By OUR STAFF REPORTER
Rishikesh, 7 Feb: A 63-year-old man was referred to AIIMS Rishikesh after discovering blood in his sputum for the past 7 months. His CT scan of the chest, performed outside, showed a tumour at the junction of the right and left main bronchus. In view of the need for biopsy of this critically located growth that could be associated with a high risk of bleeding, the patient was referred to the Department of Pulmonary Medicine at AIIMS Rishikesh. Here, Dr Girish Sindhwani and Dr Mayank Mishra first found the exact location of the tumour by performing a flexible bronchoscopy. Subsequently, the tumour was removed with the help of snare electrocautery, cryotherapy and argon plasma coagulation under rigid bronchoscopic guidance. The procedure took nearly 30 minutes, soon after which the patient was relieved of his symptoms. Now, depending on the biopsy report, the patient can undergo further definitive treatment.
Institute Director Professor Ravi Kant said that all state of the art facilities are available in the Department of Pulmonary Medicine. Also, additional equipment would soon be made available to the Department so that respiratory patients of Uttarakhand need not go anywhere for management of their ailments.
Dr Girish Sindhwani, Head of the Department of Pulmonary Medicine, said that complicated cases are frequently being referred to the Department from other hospitals for diagnosis and treatment. Facilities like endo-bronchial ultrasound, rigid bronchoscopy, electrocautery, argon plasma coagulation, endo-bronchial stenting and cryotherapy are available here, with which such difficult cases can be managed.