Bone tumour surgeon gives patients a chance by creating awareness

Hyderabad: To be diagnosed with a bone tumour meant amputation in the 1990s but that is no longer the case. Diagnosis of bone tumours has a golden rule now – to salvage and restrict disability.

Disability was a major concern in bone tumours as it restricted the quality of life. To ensure that those diagnosed with the disease led their best lives till the last stage, Dr. Kishore B. Reddy, a senior bone tumour surgeon in Hyderabad, has worked relentlessly to create awareness about the disease.

It was important to sensitise general physicians and oncologists in the two states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh so that the patients could stand a chance. For this reason, Dr. Kishore Reddy, over the last decade, has spent his weekends conducting awareness programmes in different hospitals in both the states.

"Even in stage 4 of bone cancer, there are options to provide quality life. I learned this during my training in Singapore. The ability to keep them active and not dependent on anyone makes a lot of difference in the approach of treatment," he explains.

Bone tumours are of two types:

· Primary bone cancers where the cancer emerges from the bone.

· Secondary bone cancers where the cancer starts in other parts of the body and spreads to the bones. Secondary cancers are diagnosed after treatment and recovery from the primary cancers. It is noted in the case of breast, cervical, blood, and other cancers.

Decision to be a bone cancer specialist was not easy

Dr. Reddy did his MS Ortho from Manipal University and wanted to treat bone cancers but there was resistance as it was not a developed path in oncology.

Bone and soft tissue cancers were his interest from his early days in medicine and he was passionate to explore them. He worked towards overcoming the resistance and took up a fellowship in bone and soft tissue tumours at Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai.

This opened the gateway to his passion as he realised the gaps and understood the system in identifying and addressing the lacuna for treating them. His knowledge and skills were further sharpened as he pursued Fellowship in Musculoskeletal Oncology and Diploma in Tissue Banking in Singapore.

Experience helped to set protocols

He transferred his learnings from Singapore to the Indian hospital sector by setting protocols for easy understanding of the medical fraternity and better management of patients. He carried out limb salvage, orthopaedic oncology, displacement surgeries, and deformity corrections of the spine. He is the first to perform the first total femur replacement for bone cancer in the two Telugu states.

A dedicated team is his backbone

Dr. Reddy believes that it is the team spirit that must be recognised for his work. He said he alone is not responsible but it is the dedicated team of doctors, nursing staff, and administrators who have been with him for the last 10 plus years.

"My team has stood with me. They have managed the schedules, set the time, and also understood and pursued my goals. It is all of us who have achieved this dream together," said Dr. Reddy who has been associated with Kamineni Hospitals, Sunshine Hospital, American Oncology Institute, and has now started his own Amor Hospitals.

Leisure time

His work is his first passion and after that whatever time he has he spends with his family and pursuing his hobby of bodybuilding. He works out at the gym regularly. He also loves to travel and interact with people of different cultures. His biggest stress buster is his work and he believes that being away from work makes him uncomfortable.