MEDICAL TOURISM COVID AND AFTER
A pulmonologist and a surgeon advise how to
BREATH EASY
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ung infection and it aggravating to pneumonia have been major issues during the Covid-19 times leading to many persons losing their lives. Both surgical and non-surgical managements were employed to save many lives too when the pandemic raged. While Dr Praveen Valsalan, Pulmonologist at Aster Medcity, Kochi, has been at the forefront of the fight, Dr Nasser Yusuf, Cardiothoracic Surgeon with Chest Hospital, Calicut and Sunrise Hospital, Kochi, went one step further exploring newer surgical possibilities in providing relief to the patients. Insightful views emerging from them are important in Covid-19 management and leading a healthy post-Covid life too.
Dr Praveen Valsalan highlights pulmonary rehabilitation Dr Praveen Valsalan says that pneumonia can be caused by various organisms including viruses. “So Covid by itself can cause pneumonia which can sometimes be severe and can cause difficulties with breathing needing ICU and ventilatory requirements. The chance of Covid patients developing secondary infections and subsequent pneumonia due to other bacteria and viruses is also very high, as this disease by itself and some drugs will reduce the immunity. Secondary pneumonia which usually happens a few days after developing Covid, can also be severe enough to cause significant morbidity needing ICU admission and ventilation,” says Dr Praveen. Dr Praveen says that pneumonia that the Covid disease causes will heal by scarring. “This healing process causes fibrosis. The percentage of patients who have progressive fibrosis is less than 5%. Many patients can have residual fibrosis which will over time heals. We need to prevent secondary infections from happening to prevent the progression. Similarly graded supervised exercise called pulmonary rehabilitation helps these patients to overcome their difficulties in the long run. It will also help to reduce long-term complications,” Dr Praveen said. The secondary problems that happen to the lungs may require cardiothoracic management. “That includes problems like pneumothorax, presence of air leaks in lungs due to Covid and secondary infection sequels, etc. These patients will definitely benefit from pulmonary rehabilitation. Aster Medcity has a very good post-Covid pulmonary rehab program where a lot of Covid patients post-disease returned to normalcy. It helps in improving their physical and psychological well-being and helps to get back to normal life much faster.” The pulmonologist opined that Black Fungus, technically called mucormycosis, caused a threat only in a very small subset of the population during Covid-19 phase. “This fungus usually hap-
24 Medical Tourism Apr - Jun 2022
