Electrodes are placed deep in the brain and are connected to a stimulator device. Similar to a heart pacemaker, a neurostimulator uses electric pulses to regulate brain activity in patients having movement disorders like PD

S Das Gupta, a service professional, was diagnosed with  early Onset Parkinson’s Disease (PD) in 2017 and is under medication since then. Recently, her condition has deteriorated and more than one doctor had suggested her that she should start thinking about Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), a surgery to implant a device that sends electrical signals to brain areas responsible for body movement.

Electrodes are placed deep in the brain and are connected to a stimulator device. Similar to a heart pacemaker, a neurostimulator uses electric pulses to regulate brain activity in patients having movement disorders like PD.

“I have been told that surgery costs at private hospitals may run upto Rs 20-25 Lakh and so, if a DBS clinic is being set up at All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi it is a good news for people like me as the operation may cost much less in AIIMS. Moreover, it will have the best AIlMS expertise known worldover.”

This is how Dasgupta, in her 40s expressed sentiments of many others like her when she came to know that the country’s premier hospital  started a dedicated Clinic for such conditions last week.

Though, the hospital already has a movement disorder clinic, the new centre will exclusively focus on those who have reached the advanced stages of the movement disorders. Major area of focus will be on helping such patients with DBS, a surgical procedure that help improve the quality of life of the patient, said Dr Achal Kumar Srivastava, professor of Clinical Neurophysiology in the Department of Neurology, AIIMS. He will be heading the clinic which will open on Saturdays from 9am to 12pm.

This will be a referral clinic, which will primarily have patients from AIIMS’ movement disorder clinic, but patients referred from other hospitals can also seek advanced care here informed Dr Roopa Ranjan, Assistant Professor, Department of Neurology at the hospital.

In private settings, cost of procedure including DBS device is around Rs 20 lakhs while in the Government hospitals, it is estimated to be around Rs 10 to 12 lakhs.

According to Dr Daljit Singh, Neurosurgeon, HOD of Neurosurgery at GB Pant Hospital DBS can be used for multiple indications like dystonia, or involuntary muscle contractions, tremor, epilepsy and obsessive-compulsive disorder, some psychiatric diseases besides Parkinson’s disease.

He said that initial cost may look high, but in the long-term, the cost is less as advantages are much more. "For instance, quality life of the patient is improved, dependence on assistive devices is also  reduced. As patient opting for DBS has to take comparatively less number of medicine, medical bill as well as side-effects of the drug gets reduced." He said that the US based FDA has approved the DBS for Parkinson’s Disease.

Those who fail to respond to medical drugs, DBS is highly safe and well-tolerated surgical procedure that has established itself as a highly effective therapy for advanced Parkinson’s Disease over the last decade, added Dr Debasis Chaudhary, Head of the Neurology Department of the GB Pant Hospital, Delhi.

He said that they are also planning such a centre in the near future. ”Given the increasing aging population, we need to have more such centres in the Government hospitals to make the treatment within the reach of the poor patients.

“Such procedures have changed the lives of thousands of patients by allowing them to reduce their medications. Just like a heart pacemaker,” he said.