Patent processed : Vertebroplasty Needle : Dr.Arvind Bhave

Innovation is the need of the day. The field of Medicine and medical technology, especially, is always on the search for better treatment facilities and drugs to combat the growing ill health of the society and modern living. It is a matter of great pride for all of us when an Indian comes up with an invention that can combat these problems and make lives of patients easier. Dr. Arvind Bhave did exactly that by developing special needles for spine surgeries.

Dr. Arvind Bhave is the founder of a spine clinic, Bhave Hospital in Pune. After completing his MBBS and MS- Orthopedics from BJ Medical College, Pune, he went on to do his fellowship training from prestigious institutes in Israel, Japan and Korea and visited many spinal and neuro-spinal training institutes across the world.

When Dr Bhave came back to India, he found that the medical instruments and gadgets he had imported were unaffordable to patients here. Moreover, problems like osteoporosis and related spinal fractures were growing among senior citizens who also suffer from other problems of high blood pressure, diabetes etc. Dr. Bhave realized that instead of big open surgeries, the minimally invasive surgeries would be beneficial to the Indian population. These are under local anesthesia and hence, risk is reduced. Also, a day’s hospitalization is enough. No stitches are required and just bandaged dressings are enough.Hence, these surgeries would be the future for Indians. However, the high cost of imported equipment was a big hurdle. Not to give up, this doctor decided to come up with Indian equipment, which would be economical and effective both in function and utility. Thus, he developed unique low-cost needles for his patients.

Dr. Bhave says about his invention, “The needle device is patented under the IP Act in 2008, trade marked and the procedure using this device is copyrighted as ‘AB needle for Vertebroplasty’. It is used for the surgical treatment called, ‘Vertebroplasty’. This is a minimally invasive surgery for fixing fractures of spine due to osteoporosis or cancers spread in spine. We usually pass cement through this device and it gives strength to the affected vertebra(spine). This is done fully under local anesthesia and the patient goes home with a small bandage dressing. Other uses of this device are to take biopsies from vertebral body or any other bones for further diagnosis and treatment.”

The AB Needle stands out from the rest; its main features are: a] safety,b] locking system,c] multiple channels which allow 360 degrees of complete, uniform cementing of the affected vertebral body.

This innovation boasts of better safety margins and has a locking system to reduce failure or cement blockage during surgery. It has multiple channels, which allow complete 360 degrees discharge of cementing material.

And probably the best part of the AB Needle is its price; Says Dr. Bhave, “It is cost effective. Compared to 3000 USD of imported devices, the AB Needle is just 1700 Indian Rupees, thus bringing down the cost of surgery and making it more affordable to common Indian population -The Aam Aadmi!” So, how can we avail of the AB Needles ? Dr. Bhave reveals that efforts are on to market it through various surgical companies in India and abroad. As of now, they can be directly collected from him.

Dr. Bhave has personally used the AB Needles in more than 500 surgeries and has done demonstration surgeries and lectures in India and in countries like Japan, Germany, Austria and many more. The needle has been used by many spinal surgeons in many states across the corners of India from Gujarat to Assam.

The AB Needle which comes as a boon to many osteoporotic patients has given Dr. Bhave some memorable cases. He recalls a one 67 yrs mango-plucker from Konkan,who had a fall in April, 2013. His spine fracture prevented him from earning his living. A week after surgery, he was back to pluck mangoes in May, the season of Alfonso mangoes in Ratnangiri,Konkan.

There was another incident where a 65year old diabetic and asthmatic lady was bedridden for 6 months after suffering a spinal fracture during a bus travel.Dr Bhave happily says, “5 months after a successful Vertebroplasty, she did a Char Dham Yatra and brought me ‘Prasad’!