KOCHI: With no known cure, Parkinson’s patient Zubair, an auto driver, had given up hope of leading a normal life. But fate had other plans. On Tuesday, everything was set to change. The 45-year-old suffering from the degenerative disorder got a second life after undergoing Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) implantation at the Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences here.
After the trailblazing surgery by Dr Ashok Pillai, clinical professor, Neurosurgery Department at Amrita Hospital, the symptoms have literally disappeared.
This is the first time in Asia DBS implantation has been done using a surgical robot called ROSA. It was difficult for Zubair hailing from Guruvayur- the sole breadwinner of his family- to complete even a single trip, as his hands would start trembling uncontrollably midway, leaving passengers terrified.
Often, as the symptoms kick in, he would ask his passengers to take another ride.
Zubair would then take his medications, wait for the tremors to cease, and make another trip to eke out a living to support his wife and two children.
“DBS has provided therapeutic benefits for treatment-resistant disorders like Parkinson’s, epilepsy, movement disorders, chronic pain, depression and obsessive-compulsive disorders,” Ashok Pillai said.
Functional neurosurgery is an important branch of neurosurgery helping correct treatment-resistant neurological disorders.
“Considering the financial situation of Zubair, the hospital conducted the surgery free of cost,” he said. Zubair was 35 when the symptoms of Parkinson’s first came to light.
He thought his condition would improve with medicines but they only provided temporary relief. As years went by, the seizures became more violent. Any high-pitch sound would throw him into a fit of rage. That’s when doctors at Amrita suggested DBS.