Best Doctors in India for Aplastic Anemia Treatment

Profile Highlights:

  • Dr. Rahul Bhargava is a leading Hematologist and Bone Marrow Transplant specialist who specializes in Haploidentical and unrelated match transplants and has performed over 400 Bone Marrow Transplants.
  • He became the first doctor in India to introduce Stem Cell Transplant for Multiple Sclerosis in 2016.
  • With his team of oncology specialists, Dr. Rahul Bhargava performed the first Haploidentical Stem Cell transplant on a Fanconi Anemia patient in India.

Profile Highlights:

  • Dr. Vikas Dua is one of the best Pediatric Hemato Oncologist and Bone Marrow Transplant surgeons in India with over 200 pediatric Bone Marrow Transplants to his credit.
  • His specialty lies in Pediatric haploidentical transplants and also finds interest in Bone Marrow Transplants for Leukemia and Thalassemia in pediatric patients.
  • Dr. Vikas Dua received his training in Pediatric BMT from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis and holds Fellowship in Pediatric BMT from the National University Hospital in Singapore.

Profile Highlights:

  • Dr. Dharma Choudhary is a renowned Hemato Oncologist who has more than a decade of experience in the field and is one of the best doctors in India for Hemato-Oncology.
  • Dr. Choudhary is an expert in bone marrow transplantation for leukemia in adults, stem cell transplant for leukemia, and lymphoma (blood cancer) in adults and his expertise also lies in the treatment of solid tumors and various benign blood disorders.
  • Dr. Choudhary holds the credit of performing some of the most complex bone marrow transplants in India and has had several successful results to his name.

Profile Highlights:

  • Dr. Gaurav Kharya is one of India’s top pediatric hematologists. He has over 17 years of expertise and is affiliated with Indraprastha Apollo Hospital.
  • Dr. Kharya specializes in pediatric hemato-oncology, immunology, and bone marrow transplantation. He has extensive expertise in transplanting in children with benign or malignant blood abnormalities, immunological disorders, and other conditions both nationally and internationally.
  • Dr. Kharya performed around 600 bone marrow transplants with his team. He undertook the first haploidentical bone marrow transplant for sickle cell disease in India. He also depleted TCR alpha beta CD 19 in invitro by haploidentical BMT in a 4-month-old baby with severe combined immunodeficiency.

Profile Highlights:

  • Dr. Satya Prakash Yadav is counted among the most experienced pediatric hemato-oncologists in India. His primary focus lies in Pediatric Leukemia, Bone Marrow, and Stem Cell transplantation.
  • His experience exceeds over 20 years during which he has performed more than 400 bone marrow and blood transplant procedures. Among these, he has also performed over 50 Haplo identical bone marrow transplants and 50 unrelated donor and cord transplants.
  • Dr. Yadav specializes in Blood Cancer treatment, Bone Marrow Transplant, Medical Oncology, and Stem Cell Transplant and has performed several such procedures with successful results.

Profile Highlights:

  • Dr. Ashok Kumar Vaid is a reputed Medical Oncologist in India with expertise in the treatment of blood, lungs, skin, breast, and gastrointestinal cancers.
  • He is famously known for performing among the first 25 bone marrow transplants in a private hospital in India.
  • Dr. Ashok Vaid’s primary area of focus lies in Leukemia, Lymphoma, Solid tumors, and the treatment of organ-specific benign and malignant tumors.
  • He prefers to treat his patients using non-surgical and pain-free techniques that include hormone therapy, biological therapy, targeted therapy, and chemotherapy.

Profile Highlights:

  • Dr. Hari Goyal is the head of the Oncology unit comprising some of the finest oncologists in the country. The team effort gives an edge & advantage to the patients’ management.
  • His contribution to oncology is immense & has developed drugs for the management of chemotherapy side effects. This development has helped millions of cancer patients since 2004.
  • Dr. Hari Goyal was a part of a large number of clinical trials of cancer research including one of the FDA audited trials.

