced healthcare depends on your situation. If you are in a smaller town it could help to head to a bigger city to seek better opinions and excellent health care facilities. On the other hand if you have been diagnosed with a critical problem like cancer and you hear of better treatment options abroad and can afford it then also you can seek the help of a doctor in understanding if you should opt for treatment abroad and where you should go.

SECOND OPINIONS- A BOON

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An alarming diagnosis, a painful line of treatment advised by your doctor has just left you totally confused and distraught. At a time like this you may just want a good second opinion and may want to hear that after all your condition is not so bad and is treatable. GrandOpinion (www.grandopinion.com) is one such portal which aims at providing speedy second opinions to people. It is just like reaching out to a doctor for a second opinion. Here the doctors are online and once you file your reports, they quickly take a look and immediately revert to you about your diagnosis and advise you on your treatment options. Sitting here in India you could easily get an opinion from a doctor in the United States and the best option for treatments as well.

Is Surgery the Only Option?

A lot of doctors now recommend surgery to their patients but is surgery really the only option??

It is indeed overwhelming to see the kind of development India has seen in the field of medicine. From bringing in the latest technology for diagnosis and surgeries to having internationally qualified doctors, India has become a medical hub and people from across the globe come here for treatment. Despite all this development, people are still misguided into unecessary tests and surgeries.

WAS SURGERY NECESSARY?

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According to a study done by the Times of India a resident of Kandivili, Gautam Sharma had severe left shoulder pain and was advised cardiac surgery the very next day itself. But he has a feeling it had nothing to do with the heart but to do with the shoulder bone itself. He took a second opinion and sent his ECG to a doctor in the US who in turn connected him to an orthopaedic surgeon there. The orthopaedic surgeon said his bones were not aligned properly and that was causing the pain. He was taught some exercise and today his pain is much better and he is leading a normal life.

According a study done by an organisation specializing in second opinions in Mumbai on 12,500 patients almost 44% of the patients were advised against surgery when they went in for a second opinion. This is the situation in India, but that does not mean that doctors in USA do not recommend surgery. According to a study done by USA Today (www.usatoday.com), Jonathan Stelly a pro baseball player fainted once while playing and was rushed to a cardiologist. The cardiologist said he needed a pacemaker if he wanted to live even till 30. He underwent the surgery and had a pacemaker implanted but months later he heard that the cardiologist had been arrested for unnecessary surgeries. He also learnt that all he needed was blood pressure medication! The doctor had not just put him through an unnecessary surgery but also taken away the love of his life baseball. According to US Today in the US unnecessary surgeries account for 10 t0 20% of the surgeries done every year in some fields including cardiac, knee, spine surgeries and hysterectomies.

ARE WE OVERDOING KNEE SURGERIES?

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An overdose of surgeries has been commonly seen in the field of orthopaedics especially in terms of knee replacement surgeries. The Indian Society of Hip and Knee Surgeons reports that 66,352 total knee replacements were done  in the country in 2013, compared to merely 9,951 cases reported by it in year 2008. Dr C S Yadav, professor, department of orthopaedics at AIIMS says that nearly 30 to 35% of knee replacement surgeries done in India are unnecessary and so patients at AIIMS are being educated about lifestyle modifications and exercises which can help them avoid surgery.

TOO MANY HYSTERECTOMIES?

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Another surgery which has become increasingly common in India is a hysterectomy or surgical removal of the uterus. This is usually recommended in women of menopausal age who have excessive bleeding, fibroids, cysts etc. Many women across the country have undergone unnecessary hysterectomies and later regret it. According to a survey done by Oxfam in a village in Rajasthan, out of 285 women investigated to, 258 had undergone hysterectomies in 6 months and the youngest amongst these was just 18 years old. These surgeries simply exploit the rural women who really don’t need surgeries and are threatened into having these surgeries putting fear of cancer into them.

Surgeries and Cancer

Being diagnosed with cancer itself is a very stressful situation and if you are advised surgery it is going to worry you even more. Please relax and understand why the doctor is advising surgery. According to the Mayo Clinic the doctor advises surgery for cancer to-

• Firstly diagnose the cancer and see of the tumour if benign
• Surgery is also preventive if you have developed any tissues or extra growths.
• To determine the stage in which your cancer is and to decide the line of treatment.
• As a mode of primary treatment especially if your cancer is in the initial stages
• Debulking- removing as much of the cancereous tissue as possible so chemotherapy and radiation are effective
• To relieve stress and pain especially if you have a tumour pressing on a nerve.

Why Unnecessary surgeries?

Surgeries are becoming so common these days that it has become important to understand the reason behind this attitude of doctors and why they are prescribing so many unnecessary surgeries.

• High levels of medical interventions- including tests which costs a lot and then telling people that surgery is the only option
• Lavish and unnecessary use of medical technology to do tests and surgeries.
• Defensive medicine or playing it safe and convincing patients that surgery is the best option
• Failure to counsel patients on whether the surgery is necessary or not.
• Aggressive marketing my companies and hospitals regarding surgical procedures.
• Incentives provided by companies to doctors for performing surgeries.

The patient should decide on whether he or she needs to have a surgery after having-

• A complete check up by the phyisican or family doctor to decide whether the surgery is required or not.
• Discussed with the doctor about alternate lines of treatment which can help avoid surgery.
• Understood the whole procedure of the surgery and why he or she needs to undergo it
• Understood the benefits of the surgery
• Taken a second opinion that also indicates the need for a surgery.

HOW TO AVOID SURGERY

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Surgeries are traumatising regardless of what surgery one is undergoing and how good the doctor is. How can one avoid a surgery?

• Hysterectomy– Menstrual problems like heavy bleeding can we dealt with medicines easily. Simpler procedures like monomyectomy for fibroids, knife free procedures for endometriosis and other lesser invasive procedures are today available for uterine problems and can help avoid surgery.
• Cardiac procedures– Angioplasties and bypass surgeries have become so common these days. Even for a heart burn doctors tend to misguide the patients that they have a heart problem and first do an angiogram and then say there are blocks and surgery is needed. Instead modifying life style, eating healthy and taking the right medications can help restore cardiac health.
• Orthopaedic procedures- replacement surgeries are commonly prescribed these days for knee, hip, spine and shoulder problems. Meeting a good physiotherapist and learning the right exercise, losing weight, wearing proper foot wear can all help in avoiding these surgeries.

BENEFITS OF A SECOND OPINION

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 So, your doctor has just broken the news to you that you have a major problem and require surgery and now you are going through that trauma.

Well! Rather than being distressed get up and look around yourself. Second opinion is always there to help you and guide you on your course of treatment.

GrandOpinion (www.grandopinion.com) is a portal which can help you during this time. Just get onto the portal and share your details and reports, let the team of doctors study your case and revert to you. In most cases SecondOpinion has helped to prevent surgeries. A shoulder pain need not be a heart problem, a knee pain does not necessarily call for a replacement and an excessive bleed does not mean hysterectomy. It could just be a red signal for you to stop, slowdown in life and care for yourself. You might just need to modify your life style, diet and exercise or just undergo a minimal non-invasive procedure and you can avoid going under the knife!  GrandOpinion (www.grandopionion.com) can just guide you of a surgery, because surgery is definitely not the only option!