A gland that produces a liquid which mixes with sperm and is ejaculated as semen during sexual activity, is the prostate gland and is located under the bladder of a man. Cancer in the prostate is one of the most common cancers that occur among men.

The risk of developing prostate cancer increases progressively with age. Although there is no absolute prevention of prostate cancer, evidence and doctors suggest that a healthy diet can play a key role. Here are a few tips that can go a long way in prevention of prostate cancer:

Red Foods: Tomatoes, carrot, watermelon, and other red foods get their bright color from a powerful antioxidant called lycopene. Studies have proved that by having fruits that contain lycopene, you can reduce your risk of prostate cancer. Some findings suggest that cooking tomatoes make it easier for your body to absorb this antioxidant.
Fruits and Vegetables: Green vegetables contain compounds called carcinogens, which help your body in breaking down cancer-causing substances. Spreading of cancer can be slowed down through a nutrient-rich diet. Avoiding processed junk food and eating fruits and vegetables containing nutrients and vitamins may lower the risk of getting prostate cancer.
Feast on Fish: Fatty acid, also known as omega-3, is found in certain fish including sardines, tuna, mackerel, trout, and salmon. This may help in reducing the risk of developing prostate cancer.
Soy and Tea: Some studies suggest that men who drink green tea or take green tea extract supplements have a lower risk of developing prostate cancer. Many soy products and other foods contain a nutrient called isoflavones, which has been linked to a reduced risk of prostate cancer.
Coffee: Studies show that drinking three cups of coffee a day can reduce the chances of prostate cancer by 11 percent. There is a dose-response relationship between coffee and prostate cancer. The effects of prostate cancer go up or down with the amount of coffee you take. Someone who grabs an occasional cup only, may not have these effects. However, high doses of caffeine can result in major health issues.
Fat: Studies indicate that animal fats and an increased risk of prostate cancer are linked. It is advised to replace animal-based fats with any kind of plant-based fat. In addition to this, overcooking the meat produces carcinogens, therefore it is suggested to be strictly avoided.
Quit Smoking: Smokers are more likely to have an aggressive form of prostate cancer. The chances of a recurrence of the disease are more for people who smoke. It is never too late to quit smoking.
Exercise: Regular exercise and maintaining a healthy body can help you to increase your muscle mass and metabolism. Too much fat in the middle of your body is linked to an increased risk of prostate cancer. You can try walking, running, bicycling or swimming to reduce the weight to lead a healthy life.
It is important to look after yourself and start taking essential steps to prevent prostate cancer rather than trying to manage it once you get it.

8 Easy Ways By Which You Can Prevent Prostate Cancer!

A hernia occurs when a weakened area of muscle in the abdominal wall gives way and the internal organ/tissue bulges out through this weakened are or  defect'. This can happen in many different areas of the abdomen. A hernia that develops in the groin region is called "inguinal hernia". It may be very painful especially if a part of the intestine gets trapped in the bulge.

The only treatment option is surgical repair as the weakened area "defect" needs to be repaired and will likely need reinforcement by a prosthetic material called a "mesh". Doctors may resort to Open Surgery or Laparoscopic Inguinal Hernia Repair depending on his/her evaluation of the patient. 

Who is a candidate for Laparoscopic surgery?

Laparoscopic surgery is the preferred treatment option for most people with inguinal hernia. Special situations in which laparoscopic surgery is much superior to open are

  Failure of a previous open surgical repair. Laparoscopic surgery is performed from "behind" the hernia and abdominal wall in comparison to open surgery which is performed from "the front". So, in case of failure of the open surgery, laparoscopic surgery is done through a fresh, non-scarred area and is technically safer and easier than doing an open surgery once again.

  If there are hernias on both sides and both need to be repaired at the same time, laparoscopy has a great advantage as both the hernias can be tackled and repaired through the same three tiny cuts, and two separate large incisions need not be made. 

Who is Not a Candidate for Laparoscopic Surgery?

The person is not a candidate for Laparoscopic Surgery if he has:

  Some patients who have undergone previous Abdominal Surgery or prostate surgery may not be suitable candidates for laparoscopic inguinal hernia surgery.

  Some underlying medical conditions, that make him unfit for general anaesthesia, as usually laparoscopic surgery can only be done under general anaesthesia.

How Laparoscopic Inguinal Hernia Is Carried Out?