Profile Highlights:

  • Dr. Rahul Naithani is a reputed clinical hematologist. After his return from Canada, Dr. Naithani started his Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplant program at Max healthcare and is known to have performed over 130 BMTs in the past. Currently, he is the Director of Bone Marrow Transplant in Paras Hospital.
  • His incredible skills and proficient work experience are currently helping him indulge in scientific research with multiple publications to his credit helping the national and international medical industry greatly.

Profile Highlights:

  • Dr. Santanu Sen is among the top-rated pediatric oncologists in India and is highly skilled in the treatment of brain, blood, bone cancer, and other types of blood disorders in children.
  • Dr. Sen has been associated with one of the renowned cancer hospitals in the world, the Royal Marsden Hospital in London.
  • He is currently associated as a Consultant with Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai where he also heads the Pediatric Stem Cell Transplant Program. This program holds the credit for performing Stem Cell Transplants on the youngest baby in the world (4 months for Neuroblastoma) as well as the youngest Thalassemia transplant in India (9-month-old baby).

Best Hospitals in India for Aplastic Anemia Treatment

Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, New Delhi

Hospital Highlights:

  • Indraprastha Apollo Hospital is a 700-bedded multispecialty hospital in the heart of the capital of India. It is a part of Apollo Hospital group, one of India’s most reputed healthcare chains. Indraprastha Apollo Hospital has been accredited by Joint Commission International, making it the first internationally accredited hospital in the country in 2005.
  • There are 52 specialties in the hospital with one of the best cardiology centers in the country. The hospital is also equipped with State of the art infrastructure facilities with the largest Sleep Lab in Asia and the largest number of ICU bed facilities in India.
  • The hospital also has one of the largest dialysis units in India along with a dedicated Bone Marrow Transplant unit.
  • The latest and highly advanced technologies that are installed in the hospital include Da Vinci Robotic Surgery System, PET-MR, PET-CT, Cobalt-based HDR Brachytherapy, Brain Lab Navigation System, Tilting MRI, Portable CT scanner, 3 Tesla MRI, 128 Slice CT scanner, DSA Lab, Endosonography, Hyperbaric Chamber and Fibro scan.

Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram

Hospital Highlights:

  • Fortis Memorial Research Institute is a multi-super-specialty, quaternary care hospital with 1000 beds. The hospital comprises reputed clinicians, and international faculty and is also equipped with cutting-edge technology. The hospital is a part of Fortis Healthcare Limited, a reputed chain of private hospitals in India.
  • It is a NABH-accredited hospital that is spread across 11 acres of land and has a capacity of 1000 beds. The hospital has 55 specialties and is one of the premier health care centers in the Asia Pacific region popularly known as “the Mecca of Healthcare”.
  • The hospital has 260 diagnostic centers and is also equipped with the latest and advanced techniques that include 3 Telsa which is the world’s first Digital MRI technology. The hospital also has world-class Radiation Therapy techniques which have been developed by leading technology experts from Elekta and Brain Lab.

Apollo Hospital, Chennai

Hospital Highlights:

  • Apollo Hospitals, Chennai, is one of the best hospitals for heart care in India. Over the years, Apollo has expanded all over India, as a healthcare chain.
  • India’s first ‘Only Pancreas’ transplant was performed in Apollo Hospital. The hospital is known for successfully performing Asia’s first en-bloc combined heart and liver transplant, and over the years, it has attained a remarkable achievement in the global healthcare space. Around 3-4 organ transplants are performed in the hospital per day.
  • Equipped with over 500 beds, this hospital in Chennai was established in 1983 and since then has been among the most preferred hospital for patients from all over the world.
  • The hospital holds accreditation of the NABH and JCI and is the first hospital in India to be ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certified. It is also the first South Indian Hospital to receive subsequent reaccreditation from the JCI USA 4 times.

