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— P.V. Sivakumar

Dr J.H. Won (centre) and Dr C.W. Kim , radiologists from South Korea in a mid-operation discussion with Dr Piyal Nag (left) at an Indo-Korean workshop on ‘Interventional radiology and postal hypertension’ at the Asian Institute of Gastroenterology in Hyderabad.

Our Bureau

Hyderabad, Aug. 17

A team of South Korean and Indian doctors have performed a new minimal invasive procedure to correct a blood flow problem in liver. This could be especially useful for those afflicted with liver diseases due to alcohol and viral infections.

The problem is akin to overflow of traffic into the small lines when the main arterial road in a city gets choked with vehicles, explained Dr P.N. Rao, Chief of Hepatology and Nutrition at Asian Institute of Gastroenterology.

Addressing a press conference here on Saturday after performing the procedure on a 40-year-old man, he explained that one of the major complications in liver diseases is blood vomiting, which happens due to increased pressure in the portal vein. It was this vein that carries blood to the liver. Correcting this problem through a surgery would, usually, take four-five hours and a few days of post-operative care. Though a decade-old globally, two procedures Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) and Balloon Occlusion Retrograde Transvenous Obliteration (BRTO) are now making a mark in India as well.

The TIPS method: A 5 mm catheter, which carries less than 5 mm stent, is used. On reaching the affected spot it would expand to 10 mm, allowing the smooth flow of blood, thus reducing the pressure. This procedure, however, is a costly one, with the stent alone costing about Rs 1.2 lakh. The patient could walk out of the hospital the same day, if there were no complications.

The BRTO procedure is less expensive. The doctors would reach the gastric varix (or the abnormal blood vessel) from the opposite route (through the leg vein).

More Stories on : Health | Andhra Pradesh

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