Chandigarh, march 25
The introduction of the latest YAG Laser procedure for removing kidney stones could come as a big respite for all those suffering from recurrent stones, a major problem especially in the Northern states.
With this part of the country often being referred to as the ‘stone-belt’, the Kidney and Uro Centre in Sector 20-C has made this surgery much easier as it became the first centre in the city to acquire the latest laser equipment. Barring a private centre in Jalandhar, the facility is so far not available even at majority of the government hospitals, claimed Dr Anshuman V. Kapoor MS (Surgery), Endo Urologist and Andrologist, running the centre.
The latest laser costing over Rs 32 lakh, has virtually revolutionised stone treatment as it has very low rate of complication, with no bleeding.
While telling the advantages of this procedure, Dr Kapoor, said that it had almost 95 per cent success rate and more cost effective as the patient could go home the same day.
So far it is only a handful of centres in the country who have acquired this laser. ‘‘ Even though as compared to Rs 11,000 being spent on the surgery earlier, this procedure costs an additional Rs 5,000 but keeping in mind the advantages it has, it actually works out to be cheaper,’’ opined Dr Kapoor. He added that it was especially useful in case of cardiac patients and those on anti-coagulants as the risk level was considerably less with much faster recovery.
Dr Kapoor said Holium-YAG Laser was the latest facility as it had the twin advantage of cutting and coagulating at the same time, making the task of the surgeon much easier. He informed that ever since the laser had been acquired 10 laser ureterolithotripsies, five prostate surgeries and seven laser urethrotomies had been performed with a high success rate.
Dr Kapoor said that the prevalence of stones was much higher in the northern region for various reasons and even schoolchildren were found having stones. He said people who had undergone stone surgery once had 50 per cent chance of the problem recurring, while 80 per cent could face the problem again within 10 years after surgery.
