Gastrointestinal diseases are very common these days because of the stressful and unbalanced life. There are different types of diseases related to Gastroenterology. These diseases are not life-threatening if detected at an early stage.

We at Credihealth aims to make the population of India aware of various health conditions and treatments. So, we are back with another CrediTalk. We interviewed Dr. Kunal Das who is the HOD and Consultant of the Gastroenterology Department at Manipal Hospitals, Dwarka. He devoted his precious time to answer some of our questions.

Questions About Gastroenterology Diseases In India

Here are some questions answered by Dr. Kunal Das, who is a renowned Gastroenterologist in Delhi. He is a respected medical professional with years of experience in his field. Let us have a look at the views of Dr. Kunal Das.

Ques 1: What are the success rates of treatments for gastrointestinal tumors endoscopically? What makes this approach unique?

Ans: Gastrointestinal tumors are an important reason for mortality in our population. There are many areas in the human body where a gastrointestinal tumor is very aggressive. These days, the gastrointestinal tumors can be treated endoscopically. It is important to treat gastro cancers. It is very important to diagnose the condition very early so that the disease can be treated endoscopically.

Endoscopy is an advanced method of treatment for gastrointestinal tumors, used for the last two decades. This is because, after endoscopy, the patient need not undergo big, major operations. As a result, the patient will be discharged very early from the hospital. This reduces the chances of morbidity.

These tumors can be detected very early with the help of endoscopy. The doctor can find these types of tumors easily. This is done by very advanced endoscopic imaging techniques (Endoscopy cost in Delhi).

We have various procedures to cure these types of tumors, such as endoscopic submucosal dissection, EFTL, and others. The biggest advantage of these procedures is that the patient can go back to their homes in the next 24 hours.

The 'Mool Mantra' to get rid of cancer is to get diagnosed and treated early.

In the last stage of the tumor, the treatment becomes more difficult. So, the success rates of treatments for gastrointestinal tumors depends entirely on the stage of the tumor.

Ques 2: According to a study, if one drinks multiple cups of coffee, their risk of gallstones is decreased. What are your views about this?

Ans: This study stated that consumption of more than six cups of coffee can reduce the gallstones by 20%. In other words, this is a very interesting study which states that the increased number of cups of coffee reduces the gallstones.

This study further does not find if there is any increase or decrease in pain due to gallstones. It doesn't matter whether the stone size or number of stones has decreased or not. What matters is that if you feel pain due to gallstones, you have to undergo surgery.

Along with the positive side, overconsumption of coffee may have some side-effects as well. We have seen many cases related to gastritis and other diseases that are linked to excess consumption of coffee.

It is advised to take coffee in limited quantities. Do not increase the consumption of coffee to only reduce the gallstones.

Ques 3: Most Indians suffer from some kind of gastric conditions. Yet they do not seek direct medical help but apply home remedies for relief. Do these home remedies affect or disturb your practice?

Ans: We are very positive about home remedies. Dadi Maa Ke Nuskhe has been coming for a very long time. These should not be trashed in the dustbin but we should accept them scientifically. Some of the remedies are useful and some are not. So before using any home remedies, it should be double-checked with the doctors.

For example, if somebody has diarrhea and as per the Dadi Maa Ke Nuskhe, he/she should take rice water or dal water. This will be helpful for the patient. What we are trying to say is that do not follow any home remedy blindly, just recheck with the doctor once.

Ques 4: The Department of Gastrointestinal Sciences at Manipal Dwarka had initiated endoscopic therapy for pancreatic diseases. How beneficial is this therapy?

Ans: A huge population is suffering from pancreatic diseases and it is very difficult to treat. In India, many people consume alcohol which causes chronic pancreatic diseases. This is one of the most difficult conditions to treat because the patient has a lot of pain and there is no permanent treatment.

So pancreatic treatment includes enzymes, endo-therapy, ESWL, and surgery. We have to use a suitable treatment method for the patient.

