CMC has been chosen to host Workshop

Dr. Bedi before media 

Ludhiana: The CMCH (Christian Medical College & Hospital)  here has been chosen to host the prestigious “International Master Class on Venous Disease – 2011”. Dr Harinder Singh Bedi, Head, Cardio-Vascular and Thoracic surgery Department, CMCH, said, “In view of the extensive work on vascular disease being done in the CTVS Dept of CMC & H it was decided by an international panel to hold the workshop in Ludhiana”.Dr Bedi had also delivered a guest lecture on redo-surgery at the last International Workshop. Dr Bedi is credited with being a world leader and the pioneer in beating heart surgery and in the world’s first use of the radial artery in treatment of vascular disease of the leg.

Dr HS Bedi & Dr Masih with cardio vascular team

Renowned surgeons,including Prof Jean-Francois Uhl (France), Dr Ted King (USA), Dr Mark Malouf (Australia) and Dr Rene Milleret (France), will be assisting the CMC surgeons so that the latest techniques could be used to help people of this region. According to Dr Bedi, chronic venous disease is quite common in India as most of our population works in the standing position, leading to pressure on the veins which dilate. It is estimated that over a lakh die due to venous disease (DVT and PE) each year – which is the equivalent of the disappearance of a city the size of Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.

Dr. Bedi talking to media

The other members of the local faculty are Dr A Joseph, Dr A Gupta, Dr V Abraham, Dr V Bhasker, Dr A Bhardwaj, Dr P Gupta and Dr S Samuel. The conventional therapy of varicose veins is a major operation called stripping. It entails a long cut, pain, admission and a slow recovery.A revolutionary new technique called ‘Endovenous Thermal Ablation’ with a Radio Frequency Ablation (RFA) has been introduced and perfected at the CMC. It is this technique which will be discussed in detail at the workshop. Patients will have the advantage of having the best International experts in Ludhiana to lend their surgical skills. Officiating Director Dr.Kim Mammen, Medical Superintendent Dr.Kanwal Masih were also present on the occasion.Dr.Bedi can be contacted at 98140-60480 for any clarification.:-Rector Kathuria

Marines in Afghanistan Test New Concussion Care

Posted on Fri, Jan 28, 2011 at 1:34 AM By Cheryl Pellerin of American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Jan. 27, 2011 - A new concussion care program being fielded by the Marine Corps in Afghanistan is giving psychiatrists, physicians and even chaplains and sergeants a better way to treat those with the No. 1 battle injury, military combat medicine experts said today. Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James F. Amos speaks with sailors and Marines at the Concussion Restoration Care Center at Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan, Dec. 23, 2010. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Brian A. Lautenslager  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution imageavailable. Navy Cmdr. (Dr.) Charles Benson, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force psychiatrist and 1st Marine Division's deputy surgeon, and Navy Cmdr. (Dr.) Keith Stuessi, director of the Concussion Restoration Care Center at Camp Leatherneck in Afghanistan, spoke with Pentagon reporters in a video teleconference. The Navy-Marine Corps effort, launched in August and called the Operational Stress Control and Readiness Program, or OSCAR, has two parts, Benson said. "The first part [includes] psychiatrists and psychologists who we field with the combat team," Benson explained. "These are organic embedded assets in the division's regiments and battalions. They live with the troops, train with the troops and get out in the field with them." Such an arrangement, he added, "allows the Marines to come forward to the psychologists and psychiatrists [and] kind of breaks down the barriers and allows the [providers] to become very effective at ... delivering mental health care." The second part of the program offers special training to medical officers, corpsmen, chaplains, religious personnel and key leaders at the sergeant and first sergeant level so they can deliver basic mental health care to troops in harm's way. "Those folks constantly monitor their Marines," Benson said, "helping them with simple issues and understanding at what point [a Marine with an injury] needs to be referred back for more comprehensive care." Together, the programs "have generated quite a bit of success out here in Afghanistan," the psychiatrist said, treating concussions and musculoskeletal injuries -- the No. 1 nonbattle injuries of the war. Stuessi, a sports medicine doctor, described a typical Concussion Restoration Care Center success story. "I first saw Lance Corporal Smith on Jan. 3, three days after he was medevaced to Bastion Role 3 hospital because of injuries suffered from [device roadside bomb] blast while on a routine convoy," he said. Smith was discharged from the hospital and referred to the outpatient concussion center, where he completed a questionnaire about the blast and his symptoms, and went through a neurologic exam and a neurocognitive test. "Lance Corporal Smith and I discussed the symptoms -- a constant headache, dizziness, trouble concentrating and sleeping, moderate low-back pain and occasional nightmares, along with repeated thoughts of the blast," Steussi said. "Over the next 11 days, all these symptoms were addressed by our specialists, who are located under one roof." Smith saw a physical therapist, an occupational therapist and a psychologist, and then Steussi used acupuncture to treat Smith's headaches and insomnia. Between appointments, Smith stayed with other Marines at a wounded warrior facility. "During his last visit," Steussi said, Smith "was completely asymptomatic" and returned to his unit. Although concussion is a physical injury, Benson said it's related to mental health. "When folks have a mild traumatic brain injury, sometimes their symptoms have a psychiatric flavor," the psychiatrist said. "They might have difficulty sleeping or nightmares and anxiety along with that. And sometimes folks who have straight-up psychiatric symptoms like depression might also have insomnia and problems that look a mild traumatic brain injury. "There's an awful lot of overlap and symptomatology between the two entities," he added. "We think it's important to work on these as a team and address both issues at the same time to try to get a Marine back on his feet and heading in the right direction." Having psychiatrists and psychologists embedded in regiments and battalions gives troops who might not naturally turn to a mental health provider a range of ways to seek help, Benson said. "Most of the best OSCAR and OSCAR Extender Program outreach happens when it's not really a formal sort of thing," he added. "It's like when you're sitting at breakfast eating your toast and a Marine sits across from you and says, 'Hey, Doc, you got a moment?' And then you start chit-chatting. "Or you might be waiting in line or something and they know you because they see you out there in the field," he continued. "They understand that you can relate to what they're going through, and they feel more comfortable coming to chat with you." Ultimately, Benson added, the program should help to reduce the stigma attached to seeking mental health care. "When you're in combat, when you're deployed, you're going to have feelings," he said. "Things are going to come up. It's best if you talk about them and seek out help." Steussi said center providers have treated and returned to full duty about 320 concussion patients, collecting data on each case along the way. "We're in the process of reviewing the data so that in the future we can better treat Marines and sailors," he added, "and use the information to [develop] policies for treatment here, out at [forward operating bases] and in the field."

