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| AKUH’s
‘Signs Symptoms and Care’ |
Gallbladder stones can cause serious complications
"Whether gallbladder stones cause symptoms depends partly on their
size and number, but they can cause serious complications if they
block any of the ducts connecting the gallbladder, liver, or pancreas.
The most common symptom is repeated bouts of pain in the right upper
part of the abdomen." This was stated by Dr Hasnain Zafar, Assistant
Professor and Consultant General Surgeon, Aga Khan University Hospital
(AKUH), at the 'Signs, Symptoms and Care' programme organised by AKUH
at the University Auditorium on October 1, 2005.
Dr Zafar gave a presentation on 'Current Management of Gallbladder
Stones' and informed that surgical removal of the gallbladder is the
best treatment for stones that cause symptoms. He said that, in most
cases, the gallbladder along with the stones inside can be removed
by laparoscopic cholecystectomy, done through a small slit in the
abdomen.
The second session at the seminar dealt with 'Oesophagus, Stomach
and Intestinal Cancers'. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Tabish Chawla,
Assistant Professor and Consultant General Surgeon, AKUH, said that
cancer of the oesophagus most commonly affects men older than 60 years
of age. He said that "Nutritional deficiencies and use of paan, beetle
nuts and tobacco are the most common risk factors in developing countries."
He also informed that colon cancer is the most common of intestinal
cancers and has a strong genetic predisposition as the risk increases
two to three times for people with a parent or sibling with colon
cancer. Some of the symptoms of colon cancer include unexplained weight
loss, change in frequency or character of stool (bowel movements)
and bleeding from the rectum or blood mixed with stool. People commonly
attribute all rectal bleeding to haemorrhoids, thus preventing early
diagnosis.
Speaking on 'Optimal Management of Hernia', Dr Alvi, Assistant Professor
and Consultant General Surgeon, AKUH, said that hernia associated
with intestinal obstruction is listed as one of the 10 leading causes
of death in the underdeveloped world. The only treatment of hernia
is surgery and hernia should be repaired before it becomes complicated.
He said that usage of a mesh to repair incisional hernia is associated
with a significant decrease in hernia recurrence.
The presentations were followed by a question and answer session with
the speakers and a panel of AKUH Consultant General Surgeons including
Dr Rizwan Azami, Dr Khalid Hameed and Dr Turab Pishori of.
As part of its outreach programme and societal commitment of creating
awareness of early diagnosis and timely treatment, AKUH has organised
over 190 'Signs, Symptoms and Care' programmes in Karachi, Hyderabad
and the UAE, benefiting more than 38,000 people. Similarly, Aga Khan
University Hospital's Patient Welfare Programme reaches out to patients
by providing assistance to those patients who are unable to afford
the medical cost of their treatment. 73 per cent of all patients treated
at the AKUH are from low- to middle-income areas. Since the inception
of this welfare programme in 1986, over Rs. 1.22 billion has been
disbursed to more than 225,000 needy patients.
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