DUBAI, 27 September 2006 — Fasting is an essential part of Ramadan. However, for the diabetic population it can be detrimental to the control of their blood sugar level. Whether or not diabetics fast during Ramadan what they do not realize is the type and amount of food consumed during iftar can also be shocking to the system.
The occurrence of diabetes worldwide has been steadily rising due to changing dietary habits. When a person fasts all day and eats a lot at night (especially a lot of sweets) they may experience wide fluctuations in their blood sugar levels, a particularly risky situation for diabetics. Overeating at any time increases the likelihood of diabetes and its complications.
Neuropathy has been called “the most common disease you’ve never heard of...” by the Neuropathy Foundation of New York City. Fifty to 70 percent of people who have diabetes for over 20 years suffer from neuropathy. It is one of the most frequent causes of morbidity and mortality in diabetic patients. The loss of sensation caused by neuropathy often leads to foot ulcers, which in turn lead to gangrene, requiring amputation. The incidence of diabetes in the Middle East has been depicted as epidemic by various authorities such as the International Diabetes Federation.
Neuropathy includes many diseases and abnormalities of the nervous system. It is the deterioration of these nerves which disrupts the body’s ability to communicate with its muscles, organs, and tissues.
Patients with neuropathy experience many symptoms including tingling, burning, and a sharp or stabbing pain in the extremities.
Loss of balance and coordination, as well as reduced feeling in the hands or feet (including the sensation of wearing socks or gloves when the skin is bare), are other common indications. In addition to diabetes, neuropathy can be the result of autoimmune diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, medication side effects, alcoholism, or even injuries from sports.
American Surgery Centers LLC is opening the first international neuropathy treatment clinic in the Middle East. Using methods based on the research of Dr. A. Lee Dellon, professor of plastic surgery and neurosurgery at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, ASC will diagnose and treat patients suffering from peripheral neuropathy.
Candidates for surgery are found through a precise and painless assessment done with the Pressure-Specified Sensory Device (tm) (PSSD). This device detects the early stages of peripheral neuropathy before the patient’s nerves have fully deteriorated. The PSSD was developed by Dr. Dellon in conjunction with an aerospace engineer of the Mayo Clinic.
Dr. Dellon is the founder of the Dellon Institutes of Peripheral Nerve Surgery, which has five locations across the United States. He was named the “USA Plastic Surgeon of the Year 2005.” Under his direction, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions now offers the first ever Fellowship in Peripheral Nerve Surgery. His surgery is based on the discovery that neuropathy patients frequently exhibit a nerve compression component.
In the case of diabetics, this nerve compression is aggravated by a buildup of sugar in the nerve fibers.
This compression occurs in known nerve tunnels in the arms and legs and can be released by surgery.
The result is immense relief for the patient.
American Surgery Centers LLC was founded by Dr. Dellon’s colleague, Dr. John C. Bouillon. Bouillon trained at Johns Hopkins Hospital and has over 25 years experience in orthopedic surgery in Massachusetts.
He is now a resident surgeon in the Middle East specializing in hand and peripheral nerve surgery. The clinic will also feature rotating surgeons from the Dellon Institutes of Peripheral Nerve Surgery in the United States, including Dr. Dellon.
Patients with neuropathy say they lead challenging lives. Many of them cannot walk at all. They take painkillers every day. They stumble and fall. They cannot feel their feet. They often get depressed because of their situation.
Traditionally, doctors give them very little hope. The surgical techniques of Dellon have been performed over a thousand times in the United States during the last ten years.
The decompression of nerves in the legs, ankles, and feet has been shown to have a success rate of over 80 percent in peer reviewed medical research.
For additional information please contact Brian Scipione at [email protected] or at +971 50 515 7416 or 770 3688.
