‘Deep brain stimulation is life-changer for movement disorders caused by Parkinson’s’

Global Centre for Excellence in Neurosciences, Bengaluru, Director Ravi Gopal Varma said that ‘Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)‘ treatment gives a new lease of life for people suffering from movement disorders caused by Parkinson’s disease and epilepsy.

Dr. Ravi Gopal, along with Ramesh Hospitals managing director P. Ramesh Babu and chief consultant (neurology) Major General (Retd.) Somasundaram Kumaravelu, interacted with the media on the sidelines of a Continuing Medical Education programme held in Vijayawada on Sunday.

Elaborating about the treatment, Dr. Ravi Gopal, who is also the lead-consultant neurosurgeon at Aster Hospitals, said that the first line of defence for Parkinson’s disease and epilepsy is medication. In some cases, side effects of drugs are worse than the disease itself.

“The need for DBS arises in such cases. As part of DBS treatment, surgery is performed to implant electrodes and regulate abnormal impulses using a pacemaker like device placed in the chest area,” he said.

The results are remarkable. DBS helps patients regain confidence and hope in life, added Dr. Ravi Gopal, who has performed over 300 DBS treatments.

He said Aster and Ramesh Hospitals are forming a team to provide DBS treatment in the region. Though the cost of DBS treatment is high, the government and other organisations are extending support, doctors said.

The risk factor of DBS surgery is less than 5%, Dr. Ravi Gopal said. Dr. Kumaravelu said that over 70 lakh people in India suffer from Parkinson’s disease.