Medanta-The Medicity, Gurgaon

Hospital Highlights:

  • One of India’s best and largest multi-specialty hospitals, Medanta was built with the aim to bring India to the highest standards of medical care. The hospital has been providing the best medical services to its patients, since its inception, with care, commitment, and compassion.
  • Equipped with 1250 beds, the hospital was founded by Dr. Naresh Trehan in the year 2009 with an aim to provide the best medical care at affordable costs. The hospital is spread across 43 acres and includes 45 operation theatres and 350 beds dedicated solely to ICU. The hospital includes over 800 doctors, and more than 22 specialty departments and has a dedicated floor for individual specialty in order to offer the best services under one roof.
  • The hospital is considered one of the premier institutes in India for Cardiac Care and includes staffs and members of high caliber. The hospital has 6 distinct centers of excellence.

Max Super Specialty Hospital, New Delhi

Hospital Highlights:

  • One of the well-regarded providers in India committed to the highest standards of clinical excellence and patient care, Max Super Specialty Hospital is a part of Max Healthcare, which is the second-largest healthcare chain in India. Regarded as one of the most well-regarded healthcare providers in the country, Max Super Specialty Hospital is committed to the highest standards of clinical excellence as well as patient care. The hospital is also equipped with the latest technology as well as cutting-edge research. The hospital is known to deliver and ensure the highest level of patient care.
  • The hospital has more than 500 beds and offers treatment for over 35 specialties. The hospital also holds the credit of having installed the first Brain Suite in Asia. This is a highly advanced Neurosurgical machine that allows MRI to be taken while surgery is ongoing.
  • Other advanced and latest technologies are also installed in the hospital such as the 1.5 Tesla MRI machine, 64 Slice CT Angiography, 4D ECHO, LINAC, and 3.5T MRI machine.

Artemis Hospital, Gurugram

Hospital Highlights:

  • One of the most well-known hospitals in the Delhi NCR, Artemis Hospital is the first hospital in Gurugram to get accredited by the Joint Commission International.
  • With more than 40 specialties, the hospital has been designed to be one of the most technically advanced hospitals in the country, with the best medical and surgical health care. The hospital has eleven special and dedicated centers, for Heart, Cancer, Neurosciences, etc.
  • The latest technologies in the hospital include Endovascular Hybrid Operating Suite and Flat panel Cath Labs for the cardiovascular department, 3 Tesla MRI, 16 slice PET CT, 64 Slice Cardiac CT Scan, HDR Brachytherapy, and highly advanced Image Guided Radiation Therapy techniques (LINAC) are installed in the hospital.
  • The hospital has won several awards as well, since its inception.

BLK Max Super Specialty Hospital, New Delhi

Hospital Highlights:

  • Equipped with 650 beds, BLK Superspecialty Hospital is the largest stand-alone private sector hospital in Delhi.
  • With over 1500 healthcare providers and 150 globally renowned super specialists, the hospital is one of Asia’s largest Bone Marrow Transplant Centres. The hospital is known for having some of the best cancer doctors in the country.
  • The hospital is NABH and NABL accredited and was inaugurated by the first Prime Minister of India. Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru.

Gleneagles Global Hospitals, Chennai

Hospital Highlights:

  • Established in 1999, Gleneagles Global Hospital, Chennai, is one of the top healthcare facilities in Southern India. It is part of the Gleneagles Hospital Chain, which is the fourth largest healthcare chain in the country. The hospital specializes in multi-organ transplants of kidneys, liver, lungs, heart, etc.
  • The hospital has an excellent infrastructure and state-of-the-art lab and equipment set-up. The hospital boasts cutting-edge technologies, a highly skilled team of doctors and surgeons, and trained support staff. Located in Perumbakam, Chennai, it is one of India’s premier health care destinations. The hospital has performed some of the most complex surgical and clinical procedures in India including multi-organ transplantations.
  • The hospital’s lung transplantation program is one of the best in the country. The hospital is known for having performed India’s first single lung transplant and first minimal invasive lung transplant. It is also the only Indian hospital to be associated with King’s College Hospital, London, United Kingdom for liver transplantations.

