Date:26/02/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/02/26/stories/2008022654810600.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Surgeons urged to take precaution to prevent rupture of aneurysm

Special Correspondent

— Photo: M. Vedhan

V. R. Venkataachalam, Chancellor, Sri Ramachandra University, handing over a commemoration plaque to Hirotoshi Sano, chairman, department of neurosurgery, Fujita Health University, Japan, at the Indo-Japanese neurosurgery conference that began here on Monday. To the extreme right is Tetsuo Kanno, vice-president, World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies, and to the right is C. U. Velmurugendran, neurology chief.

CHENNAI: A group of neurosurgeons, including young practitioners, was on Monday taken through several safe methods of implanting alloyed clips in the surgical treatment of an aneurysm, or the balloon-like bulge of a blood vessel.

Delivering the N.P.V. Ramasamy Udayar Oration in neurosciences, instituted by the Sri Ramachandra University to commemorate its founder, Hirotoshi Sano, chairman, department of neurosurgery, Fujita Health University, Japan, explained the merits and drawbacks of the various clips that are being used in aneurysm surgery.

The oration was part of the two-day Indo-Japanese neurosurgery conference that began on Monday.

The bottom line, he told neurosurgeons, was to make the incision approach from a low angle. Several surgeons who used hands at a raised level were bad examples in aneurysm clipping, said Dr. Sano, who holds a Guinness record for performing the most number of surgeries for cerebral aneurysms.

He urged surgeons to take sufficient precaution to prevent rupturing of the aneurysm or collateral damage to adjoining arterial branches.

Earlier, SRU Chancellor V. R. Venkataachalam presented a commemoration plaque to Dr. Sano. He also honoured C. U. Velmurugendran, head of neurology, SRU, who has been given the Padmashri Award for 2008.

In his felicitation, Tetsuo Kanno, neurosurgeon and vice-president, World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies, recalled an occasion in which he was air-dashed to Chennai at the initiative of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to treat former Chief Minister M. G. Ramachandran. One of the first things “MGR” did soon after recovering was to recommend that he undertake a visit to SRU, Dr. Kanno said.

Basant Mishra, president, Neurological Society of India; S. Rangaswami, Vice- Chancellor, SRU; K. Selvakumar, organising chairman of the meet; D. Rout, director, neurosciences; and K. Ganesh, professor, spoke. The conference will table cutting-edge techniques. A virtual reality temporal bone dissection through tele-videoconferencing from Melbourne University is another highlight.