Since 2002, Dr. Ram Kancherla has been working in the medical field as an attending physician at both Vassar Brothers Medical Center and the MidHudson Regional Hospital of Westchester Hospital. He did his residency at the Kings County Medical Center and completed a fellowship in hematology/oncology through the New York Medical College. As a hematologist, one of Dr. Ram Kancherla’s areas of focus is hemophilia.

Hemophilia is a disease of the blood characterized by blood not clotting properly, a condition that can lead to serious health problems. Fortunately, there are a number of treatments.

The main treatment for hemophilia is replacement therapy. This treatment involves injecting clotting factors into people suffering from the disease. Clotting factors are components of the blood that allow it to clot properly.

Another treatment is Desmopressin, or DDAVP. Used for the treatment of mild hemophilia, DDAVP is a man-made hormone that stimulates the release of specific substances that counteract hemophilia. This treatment may be applied via nasal spray or injection. The effect of DDAVP is temporary, so this treatment is only used for specific situations, such as before surgery or playing high-impact sports where an injury is likely.

One treatment that is on the horizon is gene therapy. This treatment is aimed at correcting hemophilia at the DNA level.