The Bhutanese Leading the way.
The Prime Minister Dasho (Dr) Lotay Tshering inaugurated the new extra corporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) machine service at the JDWNRH this morning.
The machine uses high energy waves to break down Kidney Stones of 2.5 cm into dust without any invasive surgery. It can even go up-to 3 cm stones.
The Head of Department of Surgery Dr Sonam Dargay said that earlier even for these sized stones the options were open surgery on the Kidney, non invasive surgery by making a hole from the side and sending in pipes to break the stones and using Endoscopic urthera which is passing a pipe with a camera through the penis or urethra to the spot to break the stones.
He said with the ESWL machine none of the above are required for stones of 3 cm and below.
He also pointed out that while the main use is for Kidney stones it can also be used for other stones like pancreatic, liver and ureteric stones.
The non invasive medical process will take 30 to 40 minutes during which the patient will get some anaesthetic.
The machine costs Nu 48.2 mn supplied by a German company called Dornier. Its local regional office in Singapore has sent some staff for the initial set up and technical help.
Bhutanese surgeons have already been trained to use the machine and the first procedure with a kidney stone patient was performed today.
Once the stone is reduced to dust the patient is advised to drink water to pass it out.
The service makes sense as Kidney stone is quite common in Bhutan as many Bhutanese do not drink adequate water. A person is recommended to drink 2 litres a day or enough to pass clear urine.
(Image- Dr Sonam Dargay with the ESWL machine)
