Monthly Archives: February 2013

Cardiac Surgery, Cardiology, Child health, Critical Care, Healthcare, Healthcare Professionals, Healthcare Services, Physicians, Society

“Heart Within a Heart” – Surgery Cures 12 Year Old With Rare Congenital Heart Disease

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A 12 year old Indian boy successfully underwent open heart surgery for an extremely rare variant of Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Connection (TAPVC) at Sri Muthukumaran Medical College and Research Institute, Mangadu, Chennai.

Prabhakaran, a ‘blue baby’ born with a heart birth defect seen in only 1 out of every 500,000 births, had 2 “hearts” inside his chest, one within the other. This complexcongenital heart disease is so rare that it merited selection out of 430+ submissions to be presented at the recently concluded international conference of the Indian Association of Cardiothoracic Surgery (IACTS) at Mumbai in February 2013.

In an intricate open heart operation that lasted 5 hours, the cardiothoracic surgical team including Dr.S.Sivasubramanian, Dr.S.Visvakumar and Dr.Meenakshisundaram successfully repaired the defect.

Unable to afford the high cost of treatment, Prabhakaran’s widowed mother searched desperately for assistance with her son’s surgery. His operation was sponsored by theDr.Mani Children Heart Foundation, a Chennai-based NGO which has funded 100 heart surgeries for under-privileged children with congenital heart disease since its inception in 2003.

In the defect, a rare intracardiac sub-type of TAPVC, all 4 veins returning oxygen-rich blood from the lungs drained into a common chamber (the “pulmonary confluence”) – forming a mini-heart behind the regular heart.

This mini-heart then pumped blood into the atrium through a hole in the heart called an Atrial Septal Defect (ASD), making him a cyanotic ‘blue baby’. Prabhakaran’s surgery was carried out on 16th October 2012. A week later he was discharged from hospital, his lips and fingernails now pink and healthy.

The department of cardiothoracic surgery and cardiology at Sri Muthukumaran Medical College and Research Institute, Mangadu, Chennai has successfully carried out more than 75 operations on patients with valve, coronary and congenital heart diseases in the short period since its inception.

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is rare, with an estimated incidence of 7 to 8 in 1,000 live births. Surgery is often risky and expensive, yet serious complications can arise if treatment is delayed.

For more information about congenital heart defects (CHD), visit the Dr.Mani Children Heart Foundation website at http://www.CHDinfo.com

Via EPR Network
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Fitness, Healthcare, Healthcare Services, Public Health, Society, Therapies

Stretch Physio Launches New Online Yoga Photo Competition

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The Chelmsford-based physiotherapy clinic has launched a brand new social media competition in conjunction with sister company The Hummingbird Centre.

The competition was inspired by a photo the team received via Twitter from Alison Fuller, who captured her foreign adventures on camera by striking a lotus pose while taking a break on the Bolivian Salt Flats in Uyuni. This beautifully striking picture captured the imagination of the owners of Stretch Physio and neighbour The Hummingbird Centre. The team is now asking for more travellers to get in touch with photos of themselves doing yoga or Pilates around the world.

The owner of each photo received will then be put into the draw to win an amazing prize with the company’s Directors. The prize includes a physiotherapy session with Ellie Searle, specialist physiotherapist and Director of Stretch and The Hummingbird Centre, a one-to-one Pilates session with Kellie Jones, Director of The Hummingbird Centre, experienced Pilates teacher and general Pilates and yoga guru, and an en vogue hot yoga class, which will be coming soon to the Centre.

Facebook fans have responded well to the launch of the competition and the team at Stretch and The Hummingbird Centre have received some stunning entries to date.

The two centres decided to launch a joint competition to better promote the wide range of classes and treatments offered at The Hummingbird Centre.

“Naturally, we wanted to use the contest to raise awareness of our business in the local area, but we also wanted to get our online audience more involved in what we do by incentivising them to share their imagery and experiences,” says Ellie Searle.

“Myself and my business partner Kellie both believe that a picture speaks a thousand words. We think that these beautiful photos encapsulate the soothing and calming effects that regular yoga or Pilates can have on an individual. We hope these images will inspire many of our followers to give yoga or Pilates a try at the Centre in order to fully understand why so many people consider these practices to be such an integral part of their overall health and wellbeing.”

Those interested in entering the contest are encouraged to visit The Hummingbird Centre’s Facebook page for entry details. The winner will be announced on 5th January 2014, but participants are encouraged to refer back to the company’s social media profiles for updates, special offers and future competitions.

Stretch Physiotherapy & Pilates is based at The Hummingbird Centre, a specialist Pilates and yoga centre in Chelmsford. Stretch Physiotherapy & Pilates offers a wide range of musculoskeletal physiotherapy expertise in their well equipped private clinic. In addition to offering physiotherapy, the team also offer massage treatments, acupuncture and one-to-one Pilates training. More information can be found at http://www.stretchphysio.co.ukand http://www.hummingbirdpilates.co.uk.

Via EPR Network
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