BEST PROVIDERS OF SPECIALIST CARE
NEUROLOGY SERVICE PROVIDER OF THE YEAR IN THE ASIA-PACIFIC
MOUNT ELIZABETH HOSPITAL
As the branch of medicine tasked with treating diseases and conditions affecting the brain and the entire nervous system , neurology often involves complex health problems that are hard to diagnose and treat and can have an impact on different tissues in the body .
Neurologists at Mount Elizabeth Hospital ( MEH ) have always risen to this challenge by combining their strengths in creating an interdisciplinary team to assess patients ’ problems with personalised high-quality care .
“ Patients have access to the full suite of necessary skill sets and expertise of our neurologists , neurosurgeons , interventional radiologists , nursing and allied health professionals ,” Dr Noel Yeo , Senior Vice-President , Parkway Hospitals Singapore , told Global Health Asia- Pacific . “ They can entrust their recuperation journey to us as we take them from treatment to recovery without missing a step .”
MEH experts are well versed in the diagnosis and treatment of the most common neurological problems , such as stroke , brain and spinal cord trauma , sleep disorders , Parkinson ’ s disease , tremors , and epilepsy , as well as brain tumours and aneurysms ( blood vessel swelling ). They ’ re supported by the latest diagnostic tools like the PET-MRI system , which provides accurate images of the internal body to spot potential problems such as brain tumours .
“ Our neurosurgeons are capable
Serene Lim with Varun Panjwani
of performing advanced procedures ranging from awake craniotomy and deep brain stimulation , to radiation therapy , such as Gamma Knife radiosurgery ,” said Dr Yeo .
Awake craniotomy is often done to remove a brain tumour while the patient is still conscious to minimise the risks of damaging key body functions controlled by the brain .
Deep brain stimulation surgery involves the insertion of implants into the skull to transmit electricity to block abnormal brain signals causing neurological disorders . It can reduce the severity of some Parkinson ’ s symptoms like tremors , stiffness , and involuntary movements and can help patients improve their quality of life .
Gamma Knife is a form of radiotherapy that can treat both benign and malignant brain tumours like acoustic neuromas and meningiomas , trigeminal neuralgia
( a form of chronic pain in the face and brain ), and other neurological problems without performing any type of surgery . It ’ s particularly useful against cancer because it can be used as an alternative to both surgery and chemotherapy — two approaches associated with potentially serious side effects .
“ This non-invasive procedure offers good results with a high degree of safety , shorter hospital stays , and faster recovery ,” said Dr Yeo .
To help patients recover from various neurological disorders after treatment , MEH offers a wide range of services for neuro-rehabilitation , such as occupational therapy to maximise patients ’ abilities in the areas of work and self-care ; physiotherapy to improve the movements of the back and neck ; and speech therapy to tackle both language and swallowing difficulties .
Since rehabilitation can carry significant emotional challenges for patients recovering from neurological conditions , MEH also offers behaviour counselling and health education to support their psychological wellbeing and help them avoid unhealthy lifestyle habits .
“ Apart from having a ready team and specially designed regime that can suit an individual patient ’ s recovery needs , our treatment procedures are backed by modern technology , allowing patients to achieve ideal clinical outcomes ,” said Dr Yeo .
62 DECEMBER 2020 GlobalHealthAsiaPacific . com