In the Czech Republic, over a million people suffer from diabetes. Due to the poor lifestyle of the majority of the population, the illness curve rises sharply, which is more than alarming. Patients with this insidious disease are restricted in their daily lives due to the need to continuously monitor their blood insulin values during normal daily activities. Thanks to a unique Czech study, this may not be the case anymore. Doctors are successfully applying long-term implantable sensors directly to the subcutaneous tissue, which then send signals about blood levels directly to the patient's cell phone.
After the discovery of insulin and the introduction of the glucometer in the 1970s, this is the third historical milestone in the treatment of diabetes. So far, the General University Hospital in Prague is the only workplace in the Czech Republic that offers this new type of sensors.
Life made simple
"I've had mine for half a year now, I'm here for a replacement. I have to say that compared to the standard procedure, where you have to constantly check your blood sugar levels, basically mechanically, this is a huge relief. I haven't had a single problem since, despite being quite a spontaneous person who doesn't plan in advance. My life is much easier now,"
one of the patients, who came to diabetologist Jan Šoupal for sensor replacement, told LP-life.cz.
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Diabetici mohou nyní být šťastnější a žít bez omezení. Source: Pixabay
Replacement is a small surgery
Although the replacement of the sensors may seem frightening at first glance, both the doctor and the patient refute this thesis. They say that the only thing that can be bit unpleasant is the anesthesia, which is introduced into the patient's arm. The doctor then makes a small incision in the skin to remove the old sensor. Then he makes the same incision on the patient's other arm and easily inserts the sensor with the help of a special device called "dilator". He then either covers the small wound with a special patch or makes one stitch.
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Lékař si připravuje nástroje na malý zákrok. Source: LP-life.cz
The vast majority of patients feel nothing at all. When inserted into the subcutaneous tissue, the sensor begins to send a signal after a while, which is picked up by an application in the patient's cell phone. Every five minutes, the app displays the result of glucose in the subcutaneous tissue. At the same time, it shows whether blood glucose levels are decreasing or increasing, which allows for a much more timely response to approaching hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia than without glycemic sensors.
The doctor stays informed
The data is automatically stored in a secure cloud application, enabling the doctor to view the patient's status. Thanks to this he can consult all his needs over the phone without having to physically visit the doctor's practise.
Since December of last year, this entire procedure is covered by insurance. The sensors are a revolutionary novelty in the care of patients with type 1 diabetes, but expansion to selected patients with type 2 diabetes can be expected in the feature. VFN also plans to start training doctors from other workplaces, so as to make this method accessible to as many patients as possible.
