Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals, Kolkata, offers new hope for patients with intractable Parkinson’s disease, using pioneering, rechargeable brain pacemaker.

The implementation of the rechargeable brain pacemaker device, the first of its kind in Eastern India, therefore, offers a new ray of hope for patients suffering from intractable Parkinson’s disease.

Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals, Kolkata, is at the forefront of delivering the latest in medical care. True to its tradition of ensuring the best in curative solutions, on 14th January this year, a team at AGH’s Advanced Movement Disorder Clinic, under the able leadership of Consultant Neurosurgeon Dr Anirban Deep Banerjee, carried out a successful rechargeable bilateral sub-thalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (brain pacemaker) surgery on a 55 year old single mother of three.

The patient, was suffering from intractable Parkinson’s disease for many years. She was afflicted by severe rigidity (whole-body stiffness) and bradykinesia (slowness of movements), and, as a result of escalating medication, had started showing symptoms of Dyskinesia (involuntary muscle movements). Advanced Parkinson’s had severely restricted her mobility, leaving her disabled and mostly bed-bound. The eight-hour long awake neurosurgery, implanting the constant-current based rechargeable brain pacemaker system, led to an almost overnight improvement in her symptoms. Her implant was then programmed and checked for best parameters, leading to a significant reduction in her medications and its side-effects.

She has regained significant mobility, and is carrying out daily activities on her own. Her quality of life has improved significantly and her family is happy.

Dr Banerjee, an alumnus of Cleveland Clinic, USA and eastern India’s first fellowship-trained Functional Neurosurgeon, who has conducted several successful brain pacemaker and ITB (Intrathecal Baclofen) system implantation surgeries at AGH, observed, “With the facility of recharging the device just like our cell-phones, this unique, rechargeable brain pacemaker system has the longest lifespan, and the smallest and lightest profile among its counterparts. The model significantly reduces the need for frequent and costly replacements, inherent to non-rechargeable models. Following its FDA approval in June 2015, this is Eastern India’s first such implant.”

Dr Rupali Basu, President and CEO, Eastern Region, Apollo Hospitals Group, India, summed up the success story, “The implementation of the rechargeable brain pacemaker device, the first of its kind in the eastern India, therefore, offers a new ray of hope for patients suffering from intractable Parkinson’s. The implant not only helps in controlling the level of medications required by such patients, but, more importantly, improves their overall quality of life. We would continue delivering such cutting edge innovations in our efforts to touch, and transform lives.”