For the treatment of such conditions, we sit with our surgical team and the radiological team and prepare a proper treatment plan. Whenever a patient undergoes endo-therapy, we do ERCP which is known as Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. In this test, after sedating the patient by giving them general anesthesia, the doctor uses an endoscope with a camera attached to it. With the help of this tube, the doctor can see the contour of the Pancreatic duct on a fluoroscopy or X-ray machine.

Once it is confirmed whether it is a pancreatic structure or a stone, we form a treatment plan for the patient. Manipal Hospital Dwarka is equipped with the most recent technologies like pancreatic balloons, pancreatic dilaters, and others so that we can perform the endo-therapy effectively.

It is a very effective procedure because the patient gets relieved from the pain. Also, we have introduced a new technique to treat chronic pancreatic which is known as endoscopic ultrasound-guided. This is a very specialized and advance technique in which we use an advanced endoscope to diagnose the condition.

Ques 5: How has the department contributed to the recognition of inflammatory bowel diseases in India? What major steps were taken?

Ans: Inflammatory bowel diseases are a group of auto-immune diseases, including lymphocytes. Sometimes these cells are not able to fight the infection and start damaging the body. This causes inflammatory bowel diseases.

These days we get many patients suffering from this disorder. The major symptoms of the disease are blood in the anus, mucus, and loose motions for more than two weeks. Most of the patients think that this bleeding is because of piles and do not get the right treatment which leads to many other problems.

This disease can be cured with the help of simple procedures and medicines. The only thing is that the patient should be aware of and seek immediate medical help. Whenever a patient comes to Manipal Hospitals, Dwarka, we motivate them and try to educate them about the disease.

The major cause of this disease is either tension or infection. We try to share relevant information about the disease so that they can take care of themselves. Manipal hospital Dwarka is also running a campaign for the same.

Ques 6: New research says that skinny people are more prone to have fatty livers. What do you think is the reason behind it and what would be your advice to such people?Ans: Liver diseases in fat people are very common these days. In India, people suffer from many diseases like diabetes, thyroid, and others. These diseases are related to the excess amount of belly fat. One of the most common problems is related to fatty liver.

Once the fat in the liver starts damaging the liver it is known as NASH. In this condition, the fat starts damaging the liver in the same manner as alcohol does, which leads to many liver problems.

Most of these patients are obese and overweight. On the other hand, there are certain cases in which the patient is not obese but still has a fatty liver. This is known as lean NASH.

There are many reasons such as metabolic syndrome, IR, or genetic disorder. The patient needs to get proper medical care and take regular followup with the doctor. It is advised to go for a regular checkup for the early detection of this disease.

Ques 7: Do you think homeopathy is an effective treatment option for patients with liver diseases?

Ans: A lot of people in India believe in homeopathy. There must be some useful aspects of homeopathy. Many people believe that homeopathy medicines are effective in the treatment of liver disease which is not true.

People are living with this myth for many years. But nothing works better than the latest medicines and most recent technology.

Ques 8: Are there any limitations on the front of patient education that you face during your practice?

Ans: Patient education is a very important component because we want patients to understand the cause of disease so that they can take good care of themselves. On the other hand, this is the biggest challenge these days.

The major reason behind this is the lack of awareness. People are living with a lot of myths. For example, there is a group of people who may believe that vaccines are not effective. Sometimes the internet misguides the population by shooting fake news.

One should not believe anything blindly. Recheck everything with your doctor before reaching to any conclusion.

Related read: #CrediTalk: Top Digestive Myths Debunked By Dr. Kunal Das

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This write-up was contributed to Credihealth by Dr. Kunal Das.

About The Doctor

Dr. Kunal Das is a consultant and the Head of the Department of Gastroenterology at Manipal Hospitals, Dwarka. He has 16 years of vast experience in his field. He has been dignified with various awards for his research work. Before joining Manipal Hospitals, Dwarka, Dr. Kunal has provided his services to many hospitals like Max Super Speciality Hospital Vaishali. Max Super Speciality Hospital Patparganj, Yatharth Hospital, Noida & Gr.Noida etc.