ABU DHABI, (Pakistan Point News - 13th Apr, 2021) Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi has carried out UAE's first deep brain stimulation operations saving the lives of four Emirati nationals from Parkinson’s disease.
The surgeries, which each lasted between four and eight hours, took place over just four days following comprehensive evaluations to ensure the patients were good candidates for the surgery.
The complex surgery can significantly reduce the symptoms patients experience, reducing their need for medication and improving their quality of life. The electrodes are controlled by a small device implanted under the patient’s skin.
"Deep brain stimulation is an intricate procedure that will transform both the lives of patients and the way Parkinson’s disease is treated in the UAE. The level of expertise required to offer this surgery is phenomenal and I am extremely proud of the whole team for coming together to offer these patients a new level of care and a lifeless reliant on medication and with fewer symptoms," said Dr. Florian Roser, Chair of the Neurological Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.
During the surgery, neurosurgeons implant electrodes into precise areas of the brain to block rogue signals that cause motor problems such as tremors. These areas are identified in advance using advanced imaging technologies that inform each patient’s unique surgical plan.
"Deep brain stimulation is a particularly complex endeavour that relies on detailed planning and submillimeter precision. Using some of the worlds most advanced imaging techniques, our team can determine the exact areas of the brain causing a patient’s symptoms. Once identified, the challenge is to place the electrode at those precise points through the brain. Each case is unique and dramatically different to most surgeries," said Dr. Tanmoy Maiti, the neurosurgeon who performed the surgeries at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.
Reflecting the close level of collaboration between colleagues, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s deep brain stimulation programme draws on Cleveland Clinic in Ohio’s more than twenty years of experience in the field, performing more than 150 deep brain stimulation surgeries per year. The surgical team received support in the UAE’s first deep brain stimulation surgeries from Dr. Andre Machado who flew to Abu Dhabi from the US for the surgeries.
"Cleveland Clinic is a global, integrated organisation and all parts are mutually supportive. Our team trained the surgical team at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi and also discussed each patient’s surgical candidacy. It was a great pleasure to be in Abu Dhabi to support the success of the first few surgeries and the Cleveland team will continue to support this very important programme," said Dr. Andre Machado, Institute Chair, