| | MARCH 202219YOU KEPT YOUR STELLAR REPUTATION IN NEUROSCIENCES INTACT AFTER ESTABLISHING HANNAH JOSEPH HOSPITAL. COULD YOU WALK US THROUGH SOME OF THE MODERN, HIGH-TECH SURGERIES THAT YOU HAVE PERFORMED AT HANNAH JOSEPH HOSPITAL? In July 2008, soon after the inauguration of the hospital, we performed a complex multilevel cervical spine surgery, and a year after a Transfacial surgery to remove a skull base tumor was performed for the first time in South Tamil Nadu along with my Oral & Maxillofacial surgical colleagues. In the same year, we performed the first pediatric brain aneurysm clipping on a 12-year old school girl. Over the past more than a decade, we have been continuing our high-tech approach, performing a significant number of first-time surgeries and methods. Recently, in July 2021, we successfully performed the Neuroendovascular intervention for a brain aneurysm treatment using `Silk Vista' for the first time in South India (fifth time in our country) on a middle aged patient. This product was launched for the first time in Europe only six months earlier.In fact, we have always been at the forefront of introducing world class healthcare technologies, methodologies and tools ever since the hospital was established. From introducing the concept of minimally invasive neurosurgery in the field of brain and spine surgeries in this part of Tamil Nadu using advanced gadgets procured including anesthesia workstation (Drager, Germany) and completing 300 surgeries in a year on a success rate at par with our national institutes and the West, to recently integrating a state-of-art-the-art complex for Neurosciences, Cardiac sciences, Orthopedics and Traumatology apart from the division of Interventional Neuroradiology with the introduction of the Hybrid Neuro-Cardiac Cathlab from Philips and the Digital MRI (1.5 Tesla) also from Philips. This also includes removing a brain tumour completely from an adult using local anaesthesia and brain mapping with the patient fully conscious (Awake Craniotomy) during the entire two-and-a-half-hour procedure successfully for the first time in South Tamil Nadu, among dozens of other firsts in the region.HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE HANNAH JOSEPH HOSPITAL AS A HEALTHCARE INSTITUTION? WHAT ARE THE UNIQUE ASPECTS THAT PATIENTS ARE ENTITLED TO?Hannah Joseph Hospital is undoubtedly one of the finest hi-tech super specialty hospitals for Neurosciences and Trauma in South India. It incorporates all facilities for performing brain and spine surgeries, treating complex cases of Neurology, including a comprehensive protocol backed up by the well-equipped Neuro ICUs with 60 beds supported by ventilators, ICP monitors, as well as dialysis (CRRT) and ECMO back up. The hospital also has one of the most advanced Digital MRI systems from Philips, a Hybrid Neuro-Cardio Cathlab from Philips, a 32 slice CT scanner and Digital radiography from Siemens. There are five operation theatres with laminar airflow catering to Neurosurgery, Cardiothoracic surgery, Orthopedic and Trauma surgeries - fitted with Maquet lighting systems and operating tables with GE and Drager workstations for delivering Anaesthesia to the patients.The hospital also has IONM (Intra Operative Neuro Monitoring) devices for brain and spinal cord monitoring during surgeries on these vital structures, in addition to the most advanced Pentero 900 Microscope by Carl Zeiss, Germany which has fluorescence technology to identify and isolate brain tumours, as well as intra operative ICG colour video Angiography/Flow 800 system in-built for facilitating surgeries on aneurysms, AVMs and other vascular malformations of the brain. The hospital also incorporates a Neuro-navigation system from Brainlab, Germany for navigation guided surgeries for complex brain tumours and spine fracture stabilisations and fixations. Furthermore, we have a team of Neurosurgeons, Neuro-Anesthesiologists, Neurologists, Interventional Neuroradiologist & Neuro rehabilitation consultants to take care of the Neuro patients and the Cardiologists, Cardiothoracic surgeon & Cardiac anesthesiologists to handle the newly started Advanced Cardiac sciences institute.WHAT ARE THE MAJOR CHALLENGES YOU HAVE EXPERIENCED IN YOUR JOURNEY SO FAR? HOW DID YOU OVERCOME THEM AND WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM THEM?As Madurai is not my hometown, I started with very few friends and contacts. It was rather tough to establish as a Neurosurgeon when there is already a well-established Neurosciences department in Madurai Medical College since 1963, and there were several practising senior Neurosurgeons and Neurologists in the city. The only factor in my favour was my wife Dr. Kavitha Fenn is from Madurai, an alumnus of Madurai Medical College and my mother in law Dr. Sheela Fenn, a renowned Psychiatrist in the city. Their support and the tag of CMC Vellore helped me establish my
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