HEALTH
A Surgically Assisted Life
By Farhan Shah
The medical Water Colonoscopy
technological First presented to the international
community during a
advancements we’ve endoscopic about four years ago, water
conference
made in the past few colonoscopy is simply a colonoscopy
years are nothing short using water instead of air to inflate the
of amazing. Now, we are small intestine.
able to live longer and
During a traditional colonoscopy, the
fuller lives unaffected by doctor inflates the collapsed colon with
the troubles of ageing. air so that he or she can easily insert
We explore three new an endoscope – a flexible imaging
surgical procedures device – and inspect for any physical
irregularities that indicate a developing
that you might want to medical condition such as colon cancer
consider when the time or inflammatory bowel disease.
calls for it.
The problem with traditional
colonoscopies is that the patient
usually has to be sedated during the
process and that he or she might
feel discomfort and bloating after the
colonoscopy is done. In fact, 20 to 40
percent of patients in Singapore report
minor abdominal discomfort.
Water colonoscopy was apparently
first used in a hospital that had
inadequate funding for sedation
and therefore, had to think up of a
technique to improve the comfort
of un-sedated patients during the
procedure. Necessity is the mother
of invention and a smart endoscopist
came up with the idea of using water
to make things easier. It worked.
In Singapore, Dr Jarrod Lee of
Gastroenterology & Live Clinic is one
of the few doctors to practise wat er
colonoscopy. He reveals that it’s his
default technique mainly because it’s
more comfortable for both sedated and
awake patients and is more effective
at picking up growths due to “the
additional cleansing effect”.
Water colonoscopy is still a relatively
new surgical procedure in Singapore
and is not taught in medical training
programmes but Dr Lee is working hard
to rectify that, teaching the technique to
young trainees in endoscopy.
Ultherapy
Previously, plastic surgery was laced
with stigma and negative social
connotations but over the years, it
has slowly become an acceptable
component of the fabric of society.
The problem with plastic surgery was
the long downtime and the potential
health risks associated with a botched
procedure.
Ultherapy, a new lifting procedure
that doesn’t involve any cutting or
incisions, aims to revolutionise the
medical aesthetics business. It’s an
FDA-cleared, non-invasive treatment
to lift the skin above the eyebrow,
on the neck and under the chin a la
face lifts without the mess. It does
this by using focused ultrasound to
stimulate the growth of new collagen
deep within the skin and is the only
procedure that can actually see within
the layers of skin tissue to ensure that
the energy reaches precisely at the
area where it will be most effective.
People who go through ultherapy are
able to pop in during lunch time, get
ultrasound waves to their face and
head back to the office – that’s how
quick and effective it is. There is no
after-care requirement and patients
can see the results within three
months, if not shorter. The results,
unfortunately, are not permanent and
usually last from six months to a year.
The procedure is also relatively
painless and costs between S$1,600
to S$5,000 depending on the
treatment area.
MAKOPlasty
r ago, MAKOPlasty is an alternative
Introduced to Singapore about a yea
that is more precise and accurate.
treatment to total knee transplants
These factors mean that the surgical
roved
outcomes of most patients are imp
lifestyle
and they can return to a normal
ergoes
much faster than someone who und
ts.
conventional total joint replacemen
trolled
The treatment uses a surgeon-con
exact
robotic arm that can calculate the
down to the
incision that it needs to make right
d to the arm
millimetre. Then, the burr attache
n of the machine
does the work. “The precisio
have done
is better than a surgeon who might
says Dr Siow Hua Ming, Medical
the operation thousands of times,”
s.
Director for Providence Orthopaedic
procedures that affect the whole
Also, unlike other knee restoration
targets the parts of the knee
knee, the MAKOPlasty procedure only
uring that healthy bone stock is
that is affected by osteoarthritis, ens
there is less blood loss and pain
preserved. “The procedure is quick,
’ll recover and be able to get back
during and after the surgery, and you
e transplant. You’ll also be able to
on your feet faster than a total kne
ion,” says Dr Siow.
maintain your leg’s full range of mot
cedure is only available at Mount
At the moment, the MAKOPlasty pro
d news is that all health insurers
Elizabeth Novena Hospital. The goo
cover the treatment.
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Family & Life • Aug 2014