FARIDABAD / December 20 2022: A 65-year-old civil engineer, a retiree from the PWD Department of Odisha Government, successfully underwent Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) surgery at Amrita Hospital in Faridabad for symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease.
The six-hour-long surgery involved implanting electrodes within the patient’s brain to produce electrical impulses which can stimulate certain cells and chemicals. The amount of stimulation would be controlled by a pacemaker-like device placed under the skin in the upper chest. The surgery would help reduce the symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease and drastically improve quality of life of the patient, according to doctors. The successful surgery was led by Dr. Anandh Balasubramaniam (Neurosurgery), Dr. Sanjay Pandey (Neurology) and Dr. Gaurav Kakkar (Neuro-anaesthesia).
Said Dr. Sanjay Pandey, Head, Department of Neurology, Amrita Hospital, Faridabad: “The patient has been suffering from rigidity dominant Parkinson’s disease for the last 15 years, unable to perform day-to-day activities properly due to constant tremors in his hands. He had been to various hospitals before arriving at Amrita Hospital. Considering his condition, we recommended Deep Brain Stimulation surgery. There were two steps involved in the procedure. In the first, performed in an awake state, electrodes were placed in the bilateral subthalamic nucleus of the patient’s brain. In the second step, performed under general anaesthesia, the electrodes were connected with a battery placed in his left upper chest. The condition of the patient is now better and he can lead a more normal life now.”
The patient, hailing from a middle-class family, is a pensioner of the Odisha Government. He said after the surgery: “I was aware that there is no cure for Parkinson’s disease, and it tends to get worse with time. Things are very different for me now after the surgery, and I am very happy. I stay more active and performing my daily tasks has become much more manageable for me. I am grateful to the doctors of Amrita Hospital for attempting this procedure and drastically changing my life.”
Said Anandh Balasubramaniam, Head, Department of Neurosurgery, Amrita Hospital, Faridabad: “Parkinson’s disease, dystonia, and tremor are common movement disorders observed in a neurology clinic. These constitute 3–8% of all neurological disorders in India, with the crude prevalence rate ranging from 31 to 45 per 1 lakh population in the over-60 age group. Unfortunately, the technique to perform deep brain stimulation surgery is available at very few centres in India, and majority of Indian patients have no access to this very effective treatment modality. We truly hope to help the patients suffering from Parkinson’s and help them live a better life.”
This is for the first time that deep brain stimulation surgery has been performed at the 2600-bed Amrita Hospital in Faridabad. It is India’s biggest private multispecialty hospital with 80 specialties that was inaugurated by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in August 2022.