The procedure helps haemophilia patients with chronic synovitis and is as effective as surgical synovectomy
Amrita Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, in collaboration with the Department of Clinical Hematology, Amrita Hospitals has launched the breakthrough ‘Radio-Synovectomy’ (RS) procedure to treat haemophilia patients suffering from chronic synovitis. Yttrium-90, a necessary element required for the treatment is being procured from France, especially for this procedure. The hospital is the only one to have introduced it for the first-ever time in Kerala and this is the second such centre in the whole of India. The only other hospital to be conducting this procedure in the country is CMC Vellore in Tamil Nadu.
RS, a simple, effective and safe procedure helps control haemophilic synovitis, a condition wherein there is recurrent joint bleeding contributing to end-stage degeneration. Haemophilia is a bleeding disorder caused due to deficiency of clotting factor 8 or 9. The patient bleeds into their joints and is incapacitated by the pain and swelling. Ideally, this treatment is for patients who bleed even with factor replacement (a type of treatment where clotting factors are given to replace the missing clotting factor).
Elaborating further on the procedure, Dr Nittu Devassy Panjikaran, Assistant professor of Physical medicine and rehabilitation, Amrita Hospitals said, “Radio-Synovectomy is an outpatient-based procedure that is done by injecting Yttrium-90, radioactive material into the affected joints under local anaesthesia. It has been proven to be as effective as surgical synovectomy in patients without deformities. It is more economical, less painful, and can be repeated if required. It reduces the bleed rate by 60-80 per cent in the injected joint and improves the patient’s quality of life.”
Dr Shanmuga Sundaram, Head of Department, Nuclear Medicine and Dr Manjit Sarma, Assistant Professor, Nuclear Medicine, Amrita Hospitals facilitated the procurement of Yttrium for this procedure from France. A team of haematologists led by Dr Neeraj Sidharthan, Clinical Hematologist, Amrita Cardio-Oncology Clinic, Clinical Haematology & Stem Cell Transplantation will be looking after the ancillary care of the haemophilia patients including administration of deficient factor replacement and supportive care.