Apollo Hospitals launches Tamilnadu’s first ‘Movement Disorder Clinic’ at Apollo Speciality, Hospital Chennai

Apollo’s Hospital’s Neurosciences team successfully performs Deep Brain Stimulation surgery on second International patient ailing with Parkinson’s. With the intent to create greater awareness and to provide this benefit to more such patients ailing with chronic disorders, Apollo Hospitals launches Tamilnadu’s 1st Movement Disorder Clinic.

Mr. Rahmatullah a 62-year-old patient from Swat Valley, Pakistan was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease over 15 years ago. In August 2011, he underwent Deep Brain Stimulation at Apollo Speciality Hospitals, Chennai and has now recovered completely. He is the 2nd among Pakistani patients diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease who received treatment from the Neurosciences Specialists at Apollo Speciality Hospitals, Chennai. Both patients have recovered and are now in good health.

Mr. Rahmatullah was tormented with Parkinson’s disease and was unable to perform even his day to day activities. Despite being under medication for more than 10 years, Mr. Rahmatullah did not experience any improvement and unfortunately the intake of drugs caused side effects leading to involuntary movements like dyskinesia.

Speaking about Mr. Rahmatullah, the patient from Pakistan, the Super specialist team at Apollo Specialty Hospital, Chennai including Dr R. Ramnarayan, Consultant Functional Neurosurgeon and Dr. S. Yogaraj, Consultant Neurologist said, “”Even on high doses of medication, he patient’s condition was deteriorating and he was experiencing severe disability in walking and stiffness in his limbs. He had also grapple with a sleeping disorder, an unbalanced appetite and he also had lost urinary control. Based on these concerns, we had decided to perform a Deep Brain Stimulation, an innovative surgical procedure on the patient.

According to Dr. Ram Narayan, Functional Neuro Surgeon, “”Prior to the surgery the patient was quite crippled with severe stiffness and dyskinesia and was completely bedridden. After the Deep Brain Stimulation surgery, he improved remarkably. Mr. Rahmatullah is now able to move around independently, the stiffness that he was experiencing for years has reduced and he can take care of his needs by himself now””.

With the intent to create greater awareness and to provide this benefit to more such patients ailing with chronic disorders, Apollo Hospitals launches Tamilnadu’s 1st Movement Disorder Clinic.

Highlights of the Movement Disorder Clinic at Apollo Hospitals Chennai:

1. Clinical evaluation by Neurologists, well experienced in Movement Disorders (Movement Disorder Specialist)
2. Investigations including high resolution MRI scans, Functional MRI, electrophysiology etc.
3. Availability of special equipments including computerized gait training
4. Specific assessments by neuropsychologists and physiotherapists, occupational therapist & speech therapist with genetic tests and counseling.
5. Surgical treatment of selected movement disorders by functional Neurosurgeon (experienced in Movement Disorders surgery).

Surgical treatment can be performed on patients diagnosed with select types of Parkinson’s disease, Essential tremor, Secondary tremors, and Hemidystonias, Tourette’s syndrome and other diseases.

Parkinson’s affects 1 – 2% of the population above 60 yrs of age. In India it is seen amongst younger age group (up to 15%). Treatments of movement disorders like Parkinsonism are done predominantly by using special drugs and this is very effective in most cases. But many patients do also develop side-effects caused by usage of the drugs especially after 5-6 years of treatment. Such patients are surgical candidates. The surgical treatment offered for Parkinsonism is Sub Thalamic Nucleus (STN) Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS).

Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) is a complex procedure, which involves inserting an electrode into the STN (deep in the brain) done under local anesthesia, where the main focus is on patient safety and adherence to a patented algorithm. This treatment is based on the premise that high frequency stimulation of the sub-thalamic nucleus (STN), deep in the brain, alleviates symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Stimulating electrodes are implanted in the STN using stereotactic neurosurgical navigation, supported by intra-operative neurophysiological monitoring. The electrodes are connected to a battery operated pulse generator, fixed under the skin (none of them are visible from the outside). The implanted pulse generator is programmed, from the outside, for optimal stimulation of the STN. Program parameters can be adjusted using an external programmer. The device can be switched on/off by the external programmer. Protocol beginnings from imaging to implantation, the steps of which are standard across all centers adapting the process, are followed rigidly. These Procedures are highly technical, sophisticated, and elaborate & required extensive training.

Deep Brain Stimulation is also effective for other movement disorders like dystonias, essential tremors, some psychiatric disorders like Obsessive compulsive disease and chronic depression, severe alcoholism, severe chronic pain, uncontrolled seizures etc. Apollo Specialty hospital has the expertise and the equipment to take up treatment of these complex diseases and help thousands of such patients.