An 83 year old man was treated with the ayurvedic drugs in place of antibiotics, during a prostatic surgery, at a hospital in Meerut, UP.
Antibiotics are generally used before, during and after the surgery, to prevent urinary tract infection and sepsis, following endoscopic urologic procedures.
“The patient was allergic to antibiotics and therefore, a panel of doctors decided to go in for ayurvedic drugs as an alternative. During the surgery, we have used only anaesthesia and no antibiotics,” Dr. Subhash Yadav, Urologist with Anand Hospital said.
Surprised over the positive results after the treatment, Dr. Yadav said that, the patient Ojaswi Sharma is well on the path of recovery, after removing 240 grams of prostate recently.
He said, experts around the country, after contacted, suggested some special medicines from the extracts of Indian Tinospora, Moringa Oleifera, Gooseberry, Turmeric and Indian bdellium-tree.
Shigru, a natural pain reliever, is used for the mild infections. Amla increases immunity, while Giloy detoxifies the characteristics.
Also read: Ayurveda - way of natural living
Responding to the issue, Dr. Ram Manohar, Research Director at Amrita School of Ayurveda in Kerala, said, “This is a very interesting development. It is an eye opener in this period when resistance is being developed for antibiotics. This case points to the need for more studies to explore the potential contributions of Ayurveda in many areas of challenge.”
Dr. Manohar opined that, this development is almost similar to a study at New Delhi's AIIMS, which showed supportive Ayurvedic treatment improved outcomes in chemotherapy for cancer. All these show the great potential for integrative approach to healthcare.
“India can lead the world if there is better cooperation between Ayurveda and Allopathic professionals.”
But the modern science practitioners are not euphoric about the development.
“This does not show any benefit yet as it is preventive," opined Dr. Puneet Dhar, Head of Gastro Surgery Department of Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences & Research Centre in Kochi.
"It could be a chance that the patient did not get any infection. In short, it was possible not to get an infection, even if no antibiotics or ayurvedic cocktails were given. There is no efficacy to show.”
However, Dr. Dhar, scientifically favored, integrating alternative system of health care with the modern medicine. He said, ayurvedic drugs' potential use as antibiotics is immense.
“But we need to prove it in proper infections. The best way to do this can be in two ways - one, is in the test-tube settings in a laboratory by seeing various bacterial cultures and validating if these extracts are effective against it. Second is to do it during infections, where we already know the antibiotics are ineffective. So there is a mult-drug resistance infection and see if these are beneficial.”
Dr. Girish Pillai, a cardiac surgeon with Sri Raghavendra Medical College and Research Centre in Chennai was sceptic on the issue. He said, he would not hazard a risk, since the ayurvedic formulations mechanism of action, is not known, its absorption, metabolism or excretion.”
Dr. Yadav, however, buoyed by the results, said he now plans to expand the application of ayurvedic formulations, during similar surgical interventions. This is epoch making as ayurveda has the least side-effects, said Dr. Yadav.
By Phani Ch
