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INSTITUT JANTUNG NEGARA BECOMES FIRST HOSPITAL IN MALAYSIA TO OPEN FULL-FLEDGED THORACIC CENTRE
“ We have radiologists that specialise in chest imaging , physiotherapist that does chest or lung rehabilitation as well as surgeons and anaesthetist specialising in this field .”
INSTITUT JANTUNG NEGARA – The National Heart Institute of Malaysia is all set to add yet another feather to its cap with the launch of Malaysia ’ s first full-fledged thoracic centre .
Backed with a team of experienced medical experts , the centre aims to deliver a range of services and treatments relating to thoracic diseases that involve both the heart and lungs .
Established in 1992 , IJN is Malaysia ’ s first heart specialist institution that delivers advanced standards in cardiovascular and thoracic medicine for both adult and paediatric patients .
Although the hospital is renowned for its expertise in the area of cardiovascular , IJN Private Healthcare Division head and director of operation Dato ’ Dr Mohamed Ezani Mohd Taib said the IJN ’ s medical team includes cardiothoracic surgeons , who focus on the overall chest including the heart and the lungs .
“ We have been doing this since IJN ’ s inception back in 1992 .
“ However , we realised that one of the areas that need to be addressed and strengthened is the respiratory medicine component that includes respiratory physician or lung specialist ,” said Dr Mohamed Ezani .
He also noted that the hospital now has a full-fledged medical team of thoracic experts to offer various treatments and services for all sorts of thoracic complications .
“ We have radiologists that specialise in chest imaging , physiotherapist that does chest or lung rehabilitation as well as surgeons and anaesthetist specialising in this field . “ With the team completed , we decided to consolidate all these expertise and services into a sector within IJN .”
Dr Mohamed Ezani also highlighted that the launch of the centre is timely due to the Covid-19 outbreak as the disease affects the lungs .
The centre has also rolled out a post-Covid-19 package for those who were infected by the disease and have recovered .
“ The screening will determine if the patient ’ s lungs were affected by the disease and if so , we will decide the best option of treatment for them .”
Dr Mohamed Ezani also pointed out that respiratory diseases – such as cough , cold and asthma – are the number one factor for admissions in government and private hospitals .
“ With that in mind , we felt that it would be ideal to have a centre with a whole range of expertise where patients can seek treatment for various thoracic problems with a multi-disciplinary approach .
IJN has been at the forefront of thoracic surgery since its inception and it is the only centre that performs lung transplantation as well as conducts surgical treatments for end-stage lung diseases .
“ We manage pulmonary hypertension or lung hypertension – a disease which not many are aware of but it ’ s slowly becoming more rampant ,” he said .
Fuelled by high cigarette consumption in the country , Dr Mohamed Ezani said chronic pulmonary disease is quite prevalent among Malaysians .
“ People living with that condition will often have breathing difficulties and often require oxygen therapy .
“ The smokers can also have lung fibrosis – a condition where the lung tissue becomes damaged and hardened – which often result in poor gas exchange in the lungs and eventually cause shortness of breath .”
To effectively treat such diseases , IJN consolidates specific sub-specialised form of treatment with collective support from a team of heart , lung and imaging specialists .
Apart from the lungs , Dr Mohamed Ezani said the chest itself , or mediastinum , is a common area for tumours ( excluding lung cancer ).
He added that IJN has been performing surgeries to remove mediastinum tumours for many years .
In fact , he said they have operated patients with various types of chest tumours , some of which were rejected by other hospitals due to its complexity and size .
Dr Mohamed Ezani also noted that the mediastinum is a little-known component of the chest among the general public , hence most people don ’ t really know where to seek for treatment when they have complications relating to their chest .
Quit Smoking Clinic As smoking is a major cause of lung disease , IJN has set up a quit smoking clinic to help patients with lung diseases kiss the bad habit of smoking goodbye .
The clinic , run by a lung specialist , a cardiologist and a team of nurses , examine the patients and help them quit smoking in a systematic manner within a minimum of one month .
Dr Mohamed Ezani also highlighted that while the patients undergo the quit smoking programme , they will also engage a dietician with them to help keep the patients healthy .
Sleep Disorder and Lung Disease Although many may not notice the sickness , sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing
42 NOVEMBER 2020 GlobalHealthAsiaPacific . com