KOCHI: A surgical procedure called deep brain stimulation (DBS) was performed at Aster Medcity here the other day, on a 58-year-old man who has been suffering from advanced Parkinson’s disease (PD) for around 15 years.
The DBS procedure involves accurate placement of two fine electrodes in a deep structure in the brain (sub-thalamic nucleus). The implantation is guided by recording electrical activity of the cells of the brain through a process called micro electrode recording, and by detailed clinical assessment for the beneficial effects and side-effects during the surgery. The patient is kept awake during the procedure, and will be able to perceive the effect of the stimulation. The electrodes are connected to a small pacemaker-like device implanted in the chest wall, which delivers the stimulus to the nuclei in the brain through the electrodes.
“The patient who underwent the procedure at the hospital has been discharged, with a significant improvement in overall performance and a reduction in the medicines he was taking,” informed a statement from the hospital on Tuesday.
“This is the first time DBS is performed in Kochi. The only other centre in Kerala that currently offers surgery for PD is SCTIMST, Thiruvananthapuram,” said the statement. The team of doctors involved in the DBS procedure were Dilip Panickar (Neurosurgery), Boby Varkey Maramattom (Neurology), Sujith O K (Neurology) and Jithendra (Anesthesia).
