The Hindu in association with Metro Super Specialty Hospitals will observe the World Brain Tumour Day here on Wednesday. Metro Hospitals managing director N.V. Srinivasa Rao will deliver a speech at an awareness programme on brain tumours at the Indira Gandhi Municipal Stadium between 6 a.m and 7 a.m.
Dr Srinivasa Rao is a product of the prestigious national neuro-sciences institution, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, and has worked at the CMC Vellore and the Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences.
Radical changes
Dr Srinivasa Rao said there had been radical changes in the treatment of brain tumours with the help of advanced surgical microscopes. The rate of complication would be as low as one or two per cent.
The symptoms of brain tumours were headache, vomiting, convulsions, diminution in vision, weakness of limbs and sudden loss of consciousness.
A brain tumour may lead to these symptoms because the space it takes up in the skull puts pressure on the brain or because it was disturbing the functioning of the part of the brain it was growing in.
A CT Scan or an MRI Scan was needed to identify and confirm that there was a brain tumour. While 50 per cent of the brain tumours could be cured completely by surgery, the remaining 50 per cent would require radiation and chemotherapy along with surgery, Dr Srinivasa Rao said.
Surgeries of the brain could be done with great precision with the help of advanced neuro-microscopes which magnified images by 16 and half times. While the cause of several brain tumours was not known, it had been established beyond doubt that exposure to high doses of radiation do cause brain tumours, Dr. Srinivasa Rao said.
The super speciality hospital had a 15-bed ICU, world class laminar flow operation theatres, ventilator and dialysis facilities and was offering master health check up, Well Woman Health check up and diabetes health check up at 15 per cent discount for senior citizens from the World Brain Tumour Day to month end.
