BHUBANESWAR: In a first in the state, the Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital has successfully conducted deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery to treat Parkinson’s disease (PD).
Regarded as a powerful advanced surgical therapy to treat certain aspects of the disease, DBS mostly addresses the movement symptoms and improves some non-motor symptoms including sleep and pain. The surgery was recently conducted on a 36-year-old woman, who was suffering from PD. Post-surgery, the patient is responding well with improved movements.
Eminent neurosurgeon and SOA’s principal advisor (Health Sciences) Prof Ashok Kumar Mahapatra said though DBS will not cure the disease, it will improve the quality of life of PD patients.
“DBS is a relatively safe surgery and the patient remains awake for most of the time during surgery. Earlier, this condition was being treated only with medicines but now it can be done through surgery,” he said.
Parkinson’s is a neuro-degenerative disease and a movement disorder where the body becomes slow. It occurs due to loss of brain cells required for dopamine production and affects elderly persons, aged above 60 years.
Professor in the Neuro Medicine department Dr Lulup Kumar Sahoo, who treated the patient, said medication is beneficial in the initial four to five years of contracting the disease. But after that, medication is not found to be effective. After DBS, patients can lead a comparatively better life, he said.
Medical superintendent Prof Pusparaj Samantasinhar said this surgery has been conducted in Odisha for the first time at IMS and SUM Hospital.