Health Corner

Foetal therapy
Armed Forces Medical College,Pune has helped a large number of patients from all parts of India with high risk pregnancy to have safe deliveries. According to Lt Gen D P Vats,SM,VSM,Director & Commandant,AFMC,since 2005 when the College performed the first intra uterine transfusion in the Armed Forces,over 180 such procedures have been carried out successfully. Patients who have been treated include very high risk pregnancies. The results achieved are comparable to some of the best centres in the world. The Feotal Medicine Centre,headed by Lt Col Yoginder Singh provides services such as genetic counseling and intra-uterine foetal interventions. Apart from intra-uterine transfusions,the centre is also performing procedures like Amniocentesis,Chorionic Villous Sampling (CVS),foetal reduction in high order pregnancies,cordocentesis,and screening for IEM (Inborn Error of Metabolism). Among instances where foetuses were saved are cases of severe anaemia,which were treated with repeated intra uterine transfusion. Recently a patient who was undergoing infertility treatment at private clinic and had conceived with quintuplets’ (five foetuses) came to the Centre. In view of the chances of abortion and loss of all five foetuses,with foetal therapy foetal reduction from quintuplets to twin was carried out and the couple now have a pair of healthy twins.

Conference on cancer
The inaugural BG conference was held on January 2,at Ruby Hall Cancer Centre. Over 200 specialists from all over Maharashtra attended the conference. The conference had eminent speakers from Tata Memorial Hospital including Dr Amita Maheshwari,gynecologic surgeon,Dr Sudeep Gupta,associate professor of medical oncology,and Dr Sharmila Pimple,additional professor of preventive oncology,underlining the guidelines for the management of breast and gynecological Cancers. The conference started with the inauguration by well-known actress Ms Mrinal Kulkarni. She stated that actors can act as a bridge between the public and doctors to spread awareness.