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Surgery For Parkinson’s Disease Now At SGPGI

LUCKNOW: The first successful deep brain stimulation surgery to help a patient of Parkinson’s disease lead a fairly normal life was completed by doctors at Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) recently. This is the first such surgery conducted in Uttar Pradesh.
Parkinson’s disease is a common neurological ailment, which affects about 1% of the elderly population across the world. Although specific data for the country is not available, experts believe the prevalence would rise in the next few decades as India starts greying.

While initial management of Parkinson’s disease involves medicines, surgical options become necessary for a large group of patients over time. Deep brain stimulation is, so far, the most reliable surgical remedy for the disease.

Parkinson’s disease is marked by tremors or uncontrolled shaking of limbs or body parts, bradykinesia or slowness of movement and stiffness of muscles.

Acclaimed neurologist and head of the institute’s neurology department Prof Sunil Pradhan said: “The disease throws the life of its patient out of gear. He is not able to brush teeth, bathe, eat properly, drive, sign papers or use phones.”

The procedure was spearheaded by neurosurgeon Prof Sanjay Behari and his team including Dr Kuntal Kanti Das and Dr Pavan Verma, with the help of neurologist Dr Ruchika Tandon, radiologist Dr Zafar Nayaz and anaesthetists Prof Devendra Gupta and Dr Rudrabhishek.

Neurosurgeon from University of West Virginia, US, Prof Milind Deogaonkar, who mentored the team, said: “The procedure involves accessing the affected part of the brain and implanting a brain pacemaker somewhere close to the front shoulder bones.”

The procedure is impossible without radiological and anaesthetic support, said Dr Nayaz.

“The procedure involves keeping the patient awake intermittently to aid progress of the surgical course. Patient needs to be monitored every second,” said Prof Gupta.

Announcing that the patient, a 63-year-old retired banker from Nagpur who was compelled to quit his job because of the disease, was stable, Prof Behari said: “The surgery will be a boon for patients from UP, MP, Bihar and Nepal who travel to New Delhi or Kolkata for the treatment.”

Estimates from neurology OPD suggest that at least 30 patients of Parkinson’s disease are seen at SGPGI every month, about 80% of whom belong to middle or late stages when surgery is a good option.

Talking about cost, Prof Pradhan said: “The rates are on a par with the cost in AIIMS, New Delhi. But this is surely much less than what some private sector players demand.”

Officials said the cost might dip marginally in the near future as the device needed for the procedure has been listed in the institution’s list of essential medical devices, making it cheaper than in the market.-Times Of India

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