PUDUCHERRY: The JIPMER on Monday installed a new advanced Extracorporeal Shock-Wave Lithotripsy System (Dornier Delta III) in the Department of Urology.
Medical Superintendent Dr. Ashok Shankar Rao Badhe inaugurated the system on Monday in the presence of JIPMER Director Dr. Rakesh Aggarwal and others.
Dr Badhe said that the new machine will provide a non-operative and relatively painless treatment option for patients with urinary stones. It involves breaking the stones, using high-energy shockwaves, into tiny pieces which are then passed in the urine. This treatment does not involve any incision, anesthesia, or scar, and can be done as a day-care procedure, allowing the patient to be back at work the next day, according to an official release,
The Department of Urology at JIPMER, with its dedicated team of uro-technicians, has already provided lithotripsy treatment to more than 3,000 patients over the last 11 years. However, the previous machine had become outdated and could be used to treat only stones in the kidney but not in other parts of the urinary tract.
The new system has several advanced features, including integrated fluoroscopy and ultrasound imaging devices, a stone-focussing software, a system to monitor coupling and a unified remote control for guiding and controlling table movements. These allow a more precise focusing of the shockwaves on stones, located not only in the kidney but along the entire upper urinary tract, making the treatment more efficient and quicker. Dr Badhe said that system can also be used to treat gallstones and pancreatic stones.
JIPMER Director Dr Rakesh Aggarwal said that the new machine is capable of treating children and adults, including those with obesity. The machine has two focusing techniques, namely fluoroscopy and ultrasonography, integrated into it. This would help minimize the radiation exposure received by the patients, as also to reduce the time spent for treating each patient thus enabling more patients to be treated every day. This equipment is a boon for patients with kidney stones and is particularly useful in the ongoing Covid pandemic since it cuts down the hospital stay drastically. He pointed out that JIPMER, despite being a designated Covid-19 hospital, has continued to provide emergency and specialized non-Covid healthcare during the pandemic.
Dr Hamide, Deputy Director JIPMER said that the Dornier Delta III system has cost the Institute Rs 4.05 crores. It is one of the most advanced lithotripsy systems installed in the country and the first such system in southern India. The equipment has an integrated patient database management system for a better follow up of the treated patients. The treatment will be free for patients below the poverty line and would cost a nominal Rs 4,000 to others.