Policies and intervention norms that are age-specific are needed to treat the elderly, said K. Narayanasamy, Vice-Chancellor of the Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University.
Dr. Narayanasamy, who commissioned the Germany-made equipment GERD X, at the launch of a new equipment by MedIndia Hospital, said: “The field of gastroenterology and hepatology had changed dramatically with reference to diagnosis, disease burden and profile. Conditions such as peptic ulcers and communicable diseases had declined while more specialists were treating Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C.” He recalled how initially there was no treatment for these diseases in government hospitals but now treatment was offered in even primary health centres.
Gastroenterologists are witnessing an increase in lifestyle diseases such as inflammatory bowel syndrome, ulceritis colitis and Chron’s disease, “may be due to globalisation and several environmental factors. But luckily, we have good drugs to treat them,” the V-C, a gastroenterologist by training, said.
“We think that obesity affects only the heart, but it could manifest in various silent ways,” he cautioned, adding lifestyle changes had resulted in diseases such as obesity, fatty liver caused by obesity, and metabolic syndrome changes.
Dr. Narayanasamy appreciated gastroenterologist and MedIndia founder T.S. Chandrasekar’s efforts towards medical education programmes across the State.
At the CME on treatment of gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD) on Sunday, an alternative and less invasive procedure compared to laparoscopic treatment was introduced. The new technique using GERD-X is a daycare procedure and can be repeated if necessary. It saves cost as compared to surgery, Dr. Chandrasekar explained.
