DISEASES-CONDITIONS
Written by Prerna Mittra | Updated : December 20, 2024 4:15 PM IST Treatment for Parkinson's disease: A 64-year-old woman had been suffering from Parkinson's disease for close to a decade. For the longest time, she had no relief in sight, and resigned to her fate of spending the rest of her life struggling. But then, something miraculous happened. In medical terms, it is being called a 'groundbreaking achievement'. After nine years of living with advanced Parkinson's, the elderly patient was given a new lease of life after undergoing deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery. This novel treatment method was carried out in Mumbai's Wockhardt Hospitals, Mira Road under Dr Mansi Shah, consultant neurologist and Parkinson's disease and movement disorders specialist , along with Dr Naren Nayak, functional neurosurgeon . The patient had been living with Parkinson's for nine years. It impacted every aspect of her life. She suffered from tremors, slowness in activities , and also stiffness. Her health worsened with time, and she gradually developed an imbalance and a freezing gait while walking. It started with symptoms seen on the left side of her body, before progressing over time. According to a statement shared by the hospital, the woman's initial response to medication was good. As the disease progressed, however, she began to experience a deterioration of symptoms, including increased slowness, rigidity, tremors, freezing episodes while walking, and significant motor fluctuations that were difficult to manage with medication alone. Dr Shah explained that Parkinson's is a progressive disease, whose main symptoms are slowness in all the activities, rigidity and gait difficulties. "Initially, the patient's condition was well-controlled with medications. But, as the disease progressed, her symptoms worsened. Despite being on medication, she was in a state wherein her Parkinsonian symptoms reappeared. She also could not tolerate higher dosages of medications. So, she underwent pre-surgical evaluation for DBS surgery, which is one of the advanced therapeutic options for Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders, and was found to be a suitable candidate," the doctor mentioned. More News According to the doctor, DBS is ideal for patients with Parkinson's, who have lived with the disease for at least 4 to 5 years, with some benefit from medications, but with a lot of motor fluctuations. "DBS is a form of neuromodulation, wherein two thin wires, called electrodes, are inserted in specific brain areas. These areas are then constantly stimulated with the help of a pacemaker, which we place below the collarbone. DBS stimulation will be on for 24 hours, providing better control of symptoms -- it improves a patient's quality of life. This patient underwent the surgery on October 28. After five days in recovery, she was discharged from the hospital," the doctor stated. The woman showed good response to the stimulation with better control of her Parkinson's symptoms, and a reduction of medication dosages. Don’t Miss Out on the Latest Updates. Subscribe to Our Newsletter Today! Enroll for our free updates Thank You for Subscribing Thanks for Updating Your Information None
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