Category: MakatiMed

MakatiMed opens center for LASIK, cataract surgery

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Makati Medical Center recently inaugurated the Dr. Ramon J. Ongsiako, Jr. Cataract and Refractive Laser Surgical Center (RJO Center), a state-of-the-science eye center equipped with the latest medical devices and computer-guided technology dedicated to help people suffering from nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism or age-related vision problems.

According to Department Chairman Benjamin M. Abela, Jr. MD, outpatient surgical procedures in the RJO Center will utilize femtosecond laser.

In LASIK (laser in situ keratomileusis) surgery, which is used to treat nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism, the femtosecond laser is used to create a flap in the patient’s cornea (the clear, protective outer layer of the eye). The flap is necessary to prepare the eye for laser Ablation (reshaping of the cornea through light energy) in order to correct the patient’s vision. Patients with stable eye grades ranging from 125 to 1,400 can undergo this surgery, according to Dr. Abela.

A cataract, often related to aging, is a clouding of the lens in the eye that affects vision, and cataract surgery involves removing this cloudy lens and replacing it with an artificial lens. In cataract surgery, the femtosecond laser is used to create an incision in the area where the sclera (white of the eye) meets the cornea, and enables the surgeon to dissect the lens material into quadrants to enable ease in piece-by-piece removal of the material.

“For cataract surgeons, the use of femtosecond lasers further minimizes the already low complication rate of this procedure by providing great ease in removing the cataract,” said Dr. Abela.

Since the femtosecond laser is more precise in creating corneal incisions, this technology available at the RJO Center reduces collateral tissue damage and complications that lead to post-operative visual problems, making cataract and LASIK surgery safer, easier, and more effective.

“We’re confident this Center will establish MakatiMed as a leader in eye care,” Dr. Abela said.

Renato T. Salud, MakatiMed’s new Chief Operations Officer, spoke on behalf of Rosalie R. Montenegro, President and CEO, and said he is a “living testimony of the benefits and wonders of LASIK surgery”. He said he had undergone LASIK surgery and it had given him independence, confidence and perfect vision.

Medical Director Benjamin N. Alimurung, MD, said what Dr. Ongsiako stood for was “precisely” why MakatiMed named the center after him. “This is to remind us of the standards, the excellence, the bar set by Dr. Ongsiako,” he said.

MakatiMed Cellular Therapeutics Center receives DOH accreditation

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Makati Medical Center’s Cellular Therapeutics Center received accreditation in March from the Department of Health as a hospital-based facility engaging in cell-based therapy in the Philippines.

The Center’s accreditation under DOH Administrative Order No. 2013-0012, or rules and regulations governing the accreditation of health facilities engaging in human stem cell and cell-based or cellular therapies in the Philippines, is valid until March 13, 2016.

This is testament to the level of service of the Cellular Therapeutics Center, which carries out stem cell procedures in a Biosafety Level 5 laboratory. Equipped with state-of-the-art facilities from the US, Germany, and Japan, it ensures 90-95% cell purity and viability, making this treatment paradigm a great help for those who most need it.

“Cell-based therapy is the future of medicine,” says the Center’s Co-Director, Manuel O. Fernandez, Jr., MD. “The current paradigm has proven to be very promising in cancer-related, autoimmune, neurologic, and cardiac cases and we are excited for more developments.”

While it is now extensively used for blood-related disorders, further studies and tests can make stem cells treat even Multiple Sclerosis, spinal cord injuries and Parkinson’s disease.

Stem cell treatment, which was developed in the 1970s, can treat numerous blood disorders. Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant (HSCT) has been used to cure malignant and nonmalignant diseases including but not limited to: Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia, congenital disorders of blood, Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, Multiple Myeloma, Myelodysplatic Syndrome, Myeloproliferative disorders, Waldenström’s Macroglobulinemia, testicular cancer, and autoimmune disorders.

Allogeneic HSCTs (a procedure which uses stem cells derived from various individuals) have also been used for stem cell disorders, erythrocyte disorders, inherited immune system deficits, and congenital metabolic diseases including: Aplastic Anemia, Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria, and Sickle Cell Anemia.

According to Co-Director Francisco S. Chung Jr., PhD, stem cells infused into the body post-chemotherapy migrate to the bone marrow and produce healthy stem cells. Since the strong substances in chemotherapy drugs also harm the healthy cells, the introduction of new, healthy cells through stem cell treatment greatly aid in the patient’s healing process.

Chung says harvesting of immature dendritic cells (DCs), such as those used in the US FDA-approved cancer immunotherapy for prostate cancer patients, begins with apheresis, wherein DCs are separated from the patient’s blood. Next is maturation, where the cells are immersed in an environment where they are cultured to perform their functions.

DCs then go through a stage called education, where they interact with the patient’s cancer cells to help the healthy cells identify the bad guys. Once the cells have been “taught” to destroy the cancer cells, they are then injected back to the patient.

Dr. Fernandez notes other positive changes observed among patients who have undergone stem cell treatment, “With our regenerative program which involves 12 months of patient monitoring, we have seen significant reduction in Reactive Oxygen Species (also known as Free Radicals) in our patients post stem cell infusion. Some age-related symptoms such as chronic pain and skin thickness also started to improve.”

Yolanda One Year Later: Tacloban Doctors says thank you to MakatiMed

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Tacloban Doctors Medical Center is back on its feet one year after Yolanda devastated Tacloban, Leyte

Super typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) devastated Eastern Visayas in November 2013, including Makati Medical Center’s Strategic Hospital Alliance Program (SHAP) partner Tacloban Doctors Medical Center (TDMC). Tacloban was one of the worst-hit areas in Eastern Visayas, and MakatiMed immediately sent help in the form of relief goods, medical missions, and donations.

MakatiMed set up a medical base in TDMC in the typhoon’s aftermath, sending medical professionals and hospital staff to operate the partner hospital, as TDMC staff members were also affected by the typhoon.

One year later, TDMC is back on its feet. In a message to MakatiMed, TDMC President Ignacio S. Valeriano, MD, said, “I would like to thank you for the utmost assistance you provided Tacloban Doctors Medical and our staff during Typhoon Yolanda. It has been a year of hardship but there are a lot of things to hope for.

“It’s worth remembering people like you on this occasion.
“Again, thank you so much. Praying for your good health, and much respect goes to you. Extend my thanks also to your medical staff and administrative personnel who have been part of this endeavor.

“Bless you all!”