Press Release

Rare & Innovative Procedure Helps The Woman Swallow

Food Effortlessly After Almost Four Decades
In a life-changing procedure, Gastroenterologists at Global Health City reversed the impact of
Achalasia Cardia in a 48-year old woman and returned her back to the normalcy of life
Chennai, 16th June 2015: What began as a little discomfort while swallowing food 38 years ago,
progressively worsened until 48-yearold Ponni of Kanchipuram could barely swallow any solid food.
No one in the family had any idea what was wrong with her and she was given medication for sore
throat; antibiotics, you name it! She started losing weight too as she could barely keep anything
down, even water without vomiting, and she would be in the starving state most of the time. For
her, eating 2 Idlies itself used to be a nightmare.
What was even more frustrating for Ponni was her inability to find a physician, who could diagnose
the problem. After numerous visits to physicians who didn't have any answers, Ponni was finally
referred to Global Health City.
Dr. R. Ravi HOD & Senior Consultant Medical Gastroenterologist and ERCP Specialist at Global
Health City said upon her arrival at Global Health City and after examining the medical history, she
was recommended for endoscopy, barium swallow and esophageal Manometry testing to assess the
function of the esophagus. The test showed that Ponni had Esophageal Achalasia, a relatively rare
disorder characterized by incomplete relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter during
swallowing and inability of the esophagus to contract. As a consequence, patients with this disorder
experience dysphagia, regurgitation, chest pressure and heartburn.
Commenting on the treatment options considered in Ponnis case, Dr. R. Ravi said Conventional
treatment options for Achalasia Cardia are still surgery, medication and dilatation of the junction
between the stomach and the esophagus. After evaluating her conditions, the team decided to
perform Peroral Endoscopic Myotomy (POEM) - a relatively new technique that has gained
recognition at a very rapid pace with very good outcomes. It is a virtually non-surgical as no external
cut is made on the body and the blood loss is close to nil. After the procedure, Ponnis recovery was
remarkable and she was able to talk and walk from the next day itself. More importantly, after a gap
of about 4 decades, Ponni could finally start eating and swallowing without any difficulty.
I was not able to swallow food properly since I was 10. Eating more than 2 Idlies itself used to be
nightmare. Now, I can eat up to 5 to 6 Idlies at a time effortlessly. I felt a great relief and ease in
eating food immediately after the surgery and in about just 3 days of time, felt fully recovered. My
family and I are grateful to Dr. Ravi and the hospital staff for all that they have done for us, said the
elated Mrs. Ponni.
Emphasizing on the capabilities at Global Health City, Mr. Bhaskar Reddy Vice President, Corporate
Relations said that it is a very proud moment for us to be featured among one of the very few
centres in India who has a capability in performing such a life-changing procedure. Since most
patients with Achalasia Cardia show no obvious detectable cause for the disorder, there are no
preventive measures for the disease.

The only way to help people with Achalasia Cardia is to diagnose the problem early and to treat
them appropriately. This can be done only by increasing awareness level among the general
physicians who happen to be the first-point-of-contact for swallowing disorder.
Global Institute of Gastrosciences
The Global Institute of Gastro Sciences at Global Health City is a one-of-its-kind facility in the region
providing complete medical and surgical care for various gastrointestinal disorders including
esophageal, pancreatic, gallbladder, hernia, liver, biliary tract, small & large intestine, stomach, and
morbid obesity problems. This state-of-the-art centre has further divided into two departments
Medical & Interventional Gastroenterology and Gastro-Intestinal & Minimally Invasive Surgery.
The experts team comprises of Medical Gastroenterologists, Hepatologists, Bariatric Physician,
Dietician & Nutrition Specialists, Psychologists, Interventional Endoscopy Specialists, Laparoscopic
Surgeons, Gastro-Intestinal Surgeons, Bariatric Surgeons and Transplant Surgeons. Multidisciplinary
in approach, the centre works closely with other specialties like Oncology, Paediatrics,
Endocrinology, Emergency Care, and Radiology to render the best treatment to patients.
The centre is known for its expertise in Advanced Endoscopy, Therapeutic ERCP, GI motility services,
GI stones (gall bladder and pancreatic) management, Bariatric Surgery and GI cancer surgery.
Global Health City
Global Health City, Chennai is a 500 bed multi super specialty quaternary care facility with a capacity
to expand to 1000 beds. It renders 360 degree advanced tertiary healthcare services with multisuper specialty and multi-organ transplant services. With the finest combination of expertise,
experience, state-of-the art technology and well coordinated team work, every step is aimed at
ensuring excellence in patient care.
For Media Queries: R. Rajarishi | Mobile: +91 95662 11333 | rajarishi.r@globalhospitalsindia.com