Related Articles:  Study Ties Problems to Post-traumatic Stress  Policy to Mandate Head Injury Evaluations

First Lady Michelle Obama Visits Fort Jackson

Posted on Fri, Jan 28, 2011 at 4:59 AM

By Susanne Kappler of Fort Jackson Public Affairs Office FORT JACKSON, S.C., Jan. 27, 2011 - First Lady Michelle Obama paid a visit here today to learn from Army leaders about how childhood obesity and physical inactivity affects military readiness and what the Army does to combat these effects. Army Pvt. Rudolph Buchanan, a recruit in Basic Combat Training with the 2nd Battalion, 39th Infantry Regiment, talks with First Lady Michelle Obama during her Jan. 27, 2011, visit to Fort Jackson, S.C. U.S. Army photo by Susanne Kappler  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The first lady's first stop was the Drill Sergeant School, where she was briefed by Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling, the deputy commanding general for U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command's initial military training, and the command's health and fitness programs. Obama founded the Let's Move campaign, which focuses on overcoming the challenge of childhood obesity. Before the briefing, Obama said she was excited to learn how the military deals with those challenges. "The military can model so many wonderful solutions," Obama said. "And I am excited about making the rest of the country aware of not just the challenges we face, but the work you do to get these young recruits and trainees back on track, because a lot of people around the country could use the same kind of support." Hertling said that 75 percent of America's youth are ineligible to join the military for a variety of reasons. Out of those ineligible, 17 percent are disqualified because of obesity. He outlined the problems obesity creates in recruiting new soldiers and the challenges physically unfit recruits face during basic training. "Our challenge is to fix it quickly," Hertling emphasized. Last August, the Army introduced new physical training guidance, which aims to improve physical conditioning while reducing the risk of injury. In addition, the Army has started the soldier fueling initiative, which emphasizes healthful nutrition habits for soldiers. Hertling told Obama the new program has been effective. "What we're seeing is, the choices of the soldiers are changing in basic training and they're feeling better, and we get a lower attrition rate," Hertling said. Obama observed the results of the nutrition initiative first hand, when she visited the 2nd Battalion, 39th Infantry Regiment's dining facility. As part of the program, dining facilities changed their menus with a focus on performance-focused menu items and healthful beverage options. In addition, a new labeling system at the dining facilities helps soldiers identify optimal food choices. Obama also met with drill sergeants and soldiers before speaking at the graduation of 1st Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment, on Hilton Field. "I'm especially thrilled [to be] with the extraordinary men and women who are graduating today," Obama told the audience. "On behalf of myself and my husband and a grateful nation, I want to start off today by saying congratulations on all that you've achieved, and, of course, 'Hooah!'" Obama also praised Army initiatives that ensure new soldiers are physically fit to serve. "You've learned something that is also near and dear to my heart -- and I know that some of the moms here would probably agree with me on this one -- through the new Fueling the Soldier initiative here at Fort Jackson, you learned how to make better choices about what you eat," she said. The first lady also praised the families of friends of the graduating soldiers for encouraging their loved ones to serve. "Thank you for holding these men and women tight for all those years, but most of all, thank you for letting them go, so that they can serve this country and protect and defend this great nation that we all love," Obama told the families. "In these soldiers -- your sons and daughters, your spouses, siblings and parents -- we see the very best America has to offer."

Biographies: First Lady Michelle Obama