Fortis Hospital, Mulund, Mumbai

Hospital Highlights:

  • Fortis Hospital in Mulund is a 315-bed multi-speciality tertiary care hospital with five JCI accreditations that offers a wide variety of diagnostic and therapeutic services. The Fortis Hospital in Mulund delivers patient-centred treatment with cutting-edge technology, highly skilled and experienced surgeons, and paramedical staff.
  • This institution houses Maharashtra’s largest multi-organ transplant centre. It is also the first heart transplant centre in western India to conduct 100 or more consecutive heart transplants in under four years. It is the only hospital in the city to have multi-organ transplants and has handled the youngest patient for angioplasty. Fortis Hospital Mulund now boasts the first advanced surgical robot in central Mumbai.
  • Cardiology and heart surgery, urology, nephrology, neurosciences, orthopaedics, digestive care, emergency and critical care, and maternity care are among the services provided by the hospital.

Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Mumbai

Hospital Highlights:

  • Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Named after the wife of Indian industrialist Dhirubhai Ambani, the founder of Reliance Industries, this is one of the top hospitals in Mumbai. This 750-bed multi-specialty hospital became operational in 2009. Known as one of India’s most advanced tertiary care facilities, the hospital is designed to raise India’s global standing as a healthcare hub, with an emphasis on excellence in clinical services.
  • Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital uses Protocol and Care Pathway based treatment models to ensure the best outcomes for patients.
  • The hospital represents a confluence of top-notch talent, cutting-edge technology, state-of-the-art infrastructure, and, most importantly commitment.
  • The hospital also holds the accreditation of the NABH, NABL, CAP, and JCI.
  • The hospital has been recognized as the No. 1 Multispecialty Hospital in Mumbai and the West Zone for the fifth year in a row in 2020 by The Week.

APLASTIC ANEMIA

Aplastic anemia is a rare but treatable disorder, in which your bone marrow, i.e. the spongy stuff inside your bones, stops producing new blood cells. Although in some cases, it ceases making just one of the types, more often, you can end up becoming low on all three types, i.e., red, white, and platelets.

This condition can come slowly or develop all of a sudden. This condition can also get life-threatening if your blood count gets low enough.

Although this condition can occur among anyone, it is more likely to happen to people in their late teens and early 20s, as well as the elderly. This condition can occur equally among males and females. It is also more common in developing countries.

Aplastic anemia is generally of two types-

  1. Acquired Aplastic anemia, and
  2. inherited aplastic anemia.

Symptoms

Aplastic anemia doesn’t generally show any symptoms. However, sometimes, when present, some of the signs and symptoms may include:

  • Fatigue
  • Shortness of breath
  • Unexplained or easy bruising
  • Skin rash
  • Rapid or irregular heart rate
  • Pale skin
  • Frequent or prolonged infections
  • Dizziness
  • Nosebleeds and bleeding gums
  • Prolonged bleeding from cuts
  • Headache
  • Fever

 

Aplastic anemia may be short-lived, or in some cases, it may become chronic as well. It might even be severe or fatal.

Causes & risk factors

Stem cells in your bone marrow produce blood cells, i.e., red cells, white cells, and platelets. In aplastic anemia, the stem cells are damaged, due to which the bone marrow is either empty, i.e., aplastic, or may contain few blood cells.

The most common cause of this condition is your immune system attacking the stem cells of the bone marrow. There are a few other factors as well, which can lead your immune system to attack the stem cells in your bone marrow.

  • Exposure to toxic chemicals- Toxic chemicals, including some of the ones used in pesticides and insecticides, and benzene, an ingredient in gasoline, have been linked to this condition. Your condition might improve if you avoid repeated exposure to these certain chemicals.
  • Radiation and chemotherapy treatments- While these cancer-fighting therapies are able to eliminate cancer cells, they might also damage healthy cells, which can include stem cells in the bone marrow. Aplastic anemia, in some cases, can result in a temporary side effect of these treatments.
  • Autoimmune disorders- An autoimmune disorder, in which your immune system attacks the healthy cells, might also involve your stem cells in the bone marrow.
  • A viral infection- Viral infections that affect bone marrow might also lead to the development of aplastic anemia. Viruses that have been linked to this condition include hepatitis, cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr, parvovirus B19 as well as HIV.
  • Use of certain drugs- Some medicines, such as those used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and some antibiotics, may also aplastic anemia.
  • Pregnancy- Your immune system can attack the bone marrow during pregnancy.
  • Unknown factors- In several cases, doctors are unable to identify what causes the aplastic anemia (idiopathic aplastic anemia).

