The Times of India - MUMBAI: Bandra resident Bahadur Shroff's life turned upside down in a few minutes on June 1st. His wife Prochi complained of a headache. In the time it took Shroff to get some medicines from the other room, Prochi had passed out in the bedroom. Doctors said she had suffered a stroke.
For the next two-and-a-half months, Prochi lay in a comatose condition in the ICU at Lilavati Hospital in Bandra. Even after she regained consciousness, her right side was completely paralysed,'' recounts Shroff.
Hope came in the form of a newspaper report on Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT). I read about a patient who had suffered a stroke similar to my mother's and HBOT had improved his condition,'' said Natasha Shroff, Prochi's daughter. After discussing the possibility of seeking HBOT for Prochi with doctors at Lilavati, the Shroffs decided to go ahead with the treatment. "There was some scepticism since this wasnt a proven therapy, but they never stopped us from seeking alternative treatments. And we were ready to try anything that would help Prochi,'' said Shroff.
They met Dr Shoaib Padaria, who explained what HBOT entailed and the conditions under which it can be carried out successfully. "The doctor told us we had spent lakhs on Prochi's medical expenses already, this would cost another lakh. He also explained situations in which we shouldn't go ahead with the treatment, like high blood pressure or secretion in the chest,'' Shroff said.
After undergoing 10 hour-long sessions in the hyperbaric chamber, the Shroffs claimed there has been a marked improvement in Prochi's condition. "The therapy has been effective. She can now experience sensations like pain and discomfort and convey these to us. She also moved her right leg while in the oxygen chamber. This is an improvement that might have taken months to accomplish; it was definitely speeded up because of HBOT,'' said Shroff.
While the sessions had to be halted because Prochi's blood pressure suddenly increased, the Shroffs intend to go in for further sessions once her condition stabilises. Dr Padaria said, "Prochi had suffered from a cerebral infarction (stroke). But after the sessions, she regained some movement in her limbs. We hope she'll make more progress with additional sessions.'' HBOT alleviates blood flow, decreases swelling of traumatised areas of the brain, regenerates new blood vessels in these areas and repairs neurons.
The Shroffs said there has to be more awareness about HBOT's potential to help stroke patients.
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