Coimbatore doctor wins community service award

The American College of Gastroenterology’s prestigious ‘ACG community service award’ for the year 2021 has been bestowed to Dr VG Mohan Prasad. The award was approved by the awards committee along with input from the board of governors.Governor of the college Dr Prasad Iyer will hand over the award in person to the doctor appreciating his service to the community.Dr Prasad had always strived to spread awareness about alcoholic liver disease and screened thousands of people for Hepatitis B and C, conducted free camps and has been running a free clinic for the needy apart from winning a Guinness book of records.
Speaking about obesity, a statement from the hospital said that until now stomach size reduction surgery was the only option for morbid obesity but now one could endoscopically suture the inner space of the stomach to reduce the volume without much risk or pain.

Obesity 

Apart from diet and exercise, endoscopic balloon therapy also helps in weight reduction, the statement said, adding endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty was done at VGM hospital about four months ago on an 18-year-old girl to make her shed 15 kilograms.
“The hospital is inaugurating the centre of excellence which will do a holistic approach to obesity and the metabolic syndrome. Obesity balloon could be swallowed like a pill and an allurion obesity balloon could be swallowed like swallowing a capsule or tablet and it would expand spontaneously in the stomach. In four to six months, a patient would lose 10 to 12 kilograms. Now there is no need for endoscopy to introduce the balloon,” said the statement.

chronic heartburn

Therapeutic endoscopy to tackle GERD are in prime time now reflux disorders produce chronic heartburn affects the quality of life and can also lead to ulcers, strictures or even cancer if going on for a long time. Transoral incisionless fundoplication (TIF) has been a tremendous success for GERD and obviates the need for surgery. It is done through the mouth by endoscopic route, according to the statement.

Similar procedure of GERDEX done at the hospital about five years ago has helped cure the patient completely. ARMS and ARMA are additional procedures to tighten the valve between the stomach and food pipe to prevent reflux induced damage. These procedures are regularly being done at the hospital by Dr Madhura Prasad Suman, Dr Vamsi Murthy and the gastro team, the statement added.
All these procedures will be demonstrated by international and national faculty by live streaming on Sunday.