Bhubaneswar: In a groundbreaking medical achievement, the Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital, the faculty of medicine of Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan (SOA) Deemed to be University, has become the first hospital in Odisha to successfully perform Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) surgery for the treatment of Parkinson’s Disease (PD).
DBS, an advanced surgical therapy, is known for significantly improving movement-related symptoms of Parkinson’s and addressing certain non-motor symptoms like sleep disturbances and pain. While the procedure does not cure the disease, it enhances the quality of life for patients in advanced stages, said Prof. (Dr.) Ashok Kumar Mahapatra, a renowned neurosurgeon and SOA’s Principal Advisor (Health Sciences).
The pioneering surgery was recently conducted on a 36-year-old woman suffering from Parkinson’s at IMS and SUM Hospital. Prof. (Dr.) Pusparaj Samantasinhar, Medical Superintendent, confirmed that this was the first-ever DBS surgery in Odisha, and the patient was recovering well post-surgery.
Explaining the procedure, Prof. Soubhagya Panigrahi, Head of the Neuro Surgery Department, stated that the surgery took seven to eight hours to complete. He emphasized that DBS is a relatively safe procedure, where the patient remains awake for most of the time.
Prof. (Dr.) Lulup Kumar Sahoo, Professor in the Neuro Medicine Department, highlighted that Parkinson’s initially responds well to medication in the first four to five years, but as the disease progresses, medicines become less effective, making surgical intervention like DBS a vital option.
Parkinson’s is a neurodegenerative movement disorder caused by the loss of brain cells responsible for dopamine production. While it primarily affects individuals above 60 years of age, recent trends show that younger people are also being diagnosed, sometimes due to genetic factors, explained Prof. (Dr.) Panigrahi.
The disease manifests with symptoms such as slowness in movement, difficulty in walking and writing, hand and leg tremors, stiffness, and postural imbalance. Non-motor symptoms include constipation, sleep disorders, depression, and anxiety, added Prof. (Dr.) Sahoo.
The press conference was also attended by Prof. (Dr.) Srikanta Kumar Sahu, Head of the Neurology Department, and Prof. (Dr.) Ram Chandra Deo of the Neuro Surgery Department.
With this milestone, IMS and SUM Hospital has placed Odisha on the national map for advanced neurosurgical treatments, offering new hope for Parkinson’s patients across the region.
