Nishtar College surgeon, a darling of London Olympics

LONDON: A Pakistani spinal neurosurgeon has become a doctor of choice for athletes from all over the world who have developed back pain during tough exercises for the London Olympics 2012.

Dr Irfan Malik, a consultant for spine and epilepsy surge at the King’s College Hospital Foundation Trust London, has treated more than five athletes since the start of the Olympics and currently three athletes are undergoing treatment at the hospital under his supervision.

Most of the patients he has been treating are the ones with severe back pain problems, mainly those from the weightlifting category.

The Nishtar Medical College graduate has become a hit with the Olympians after successfully treating Khadzhimurat Akkayev, a Russian weightlifter of Balkar descent, who is an Olympic, world and European champion. Akkayev underwent treatment at various hospitals in Europe but his back pain problem only compounded. He arrived fit in London for the Olympics last month, but developed severe pain again. He was then referred by another athlete who was treated by the Pakistani surgeon a day ago to see the Pakistani doctor who has been practicing in the UK for eight years.

Dr Malik operated on the athlete’s slipped disc and it took him only three visits to cure the problems of the athlete. The heavyweight lifter is in fit shape now and looks forward to defending his title on 6th of August here.

Speaking to The News, Dr Irfan Malik said: “I am honoured that I have treated many athletes with back pain and they are now able to compete in their games. I believe it’s an honour for Pakistan’s excellent medical education system which has enabled so many like myself to make our mark through sheer professionalism. The athletes have been delighted to know that they were being treated by a Pakistani spinal neurosurgeon”.

Dr Malik explained why athletes get back pain issues. “Most common cause of back pain and leg pain is slipped disc. Between two vertebral bodies, there is a jelly like substance (disc). Disc has two main function, 1): Shock absorber and 2): help in weight transfer. Disc has thick outer fibrous coat and inner jelly like substance. Disc has capacity to support certain amount of body weight”. “Sportsmen sometime try to cross the natural boundaries and expose their spine to excessive forces. Due to heavy lifting it can cause extra pressure on disc which can produce small radial tear in the outer coat and jelly like substance can prolapse through this small tear .This jelly can be a cause of severe back pain and leg pain. If this problem gets worse, it needed urgent attention otherwise it can affect an athlete’s career.”

Dr Malik recently shot to fame after pioneering the ‘minimally-invasive procedure’ also known as the ‘key-hole endoscopic spine surgery’ in the UK. Nearly all British press wrote favourably about the Pakistani surgeon and how he had transformed the lives of so many people through his expertise. He is at the top position in National Health Service (NHS) consultant ratings for last three years. NHS rates its doctors and consultants on the basis of number of patients seen in a year and result of treatment.

News Details: The News

First medical college of FATA to be set up in Bajaur

Islamabad: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has approved a plan to set up first medical college in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).

Federal Minister for Sate and Frontier Regions (SAFROAN) Engineer Shaukatullah said that the first medical college of the tribal area would be set up in Bajaur Agency.

He said that a committee had been established for setting up the medical college in Bajaur Agency under the agency’s political agent. He said that the committee would submit feasibility report of the proposed college in the agency within one week.

The minister said that the government attached great importance to development of FATA and promotion of education to establishing lasting peace.

News Details: The News Ttribe

Pakistani surgeon wins Guinness award by removing world largest gallbladder

 Islamabad: Dr Naeem Taj, a laparoscopic surgeon of the Capital Hospital CDA, has earned fame and prestige for the nation by registering his name in the Guinness Book of World Record by successfully removing 25.5 cm long gallbladder through a 1 cm incision.

Dr. Naeem get the award after operating 70-year-old patient Rasheeda Bibi at CDA hospital and removed 25.5cm long gallbladder from her body without operation. This is the longest ever gallbladder removed laparoscopically in medical history.

The success of the Pakistani surgeon was celebrated at a ceremony organised by the Capital Hospital here on Monday, with Capital Development Authority (CDA) Chairman Farkhand Iqbal as the chief guest. The ceremony was attended by CDA officials, regional director of the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan and doctors and paramedical staff of the hospital.

Addressing the ceremony to give away the world record certificate to the surgeon, Dr Naeem Taj dedicated the award to the whole nation. He also told the audience if he was given opportunities, resources and encouragement than he could achieve good name for Pakistan in this field.

News Details: The News Tribe

New neurological test by a Pakistani

Faisal Kashif

Pakistani scholar has devised a non-invasive way to sense brain pressure which could significantly change the current paradigm of neurological care of those suffering from brain injury or disease.

Monitoring intracranial pressure (ICP) is the most important thing to assess brain injury, hemorrhage (internal blood flow), tumors and other neurological problems. But current methods to measure this pressure are highly invasive – requiring a neurosurgeon to drill a hole in the skull to place a pressure sensor or catheter inside the brain – and are thus restricted to the very severe cases.

Pakistani scientist, Faisal Kashif has devised a non-invasive technology for ICP monitoring in his PhD thesis at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, US. The method is based on processing available clinical signals using a mathematical model of relevant physiology. It provides real time estimates of ICP and cerebrovascular impedance, the latter is an indicator of brain’s ability to maintain its blood supply.

“ICP is a key neurological vital sign and is affected in several brain pathologies – even in concussions and migranes – and this non-invasive method could help in monitoring a vastly larger pool of patients,” said Kashif. He further added that unlike the invasive approaches which require a neurosurgical facility, the non-invasive method can also be applied in emergency-care settings where most trauma patients are first brought. Having access to ICP in a timely manner can guide doctors to provide life-saving interventions.

The initial validation studies show that the new method is equally precise as compared to other painful surgery based procedures. Now Kashif and his colleagues are setting up their prototype device for real time monitoring by the doctors, and to run relevant clinical trials. He is also hopeful that the device could be easily developed in Pakistan as well.


The Helen Carr Peake research prize

In April this year, Dr. Faisal Kashif won MIT’s Helen Carr Peake research prize for his doctoral thesis contributions to the field of bioengineering. He has also presented his findings at two major international conferences, American Heart Association’s Stroke 2010 in US, and ICP 2010 in Germany.

His research work was also declared as “Most Innovative Research” at the Innovation Congress 2009, Boston, US. In 2000, he was awarded two Gold Medals at Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Technology (GIKI) and won four years HEC’s overseas scholarships as he was accepted for the doctorate program at MIT, though he only partially used these funds as support became available from MIT’s research,teaching and a medical engineering fellowship, which he was awarded for his proposed research.

A Thesis dedicated to Pakistan
 
His doctoral thesis entitled “Modeling and estimation for non-invasive monitoring of intracranial pressure and cerebrovascular autoregulation” was a milestone in Kashif’s career. Four years ago, in his Masters thesis, he developed a method for efficient communication through a nonlinear channel, such as the one encountered in satellite and optical fiber links. He dedicated this thesis to his parents and to all the martyrs of independence, which shows his dedication to Pakistan.

“I am proud to be a Pakistani because I know the reasons for its creation. I am very happy to associate my honours to the ideology behind it. I want to do a lot more Insha-Allah, and contribute in all ways I can,” he told to Dawn.com.

News Details: Dawn News