In a Laparoscopic Intervention, two to three small incisions are made in the lower abdominal area. The laparoscope is passed through one of these incisions and the surgical instruments are inserted through the other incisions. The abdominal cavity is inflated using Carbon Dioxide to help the surgeon visualize the lower abdominal area clearly. Using the laparoscope, the surgeon visualizes the Hernia and uses long instruments to operate on it. She covers the hernia with a mesh and may fix the mesh to abdominal muscles using either stitches or stapler-like instruments.

Benefits of Laparoscopic Surgery

1. Two or three tiny cuts (5-10 mm in size), hence there is less pain after laparoscopic surgery

2. Better cosmetic results

3. Quicker recovery

4. Early return to daily activities like walking, working, etc

5. Shorter hospital stay 

Role of Laparoscopic Surgeon In comparison to many other minimally invasive surgeries:

Laparoscopic Inguinal Hernia Repair is more demanding in terms of technical capability of the surgeon. In general, Laparoscopic Inguinal Hernia Repair is more difficult to carry out in obese people than others. However, if the doctor is well trained and technically advanced with long experience, he can carry out such minimally invasive surgeries smoothly irrespective of the BMI of the patient. Everybody is not a candidate for Laparoscopic Inguinal Hernia Repair.

It is the doctor who decides if a particular patient is suitable for such surgery or not. However, the conclusive factor in any such repair is the experience and expertise of the doctor. This is why there are not many Laparoscopic Surgeons who carry out Laparoscopic Inguinal Hernia Repairs. Owing to the complexity of this procedure, it is important to get it done from an expert surgeon only.

Laparoscopic Inguinal Hernia Repair !

The  Roux en Y Gastric Bypass  surgery was first performed by Professor Mason in 1966. Being done in the conventional way (i.e by open surgery) earlier and later laparoscopically, the Gastric Bypass has stood the test of time over the last 52 years.

Over 50 years the Gastric bypass surgery is being performed across the globe. It has given excellent results in terms of significant and long-standing weight loss in the morbidly obese, as well as remission of Type 2 diabetes in properly selected patients. Selection of the patient to undergo this procedure is paramount. 50 years of successful results are enough to term this procedure as the GOLD Standard.

Obesity and Diabetes have been a menace over the last 2 decades world over. In India obesity is growing in such a rampant way that we can equate it to an epidemic.

As we all know, India is considered to be the Diabetic Capital of the world. Type 2 diabetes contributes to the major chunk of diabetes affected population. We Indians get affected by diabetes at very early ages and hence complications are seen at very early ages among us. Strikingly important to notice is that Diabetes is seen not only in the obese category of people but also in the normal weight people.

Diabetes is feared of only because of the complications it is capable of causing affecting the vital organs like the brain, heart, eyes, kidneys.

Intermittent or elevated surges in the blood sugars levels during the course of the day are responsible for causing microangiopathies ( damage to the small vessels supplying blood to the vital organs).

We have seen that diabetes is accompanied by high blood pressure and dyslipidemia in most of the cases. So, when a person has diabetes, high blood pressure and dyslipidemia, we label them as having the metabolic syndrome.

Oral hypoglycemic agents (OHA) and insulin form the mainstay of treatment in getting sugars under control. But these are not able to avoid these surges in high sugar levels. This does not mean that OHA s and Insulin are not the right way to treat diabetes- they indeed are.

We are going a step higher, in an attempt to get control of diabetes without OHA and insulin. Not only this, we are trying to tackle not just diabetes, but the metabolic syndrome on the whole i.e one procedure that will take care of diabetes, dyslipidemia and hypertension. This procedure is popularly known and referred to as the  Gastric Bypass  or the  Roux en Y Gastric Bypass . Thus, In short, the gastric bypass surgery offers ICE BURG treatment.

Now, the first question is that  Is this possible . The answer is YES. The second question is that is this procedure applicable for all diabetics. The answer is NO. Only Type 2 diabetics are the beneficiaries of this procedure where insulin resistance has a major role to play. (This procedure does not benefit Type 1 diabetics) Reasons for this will be explained later. The third and important question is that,  Is the Gastric bypass going to give remission of diabetes in all type 2 diabetics?  The answer is NO.

There is strict selection criterion or eligibility criteria to select a patient for The Roux en Y Gastric Bypass surgery. Best results of the Gastric Bypass surgery are seen when it is confirmed that the person is suffering from Type 2 diabetes, duration of diabetes is less than 5 years, the pancreatic reserve is good and showing good levels of C -peptide in the blood, the person has a family history of diabetes, Insulin was not required to control sugar levels within the first 5 years of onset of diabetes and person should not be underweight( BMI > 27.5 preferred).

