Tear Duct Probing Day!!!

My kids tear duct probing was scheduled on 15th and the doctor instructed us to get admitted on 14^th evening itself. More than probing we were worried about the admission; we were not sure how our kid will adjust to the hospital environment.  Even though it was only a day’s stay we need to carry a lot of stuff to the hospital.  Here is the list of items that we carried (May be useful checklist).

We reached Shankara Nethralaya main campus around 4.30 PM. We had to wait for an hour to get our admission after that we were taken to DB block and were asked whether we would like to get admitted in general ward (4 People sharing) which is Rs.700 or take an independent room which is Rs.2500. We opted for an independent room.

The room was above our expectations; it was an air-conditioned room with TV, Airtel DTH, additional bed and even room service. We bought couple of toys for my kid to play, so he started playing with it. The hospital staffs were highly cooperative; they answered all our questions and were very helpful. The doctor visited us and informed that the surgery is at 8 AM next morning. Since they are going to give GA( General Anesthesia) they asked us to stop feeding him by 2 AM (Not even water 6 hours before GA).

Everything was fine for an hour and my kid started showing frustration of being in the same room, he started crying to go out. My wife and I took turn in taking him around the corridor and he finally slept around 9 PM.  We feed him with milk once at 10 PM and by 2 AM. We woke up at 5 AM and he was sleeping very well. He woke up at 7 AM and started crying for milk. We took him outside the room to calm him down but we couldn’t. Whenever he saw water bottle he showed finger at it and started asking for it. It was toughest moment in our life when our kid was crying for something and we are in a position to give it but restricting ourselves.

Sharply at 8.00 AM they took him into the operation theatre. After 20 mins they called us and informed that the probing is over and we can give him water after an hour and milk after 2 hours. He was crying like anything and my wife started crying on seeing him. We took him to the room and made him sleep. He slept nonstop for 2 hours and by the time we finished all the paperwork for our discharge. 

We were advised to give eye drops 4 times a day and continue with the massage for another 3 months. He was discharged at 1.00 PM and left home. We could see a drastic improvement in his eyes. Now there is no matting or sticky eyes anymore and occasionally we could see some tears in his eyes but doctor told us there will be improvement one month post surgery. Anyways we are happy with the outcome of the surgery.

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Stem Cell Banking - A Tip for parenting

I heard about stem cell banking when my wife was pregnant. We had only little idea about it, I was very reluctant at the beginning to go for it since we were scared about the risk involved in it. When we later found out the process of collection and advantages of stem cell banking we immediately signed for it.  

What is a Stem Cell?
Stem cells are unspecialized cells that have two defining properties: the ability to differentiate into other cells and the ability to self-regenerate. 


What is Stem Cell Therapy?
Stem Cell Therapy is used highly in treatment of following disease

• Leukemia
• Marrow Failure
• Cancer
• Parkinson's disease
• Spinal cord injuries

What is Stem Cell Banking?

When the baby is delivered usually the placenta is removed and thrown as a waste (In some parts of Tamilnadu the portion of placenta will be placed in a metal ( தாயத்து ) and tied around the hip). Researchers have found out that the blood in the placenta is a huge source of stem cells. 

The Procedure

First you have to enroll with a Stem Cell banking service provider. They will give you a cord blood collection kit which you should carry with you during the delivery day. Make sure to store the phone numbers of the service provider and inform them while you are leaving to the hospital. An agent will visit the hospital and will be there till the baby is born. Once the baby is born the agent will collect the cord blood from the placenta and leave.

The collected cord blood cells are processed and the collection report will be sent to you. If there is sufficient stem cell then it will be stored in different quantity and a storage certificate will be sent to you. In case if there is shortage in the stem cell count then the entire amount excluding the processing fee will be refunded.

Who are the service providers in India?

• LifeCell
• CryoBank
• JeevanCell:  Jeevan Cell has a public cell bank where you can  donate the cells. They can use the cells for any matching persons on first come first serve basis. If needed in future you can collect them back by paying the processing and storage charges (If it is still available with them).

How much it costs?

It will cost around Rs. 70000.

FAQ:

1. Does collecting cord blood affect the baby? 

No. Cord blood is collected only after the birth of the baby and after clamping of the cord. The baby is in no way deprived of blood as the routine process of delivery is not interfered with in any way.

2. Does the cord blood collection harm the mother?

No, it does not harm the mother in any way. It is a completely safe, harmless and painless procedure.

3. Who can use the stem cells?

The preserved stem cells are available as a perfect match for the child from whose umbilical cord they were collected. Because there is an increased chance of a match with a sibling, parents may choose to make the stem cells available to siblings or other family members who may need them. That decision is yours to make.

4. I am planning for the delivery in a rural area where the service provider cant come, what should I do?

It is not a problem, you can carry the collection kit and hand it over to the gynecologist who is doing the delivery. The kit has specific instructions which helps them to collect the cord blood and preserve it for 24 hours. After collection you can send it to them. 

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Tear Duck Block - Tip for parenting

When my kid was 3 months old we noticed that his eyes are matted quite often. It was even worse when he wakes up from his sleep; he cannot open his eyes at all. The old fellas at home as usual blamed it on heat and applied head full of oil. Things didn’t improve much and so we made a visit to Mahatma Eye hospital in Trichy.

There he was diagnosed for blockage in tear duct. We were initially worried but then the doctor explained to us that around 50% children have this problem and it can be cured by doing a simple massage. So firs let me explain the root cause of this problem, its symptoms and finally the remedy.

Cause:

Tears are produced to keep our eye moist and also to drain out dust. Tears that are produced passes through the Nasolacrimal duct and drains into the nose. Many kids born without a fully developed duct, may be the duct is too narrow or has a web of tissues that block the duct.  

Symptoms

• Excessive tearing
• Pus in the corner of eye (கண்ணு பொங்கறது)
• Constant Matting of eye

Treatment

Massage

If it is diagnosed in early stages( within 4 months), it can be treated by giving a gentle massage.  

• Wash your hands before doing the massage.
• Apply olive oil or some other oil in the index finger.
• Place your index finger on the side of your child's nose and firmly massage down toward the corner of the nose.  Repeat it 10 times. You can observe the skin turns whitish and pus coming out of the eye.
• Do it 4 times a day.

*Ask your doctor to do the massage and observe it.

The massage is successful 90% times. If your kid still has the same symptoms even after 1 year then a surgical probing is required.  This has an 85% to 95% success rate for kids who are 1 year old or younger; the success rate drops as children get older. Surgical probing may be repeated if it's not initially successful.

Probing

A surgical probe takes about 10 minutes. A thin, blunt metal wire is gently passed through the tear duct to open any obstruction. Sterile saline is then irrigated through the duct into the nose to make sure that there is now an open path. This will be done under general anesthesia.

My kid had blockage in both the eyes. His one eye got cured within a week of massage but the other eye still has the block. He is undergoing Probing in Shankara Netralaya hospital shortly.

*This article is based on my experience. Please always consult your doctor.

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