Impending End For the Scalpel?

By: Dr. Jesse Stoff & Dr. Robert L. Bard. Additional contribution by: Dr. Andrew J. Rochman

The 7.2 Billion count of our earth's population suffers from a multitude of different diseases that require some sort of treatment or cure. For ailments like bruising and small cuts, some ointment, icing and a bandage is sufficient. For illnesses like a common cold or a dry throat, over the counter medicine does the trick. But there are some diseases which require more than medicine. Usually surgical procedures and diagnostic tests come straight to mind. Although they can be complex and risky, they are necessary to help the patient.

A broad categorization of the surgical procedures, group them into two categories; invasive and non-invasive (or minimally invasive procedures).[1] Invasive procedures are the harsher and riskier procedures that require breaking into skin and entering the body cavity to reach an organ. Many major surgeries and diagnostic tests come under the umbrella of invasive surgery. These surgeries usually require a surgeon to use a scalpel and sometimes bone-saw to have access to the problem area. Majority of the patients treated with invasive procedures are diagnosed with critical ailments; especially when there in no other option of recovery or cure.

For example removing tumors, repairing broken bones, reattaching tendons and, transplants, caesarean births and intrusion removal surgeries, all require an invasive procedure. There is no way a surgeon can patch up a broken tibia without cutting the calf open, removing bone fragments and fixing the break.

But this is the more recent scenario of surgery. Historically surgery was used to treat all sorts of illnesses, which we can now not comprehend opting for. For example, can you imagine staying in the hospital for 4-6 weeks after multiple hour-long cholecystectomy[2] sessions? Or having your lower abdomen cut open halfway to remove an inflamed appendix?

Over the course of few years, engineers and doctors have researched and developed alternate way of treatments that require minimal intervention. These procedures usually don’t require tools or methods that break the skin or physically enter in the body and damaging tissue. Some of the examples are:

RADIOTHERAPY: is usually used to treat cancer where doctors use concentrated radiation directed at the diseased organ to kill cancerous cells.[3] This doesn’t require them to cut in the body and physically remove the organ surgically.

LASER TREATMENTS: From treating skin conditions like spots and acne to breaking kidney stones, lasers are used by many doctors to treat diseases without surgery. Lasers have made their mark in medicine, specifically in the dermatology and aesthetics industries[4]. Lasers, less concentrated than radiations, are used to break down cells in the body that might be causing a blockage. Besides dermatology, ophthalmologists or eye surgeons have made incredible progress in utilizing lasers. Lasik and other types of procedures use advanced laser technologies to treat eyesight issues, glaucoma and other disorders.

CELLULAR THERAPY: The most plausible and progressive development made in non-invasive procedures is cell therapy. Using juvenile stem cells to treat multitude of diseases and disorders have made it possible to treat without the need of invasive and risky surgery[5]. Stem cells from the umbilical cord have been used to treat children with leukemia, treat skin abrasions or injuries to the bone and other tissues in the body. Stem cells have the ability to regenerate themselves quickly into new, healthy cells that can replace the damaged or lacking cells in the affected area. For example stem cells are used to treat degenerative disc disease, where Mesenchymal stem cells are used to help regenerate the cartilage and fluid between the inter-vertebral columns[6]. Using this regeneration quality, stem cells have been used to treat illnesses like type-1 diabetes, Arthritis, Lupus, Crohn’s disease, Celiac disease, wrinkles, and burns and even cancer. Other disorders like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and others have also been seen to get positive effects from stem cells[7]. Regenerative medicine has already shown some of the most promising results in providing solutions and non-invasive treatments for various types of diseases. Further research and specially designed clinical trials are being conducted at different levels to further improve the engineering and science behind cell therapy[8]. (For more on Cellular Regeneration Therapy)

DIGITAL BIOPSIES: The biopsy is the age-old way of analyzing a growth, a tumor or a cyst by surgically slicing off a piece of it and sending it out to a dedicated lab for analysis. This has proven to bring a range of accuracy and also a certain level of risk- ranging from infections to unexpected aggravation of dormant cancer cells into malignancy. Modern innovations now offer the use of x-ray guided Stereotactic breast biopsies, Rapid Segmentation (CT Imaging) and other devices including Advanced 3D/4D Doppler Ultrasound equipment to identify the behaviors of tumors and cells including blood flow. (See complete article on 4D Imaging for Digital Pre-Op and Digital Biopsies)

GENETIC TESTING: Modern clinical marvels now allow a complete reading of one's genetic blueprints to help enable a treatment strategy that's individually focused on the abnormalities that that person has. Having these resources available to us allows for a very personalized approach based upon the patient's individual genetic alterations and biochemical alterations. (See complete article)

(IPT)-INSULIN POTENTIATION THERAPY: targets the powerful cell-killing effects of standard chemotherapy on cancer cells, and reduces their destructive side effects on healthy tissues. Insulin Potentiation Therapy is part of the integrative medicine movement bringing a non-surgical new approach to treating cancer and that involves no new drug products. The therapy uses insulin, and takes advantage of the powerful, cell-killing effects of ordinary chemotherapy drugs, used in very low doses. Cancer cells get their energy by secreting their own insulin, and they stimulate themselves to grow by secreting their own insulin-like growth factor (IGF). Using insulin in IPT, the low dose chemotherapy gets channeled specifically inside the cancer cells, killing them more effectively, and with minimal chemotherapy side effects. (see complete article on IPT)

(End of part 1- from www.AwarenessforaCure.org)

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REFERENCES:[1] http://www.actforlibraries.org/the-difference-between-invasive-and-noninvasive-procedures/[2] https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/45e5/82be16087f379737a8a07d48b293b9831257.pdf[3] https://www.macmillan.org.uk/information-and-support/treating/radiotherapy/radiotherapy-explained/what-is-radiotherapy.html[4] https://www.americanboardcosmeticsurgery.org/skin-resurfacing/the-top-8-things-you-need-to-know-about-laser-skin-resurfacing/[5] http://www.closerlookatstemcells.org/stem-cells-and-medicine/nine-things-to-know-about-stem-cell-treatments[6] https://doi.org/10.1177/2050312118761674[7] https://www.google.com.pk/search?biw=652&bih=984&ei=HsnNWoflEpH3gQbyjoyoBw&q=cell+therapy+for+differen+diseasees&oq=cell+therapy+for+differen+diseasees&gs_l=psy-ab.3.0.33i22i29i30k1l4.5443.17162.0.17338.16.16.0.0.0.0.453.1995.2-3j0j3.6.0....0...1.1.64.psy-ab..10.5.1747...0j0i22i30k1.0.OwdPFGYJFvg[8] http://www.aabb.org/aabbcct/therapyfacts/Pages/default.aspx[9] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28612050