Army Hospital Breakthrough: First Gamma Knife Therapy on Serving Officer

New Delhi [India], October 18 (ANI): Army Hospital (Research & Referral), New Delhi, successfully performed Gamma Knife Therapy to treat Ocular Choroidal Melanoma in a 38-year-old serving officer - the first-ever such procedure in the Armed Forces, said the Ministry of Defence on Saturday.

Conducted by a team of expert Vitreo-Retina Surgeons, neurosurgeons, and radiation oncologists, this breakthrough showcases the Armed Forces Medical Services' unwavering commitment to cutting-edge technology, innovation, and world-class healthcare for soldiers, the ministry added.

https://x.com/SpokespersonMoD/status/1979529447490605071

Gamma Knife uses very precise beams of gamma rays to treat a diseased area (lesion) or growth (tumour), most often used in the brain. The beams send an intense dose of radiation to a small area without the need for an incision. Over time, the targeted cells are destroyed, causing the lesion or tumour to shrink, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.

In July, the Army Hospital (Research and Referral) in Delhi successfully performed a rare and complex hearing implant surgery on a 1.8-year-old girl, the daughter of a serving soldier, who was diagnosed with Michel Aplasia, a condition where the inner ear is underdeveloped and the auditory nerve is non-functional.

In a statement, the Army had said, "Army hospital R& R successfully performed Auditory brainstem implant - a rare, life-changing procedure in a 1.8-year-old d/o of a serving soldier, a case of Michel Aplasia. This surgery restores hearing in patients with non-functional auditory nerves."

"A team effort by dedicated ENT surgeons, neurosurgeons, neuroanesthesiologists, and audiologists of Army Hospital (R & R), along with Padmashree Prof. Mohan Kameswaran and his team, achieved this rare feat. One of the few centres in the country to achieve this feat!" the statement added.

Earlier in April this year, the Army Hospital (R&R) announced the adoption of cutting-edge technologies as part of its expansion, including the use of a 3D microscope for eye surgeries, a first for any Armed Forces medical facility in India.

The Department of Ophthalmology is being credited with performing the minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) for glaucoma patients using a 3-D Microscope, for the first time in the country, a unique milestone for the Armed Forces.

This three-dimensional visualisation system is very useful for eye surgeries, including squint surgery, cataract surgery, corneal surgeries, glaucoma surgery, and retinal surgeries. This system utilises special polarised 3D polarisation glasses and a 55-inch 4K ultra-HD display.

- ANI