CMCH begins stem cell therapy to save legs

The Christian Medical College & Hospital in the city has began a radical therapy to save legs from being amputated.

The Christian Medical College & Hospital in the city has began a radical therapy to save legs from being amputated. This is a new therapy for cases where conventional therapy like surgery or angioplasty has either failed or is not possible,said Dr Harinder Singh Bedi,head of cardiovascular and thoracic surgery.

In India,a large number of peripheral vascular disease (PVD) cases have been reported. Around 15 per cent of these are of a type where treatment has either failed or is not possible and only the option left is to amputate the leg.

Here,the patients own stem cells are taken from his bone marrow and prepared in a machine called Harvest Life Cell. After processing,the cells are injected into the legs muscles. The stem cells induce angiogenesis or new blood vessel formation,thereby,saving the leg.

Suraj Bahadur (39),a home guard from Jalandhar,was suffering from severe PVD. He had undergone angiography in institutes in Punjab but still had a non-healing ischemic ulcer and was advised amputation of his leg. After examining him,Dr Bedi realised that the leg was turning gangrenous. Stem cell therapy was performed and there was an instant improvement in the ulcer and leg. Now,Suraj can walk and his movement is being monitored.

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