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| Stem Cell Transplantation at Hilitary Hospital Jammu | | | Early Times Reporter
Jammu | Jan 4
Stem Cell Transplantation has been carried out at 166 Military Hospital Jammu by Lt Col Shrikant Waikar ,who is a super specialist in Anterior segment Microsurgery of the eye.
Stem cells are precursor cells which multiply and differentiate into mature healthy cells of all self renewing tissues. These are found in all the areas which undergo constant turnover such as skin, gastrointestinal tract epithelium, bone marrow, hair etc. Stem cells are responsible for continued replacement and regeneration of tissues thereby maintaining a steady state population of healthy cells. Stem cells have been the subject of major research in recent years. The therapeutic potential of stem cell transplantation has now been recognized.
Stem cells have also been found to be present on the conjunctiva and cornea of the eye. Corneal stem cells are located at a site called limbus which is the junction of cornea which is the black part of the eye and sclera which is the white part of the eye. A number of pathological conditions, which can be local or systemic, cause damage to stem cells of cornea. This results in various ocular surface disorders in which the conjunctiva grows on cornea and vascularisation of cornea occurs. These disorders are sight threatening and often cause blindness. Conventional corneal transplant done for treatment of these disorders generally produces dismal results and fails in most of the cases. The conjunctiva also grows back on cornea even after surgical removal. Stem cell transplantation has given a new hope to these patients.
Autologous stem cell transplantation was carried out successfully on a patient who had partial limbal stem cell deficiency in his right eye due to an old injury. The limbal stem cell deficiency had caused a large disfiguring conjunctival growth on cornea leading to a diminution of vision. The patient underwent an operation in which stem cells harvested from a healthy area of the patient’s eye were transplanted on to the diseased area after removing the growth. The patient regained a normal eye sight and a healthy normal ocular surface within a short span of two weeks. Till date this procedure has been done on four cases ensuring good visual acuity to these patients.
Brig KR Salgotra VSM, Commandant 166 Military Hospital, Jammu, is ensuring procurement of all latest equipment and gadgets to advance Ophthalmological services at 166 Military Hospital. It is due to his constant and unrelenting efforts that professionalism in all fields of medicine at Military Hospital, Jammu is being ensured. He has applauded this achievement of stem cell transplantation being done for the first time at Military Hospital, Jammu. |
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