DR ATANASOV MEDICAL CENTRE: THE IMPORTANCE OF COMPLEX HEALTHCARE

Dr Lyubomir Atanasov is a respected orthopedist and traumatologist, and the manager of a medical centre that bears his name and shares his values of high professionalism, holistic treatment and personalised approach towards the patient. Logically, Dr Atanasov is often present in the annual list "Doctors that Bulgarians trust" compiled by 24 Hours newspaper.

Why is a complex approach important for proper patient treatment?

Because the human body is a whole system, a little universe, and all its organs and systems function as a whole. For example, if the heart does not work well, it will not provide sufficient blood supply to the brain, the kidneys, the limbs etc. The most common and socially important diseases usually affect the body in a complex way. This is why the patient and the disease require a holistic approach by a multidisciplinary team. At Dr Atanasov Medical Centre we have specialists in orthopedics and traumatology, endocrinology, cardiology, neurology, angiology and gastroenterology, and the most advanced osteodensitometry for examination for osteoporosis. Prophylactics and early diagnosis are the best treatment, especially considering the fact that younger people are now getting affected by these.

How do you apply this concept for timely diagnosis and complex treatment at Dr Atanasov Medical Center?

Healthcare starts from birth. Babies aged just 30-40 days have prophylactic echography screening of the hip bones for dislocation or dysplasia. Additional orthopedic examination is recommended when they start walking. At the age of 5, we check how their feet have developed. In puberty spine deformities peak so around the age of 12 we do prophylactic check ups to start timely treatment. Older patients suffer mainly from degenerative joint problems: coxarthrosis, gonarthrosis, spondyloarthrosis. However, sometimes pain in the lower limbs is caused by vascular or neurological damage. Here proper diagnosis is crucial, treatment is by an angiologist and/or neurologist. We have cases when patients visit us for a joint problem and we discover a life-threatening situation – embolism. Patients with endocrine diseases and diabetes or obesity have higher risk of cardiological and brain damage, so close cooperation between endocrinologists, cardiologists, neurologists and an angiologist is crucial. Older patients also need cognitive evaluation by a neurologist for early diagnosis of dementia, Alzheimer's, depression. In some cases frequent or spontaneous fractures are the result of undiagnosed osteoporosis, so proper diagnosis and consultation with an endocrinologist is crucial. As WHO has put it, health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being. This is why the staff of Dr Atanasov Medical Centre take care to be not just experts, but compassionate people.

What should we know about osteoporosis?

This is a metabolic, progressive disease that causes bones to lose density and flexibility, and to become fragile. It appears and progresses without symptoms. When pain, spinal deformation and fractures appear, the disease has already gone too far. The risk groups are women over 50 and/or in menopause, smokers, underweight people and others. Prophylactics is crucial. At Dr Atanasov Medical Centre we do osteodensitometry with top technology by General Electric.

What are the advantages of treatment of age-related degenerative joint diseases with hyaluronic acid and platelet-rich plasma that you perform at Dr Atanasov Medical Centre?

Treatment of degenerative joint diseases is complex and chosen in accordance to their stage. Shots of hyaluronic acid and platelet-rich plasma are used in light and average cases, in severe stages surgery is without alternative.

Injections with hyaluronic acids have lubricating, anti-inflammatory and pain-killing effects. They are done every year to stop the progression of arthritic changes by stimulating the cartilage cells.

In treatment with platelet-rich plasma, blood from the patient is extracted, centrifuged and injected locally. Platelets and growth factors help the process of tissue recovery in the damaged parts by activating the natural healing process. There is no allergic reaction.

Why timely diagnosis with modern equipment in your angiography office can be life-saving?

Doppler examination allows safe and pain-free examination of the walls of blood vessels and the blood flow. Atherosclerosis affects increasingly young people and starts without symptoms. This is why prophylactic Doppler examinations and timely diagnosis and treatment are a must. Negligence can cause changes of the walls of the blood vessels, leading to their narrowing and disruption of the limb's trophic. It can end with gangrenes and thrombi that can block brain and heart vessels and cause stroke or heart failure. In our angiography office we work with top class technology for complex Doppler examination and evaluation of different vessel zones.

What options for proper diagnosis and treatment provides the top echography technology in your orthopedic, cardiology, neurology, endocrinology and gastroenterology offices?

Proper treatment is possible only with correct diagnosis, and we can have it only with modern technology and a true professional! Our doctors are established experts and work with the best technology to diagnose many diseases at their earliest stage, thus increasing chances for timely treatment and fewer complications. Echography diagnosis is an everyday tool for modern doctors. In the orthopedic office we use it for evaluation of babies' hips and shoulder traumas. In cardiology, it is an invaluable source of information on the hearth structure, its dynamics and deviations. In angiography, Doppler checks the blood flow, evaluates the vascular system, and discovers atherosclerotic plaques and thrombi. In endocrinology, echography is used to check the nodes of the thyroid gland, and in gastroenterology – for a detailed examination of the liver and the digestive organs. In the 21st century more ways for technological examination are making their way into everyday practice to help with diagnosis and follow-up of diseases. For example, at Dr Atanasov Medical Centre we have bioimpedance that evaluates the proportion of fats, bone and muscles in the body. An important tool for diagnosing obesity and treatment follow up.

You also have a device that makes tailored orthopedic insoles. How does it work?

Tailored orthopedic insoles is a modern approach to treatment of different foot deformities, such as flat foot and metatarsalgia. If untreated, such diseases cause pain in both the feet and the spine. Our last generation specialised 3D printer allows us to make insoles with different density in different areas to fit the unique loading of the patient feet. We are truly happy that we can offer the best in this field to our patients.

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