Manipal, 8th December 2022: 
A 62-year-old lady from Davangere district was recently treated for Parkinson’s disease with the latest Deep Brain stimulation device, a first in costal Karnataka. She was suffering from the debilitating neurological condition for the last 12 years and had slowly developed resistance to the medications. Performing day to day activities and walking were affected due to tremor, rigidity and slowness in her limbs.
After a comprehensive evaluation by the Neurosciences team of Dr Girish Menon, Head- Department of Neuro Surgery, Dr Aparna Pai, Head- Department of Neurology, Dr Dushyanth Babu, Associate professor, Neurology and Dr Ajay Hegde, Associate professor, Neuro Surgery, she underwent a ten-hour surgery which was performed with the patient awake under continuous interoperative monitoring. The surgery involves placing two thin wire like electrodes in areas of the brain called the Subthalamic nucleus which is less than 1cm is size and located very deep in the brain. These wires are then connected to a brain pacemaker which is switched on 3 weeks after surgery.
The patient had a good response with significant improvement in quality of life. She was able to reduce her medications by 60% and carry out her daily activities which were not possible for the last 5-6 years. The implanted device equipped with the latest BrainsenseTM technology records live brain signals and enables the neurologist to use a data driven approach to tailor stimulation based on side effects and requirement. The device is also equipped with a handheld remote to increase and decrease stimulation according to patient needs. This life changing operation she says has given her hope and a fresh lease of life. Such advanced and precise surgeries are facilitated by the advanced equipment and expertise team available at Kasturba Hospital, Manipal.
Dr Avinash Shetty, Medical Superintendent congratulated the entire Neurosciences team for to successfully done the rare and complex surgery and said this kind procedure is possible at Kasturba Hospital, Manipal due to the team of expert doctors”. Dr Anand Venugopal, COO, Teaching Hospital, MAHE, Manipal said this type of complex procedure, which was only performed in cities like Bangalore, Mumbai is now available out at Kasturba Hospital, Manipal at competitive costs. The patient and her family thanked expert Doctors and expressed their regards for facilitating this operation in Manipal.