Losing weight is not easy and even if we lose weight, weight regain is very common. Most of us would have already experienced it. When we are tackling just the weight issue, we are talking into consideration only the morbidly obese people who have a BMI > 37.5. In the morbidly obese, at first, it is very difficult to lose significant weight by the normal method of diet and exercise. Even if weight loss does occur, weight regains or bouncing back is sure.

Here we bring in the trump card   The  Roux en Y Gastric Bypass  that helps the :

 Morbidly Obese  (BMI >37.5) to lose significant weight and reach their ideal weight.
 Obese  (BMI >32.5) who also have comorbidities (like diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, sleep apnea, obesity-induced infertility) not only to lose significant weight and reach their ideal weight but also to get control of the associated comorbidities.
 Type 2 Diabetics  (BMI > 27.5) to get Remission from type 2 Diabetes.
 Metabolic Syndrome  (BMI > 27.5) to get remission from type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia and Most cases hypertension.
Type 2 diabetics can be offered this procedure even if they are not morbidly obese, is what I would like to bring it to notice.

Exposure to Type 2 diabetes for long years can lead to potential complications like coronary heart disease, chronic kidney failure, brain stroke, gangrene of the lower limbs.

In some, in spite of talking OHA s, Insulin, sugars are not under control. In these cases, the gastric bypass can be offered to those who fulfil the eligibility criteria.

Remission of diabetes after the gastric bypass procedure is very quick, ranging from a week to a month in most of the cases. However, in some, The sugar levels come to normal the very next day after the surgery in some without the OHA and /or insulin.

Gastric bypass is done through laparoscopy i.e through tiny holes over the tummy, requiring 3 days hospital stay. Supplements need to be taken following the procedure on a daily basis. Following the procedure, intake is reduced to a great extent which increases over few months as the gastric pouch stretches.

Gastric Bypass - Be It Bariatric Or Metabolic Surgery, Get Amazing Results!

Medical science constantly challenges the boundaries by finding not only the cures to the most dangerous diseases, but finds a way to prevent them even before they occur. With years of research, practice and data available for analysis, scientists are using advanced technology in combination with years of research to create a predicting mechanism for often fatal diseases like cancer.

Breast cancer screening has always been done with mammography. The fact is that this method is only 75% accurate, laden with false positives and misses a whole set of women totally- and that too when cancer has already developed. Part of the problem comes from the dense breast tissue which one in three women have. This tissue masks the lumps, which makes it difficult for mammograms to accurately screen cancer.

Some breakthrough scientific methods are changing this by drawing on years of research to predict this deadly disease, years before it can manifest itself.

A genetic test to predict cancer 10-11 years ahead of time
This test was performed to see how environmental factors could influence cancer, along with habits like smoking, abusing alcohol or hormones, genetic changes that occur and are put a large percentage of the women at a high risk of developing this disease.

A simple blood test is used for the genetic analysis of hereditary cancer. Researchers found a biological marker, methylation of the ATM gene, which has a very high ability to predict the risk of developing cancer, several years before diagnosis. 'Methylation' concluded that when one biological indicator is exposed to carcinogenic substances, or other abusive substances like tobacco and alcohol, it may trigger the development of cancer. On the flip side, this test will take time to reach the commercial market and even then cannot give an exact timeline as to when someone may develop the disease.

A simple blood test to predict breast cancer 5 years before it develops
This is the kind of medical miracle the world is looking for. Last year in April, researches in Denmark identified a simple blood test that can predict breast cancer five years before it actually develops with an accuracy of a whopping 80%.

It works by "measuring all of the compounds in the blood to build a 'metabolic profile' of an individual, in order to detect changes in the way chemicals are processed, during a pre-cancerous stage," says Laura Donnelly, health editor at The Telegraph, which covered this development. Danish researchers observed 57,000 participants over 20 years, gathering blood samples along the way, specifically comparing a set of 800 women who remained healthy or developed breast cancer within 7 years of their first blood sample. The researchers found they were able to predict, with 80 percent accuracy, which patients would be affected by the disease, just by looking at the metabolic profiles they built from the participants' blood samples. The results have been published in Metabolomics.


Are you living with the uncertainty of a lump in your breast? It's time you take the first step and consult a specialist here.

Can Breast Cancer Be Predicted Before It Develops?

Gall Bladder is a pear-shaped organ on the right side of the abdomen below the liver. It holds bile and other digestive fluid coming from the liver. Cancer in the gall bladder is generally not detectable and get noticed in later advanced stages.
Gall Bladder cancer is very uncommon and if detected in the early stage, it may be curable for the patient. Since the signs and symptoms of gallbladder cancer are not specific and are general in nature.

Symptoms of Gall Bladder Cancer-
Symptoms of Gall Bladder cancer are general in nature:
  Abdominal pain
  Abdominal bloating
  Nausea
  Weight loss
  Fever
  Jaundice eyes

Causes of Gall Bladder Cancer-
The cause of Gall Bladder Cancer is still unknown. Generally, doctors see that the cells in the Gall Bladder multiply and form a tumor. These cells multiply without control and do not die. Most of the Gall Bladder Cancer starts with the production of numerous number undying glandular cells in the inner surface of gallbladder. The cancer cells only appear when observed under the microscope.

Diagnosis-
The diagnosis of gall bladder cancer is comprehensive and requires a series of blood test and organ imaging techniques. The doctors proceed with a blood test to evaluate liver functions. They also scan the abdomen and liver with CT scanning or MRI to understand the presence of a tumor or mass in the body. The imaging technique helps the doctors to determine the position of cancer
in the gallbladder and extent to which it has affected other parts of the body. Since gallbladder cancer is found in the later stages of development, there are chances that it has extended to other parts of the body by the time it has been discovered. Once the oncologists determine that the patient has gallbladder cancer, they learn its stage and whether it has affected other parts as well.
For this, doctors perform some special tests and procedures to understand the condition of cancer.

Treatment-
The gallbladder cancer surgery at an early stage is done to remove gallbladder and parts of the liver that are getting affecting due to cancer. The surgery to remove gallbladder from the body is called Cholecystectomy. It is the most common type of surgery performed for removing the cancer of the gallbladder.
If cancer has spread to other parts, it is required to remove those parts as well. Doctors may remove some parts of the liver and bile ducts so that cancer does not spread in the later years of life.
However, if the cancer is detected in the late stage, then the doctors proceed with other types of treatments which involve chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and various other kinds of clinical trials.

Gall Bladder Cancer - Symptoms, Causes And Treatment!

Gastric bypass, one of the weight loss surgeries bring about many changes and alterations (physiological, metabolic, hormonal) in your body. The gastric bypass surgery rearranges the stomach into an upper pouch (the smaller part) and a relatively larger lower part. It is the small pouch that is connected to the small intestine, where the absorption of nutrients and minerals from the ingested food takes place. The surgery plays a significant role in limiting the intake of food. Thus, post-surgery, a person's body reacts differently than it used to before the surgery. Many, if not all, people experience difficulties in coping up with the changes.

Patients are often advised to refrain from alcohol consumption after the gastric bypass surgery. Surprisingly, and quite alarming, cases of alcohol abuse increases post the surgery. According to a survey by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, few people, who had no prior history of alcohol abuse developed one after the weight loss surgery. What triggers the alcohol abuse in some patients is still a debatable issue.

Many patients experience an emotional breakdown, stress, anxiety, and depression after the surgery. People who needed no reason to binge on food are suddenly expected and made to consume a limited quantity of food. Unable to do what they loved doing the most, people look for an alternate solution. As expected, in most cases, alcohol becomes the much-needed solution. What started as a means of distraction gradually becomes an integral part of life. Hormonal changes associated with the surgery can also result in panic attacks, stress, and anxiety.

Incidences of alcohol abuse may also be high in patients who had a history of drinking (regular or occasional) and smoking before the gastric bypass. Under normal circumstances (before the weight loss surgery), there is a partial enzymatic breakdown of the consumed alcohol in the stomach before it passes into the small intestine. However, post-surgery, the small size of the stomach does not facilitate such enzymatic breakdowns. Thus, the alcohol passes into the intestine, where it gets rapidly absorbed. As a result, a person gets into an inebriated state at a faster rate.

It is because of this reason that doctors advise the patients to keep away from alcohol as much as possible after the surgery. To keep away from or reduce the instances of alcohol abuse after the gastric bypass surgery,

Look for healthier and low-calorie food options when you get an urge to eat.
Meditate, go for morning and evening walks. These physical activities act as great stress busters.
If you are feeling low or going through an emotionally low phase, share it with your loved ones. Do not suppress your emotions.
Consult your attending physician in case of any physical discomfort

Alcohol & Gastric Bypass - Can They Be Mixed?

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