COLORECTAL CANCER SERVICE PROVIDER OF THE YEAR IN ASIA PACIFIC
SAMITIVEJ SUKHUMVIT HOSPITAL
The Liver and Digestive Institute at Samitivej Hospital in Thailand has shown a continued commitment to raising the level of treatment we provide . One way we have done this is by entering into a new partnership with Sano Hospital , a leading hospital from Japan noted for its high level of expertise in the field of digestive endoscopic procedures , as well as in the analysis of the digestive mucosal wall , especially through image enhanced endoscopy . Professor Yasushi Sano , Director of Sano Hospital and Director of the Liver and Digestive Institute , has a proven track record in his native Japan and is an innovator in terms of epithelium classification methods used to diagnose colonic polyps , making him highly regarded among Western physicians .
Most recently , Samitivej Hospital adopted two techniques from Japan which raise the standard of our services . The first technique , Narrow Band Imaging ( NBI ), is used to assist in the diagnosis of colorectal polyp irregularities that have the potential to develop into colon cancer . Not only can this technique detect polyps that are not yet protruding from the mucosal wall , but it also works up to two times faster than traditional detection techniques .
The second technique we adopted from Sano Hospital is endoscopic submucosal dissection ( ESD ), a form of minimally invasive , one-time surgery aimed at removing large polyps . The surgery , which does not involve open-
Dr Ravi Shrestha & Dr . Nisarat Jaidee
ing up the patient ’ s abdomen , can be used to treat colon polyps and early stage stomach cancer . Crucially , the Liver and Digestive Institute is one of just a few private hospitals capable of carrying out liver transplants for patients suffering from serious liver conditions . Success rates for our liver transplantation procedures are as high as 90 percent , and most patients are able to make a full recovery .
Tested since 2020 and introduced in 2022 , Artificial intelligence ( AI ) is now being used to assist in colonoscopy procedures as a way of developing higher quality detection through increased accuracy when identifying polyps , which are the most common cause of colon cancer . Some polyps are so tiny or hidden away that they are difficult to spot with a traditional colonoscopy . However , doctors using AI technology are now more likely to detect such polyps . Additionally , AI can also help to reduce colonoscopy procedure times , giving doctors the feeling of having an extra pair of hands and eyes when trying to spot polyps located in the patient ’ s colon . This allows for the polyps to be removed immediately during the colonoscopy , avoiding unnecessary hospital stays and surgeries for patients .
The results from this medical affiliation between Sano and Samitivej hospitals are a clear improvement in health outcomes for the benefits of our patients :
• 97 percent satisfaction rate among colonoscopy recipients .
• AI-assisted colonoscopy prevented 5,634 cases of colon cancer .
• 1.5 times more accurate diagnosis .
• 53 percent increase in cancer cases prevented .
• Cure rate increased 90 percent .
• 20-fold reduction in cancer treatment costs due to early detection .
GlobalHealthAsiaPacific . com SEPTEMBER 2022
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