Apollo Hospital brings in life-changing medical treatments

Muscat: In a world that is fighting the challenges of obesity than ever before, metabolic and diabetes surgeries have become life-changing medical treatments for many.
Back and spine related health issues are another area that has seen growing demand in the healthcare sector.
Accordingly, Apollo Hospitals Muscat has enhanced the facilities in metabolic and spine surgeries by bringing in best of the skills and experience available globally.
“Apollo Muscat wanted to have the best of experts in diabetic surgery and spine care right here in Oman and with this in mind, we have successfully brought in the best of spine-orthopaedic and metabolic surgery infrastructure with extremely experienced and reputable doctors,” Debraj Sanyal, group operating officer said.
Two of the top experts they have roped in for this purpose are Dr Ramen Goel, who is the first surgeon of excellence in metabolic surgery in Asia and Dr Johannes Clemens Rohrsen, a senior consultant at the Schon Klinik Harthausen, Spine Centre.
During his career, Dr Goel, who has performed the first-ever gastric band in India in 2000, has also performed thousands of almost all accepted metabolic procedures. Recognising the contribution and outcomes of a surgical program internationally, Dr Goel became the first Indian surgeon to be designated as Surgeon of Excellence by Surgical Review Corporation, USA.
In 2009, to improve the outcome of metabolic surgical procedures, Dr Goel improvised technique of sleeve gastrectomy to include over-sewing, omentopexy and occasionally used of fibrin sealant and re-enforcement material. This helped reduce the major complication rate and offer a reassuring smooth post-op recovery.
“Surgeons realised that within 10 days or a week after the surgery the person goes off the insulin and in a month’s time they go off all diabetic medicines. The sugar level becomes normal even before they have lost five to seven kilos of weight. A diet does not help you achieve that. Metabolic surgery brings in a change in the intestinal hormones and intestinal bacteria and that is why the change happens in the first 24 to 36 hours. I think metabolic surgery has humongous potential because there was no treatment of diabetes where we could diabetes goes into a remission or resolution,” Dr Goel said in an interview.
“So metabolic surgery treats diabetes, polycystic ovaries in women, infertility and all the diseases which are hormone-dependent,” noted Dr Goel.
Dr Johannes Clemens Rohrsen brings in care and rehabilitation for acute spinal and spinal cord injuries, operations with microscope and navigation systems, operational treatment of patients with acute spinal infections, treatment of spinal tumours, implantation of percutaneous systems, disc prostheses as well as semi-rigid systems via mini – approaches and complex revision surgery of failed spinal surgeries.
“Disc degeneration is common but we try not to perform surgery instead we try to treat it conservatively as well as use physiotherapy and medication. The second step would be infiltration, which is semi-invasive. If we note that the disc is really gone and two vertebrae rubbing each other, then we insert an artificial disc. This is the best way to preserve mobility as long as possible. But if we have instability we have to stabilise by correction and fusion by trying not to damage the skin or the muscle,” explained Dr Johannes.
“In the usual method, there is a loss of blood, danger of infection and prolonged period of remobilisation because of the damage to the muscles. With the new method, the patients stand up the next day,” pointed out the spine specialist.
One of the main advantages is that the patients get regular follow up post operation as well.
Under their able leadership, Apollo Hospital, both spine surgery unit and metabolic and diabetic surgery unit provides round like clock assistance and consultation.