 

Aplastic anemia is a rare condition, and some of the factors that increase its risk include:

  • Treatment with high-dose chemotherapy or radiation
  • Exposure to toxic chemicals
  • Certain blood diseases, autoimmune disorders, and serious infections
  • Pregnancy, rarely
  • The use of some prescription drugs

Diagnosis

Generally, aplastic anemia is diagnosed with the help of the following:

Blood Tests

Normally, red blood cells, white blood cells as well as platelet levels, all stay within certain ranges. In aplastic anemia, all three of these blood cell levels are low.

Bone Marrow Biopsy

In this method, a doctor uses a needle in order to remove a tiny sample of bone marrow from a large bone in the body, such as the hipbone. This sample is next examined with the help of a microscope, to rule out any other diseases. In aplastic anemia, the bone marrow contains fewer blood cells than normal. For confirming a diagnosis of aplastic anemia, a bone marrow biopsy is required.

Once you receive a diagnosis of aplastic anemia, you might also need a few other tests so that your doctor is able to determine the cause.

Treatment options

The treatments that might be used for aplastic anemia depend on the severity of your condition, as well as your age.

Stem cell transplant

A stem cell transplant for rebuilding the bone marrow with stem cells from a donor may be the only successful treatment option for people having a severe form of aplastic anemia. A stem cell transplant which is also referred to as a bone marrow transplant is generally the most common treatment for people who are younger and also have a matching donor. Most often, the donor is a sibling.

If a donor is found, the diseased bone marrow is first depleted with the help of chemotherapy or radiation. Next, healthy stem cells from the donor are then filtered from the blood. Next, the healthy stem cells are injected into the bloodstream intravenously, where they migrate to the bone marrow cavities and then begin creating new blood cells.

This procedure generally requires a lengthy stay at the hospital. After the transplant, you are going to receive drugs for preventing the rejection of the donated stem cells.

A stem cell transplant also carries certain risks. Your body might reject the transplant, which can lead to life-threatening complications. In addition, everyone may not be a candidate for transplantation or may not find a suitable donor.

Blood transfusions

Although this method is not a cure for aplastic anemia, blood transfusions can help to control bleeding and relieve symptoms. It can provide the blood cells that your bone marrow isn’t producing. You might receive red blood cells and platelets.

There is generally no limit to the number of blood transfusions you can have, but in some cases, multiple transfusions may lead to complications. Transfused red blood cells also contain iron, which might eventually accumulate in your body and can cause damage to any vital organs if an iron overload is not treated. Medications may also help rid your body of excessive iron.

Eventually, your body might develop antibodies to transfused blood cells, thus, making them less effective at relieving the symptoms. With the use of immunosuppressant medication, this complication gets a little less likely.

Immunosuppressants

For people who are unable to undergo a bone marrow transplant or people, for whom the autoimmune disorder is the cause of their condition, treatment may involve drugs for altering or suppressing the immune system, which is termed as immunosuppressants.

Although they are quite effective, these drugs can cause your immune system to weaken even further. It’s also possible that the anemia might return after you stop taking these drugs.

Antibiotics, antivirals

Having aplastic anemia causes your immune system to weaken, which can leave you more prone to infections.

If you are having aplastic anemia, then you need to see your doctor at the first sign of infection, such as fever. The infection should not be allowed to worsen, since it might prove life-threatening. If you are having severe aplastic anemia, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics or antiviral medications so that you can prevent any infections.

Bone marrow stimulants

Certain drugs are able to help stimulate the bone marrow for producing new blood cells.

Other treatments

Aplastic anemia which is caused by radiation and chemotherapy treatments for cancer can improve after the treatments stop. The same is also applicable to most of the other drugs that induce aplastic anemia.

Pregnant women who are suffering from aplastic anemia are treated with blood transfusions. For many women, after their pregnancy ends, their condition improves. However, if this isn’t the case, then treatment becomes necessary.

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