- Bilkul Online
- Kolkata
Army Hospital (Research & Referral) in New Delhi has successfully performed an advanced Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) surgery on a 33-year-old serving soldier diagnosed with young-onset Parkinson’s disease, offering him renewed prospects of improved motor control, independence, and quality of life. Parkinson’s disease causes progressive slowness of movement, limb stiffness, and tremors, leaving patients in advanced stages dependent on assistance for routine daily tasks.
While oral medications initially extend symptom-free ‘ON’ periods, patients continue to experience drug side effects and eventually develop resistance, causing ‘ON’ hours to shrink while dosage limits prevent further increases. Deep Brain Stimulation serves as an effective surgical alternative by delivering measured electrical pulses to the Subthalamic Nucleus, a deep-seated brain structure measuring roughly 5 millimetres. During the multi-stage procedure, neurosurgeons first pinpoint the Subthalamic Nucleus using high-resolution MRI scans. Two small openings are then made on either side of the skull to implant fine electrodes into the target nucleus. These electrodes are linked via subcutaneous leads to an internal pulse generator, or pacemaker, placed beneath the skin near the collarbone, leaving no visible external hardware. By delivering controlled electrical stimulation alongside reduced medication dosages, the therapy can dramatically extend a patient’s symptom-free ‘ON’ state, in some cases up to 24 hours a day.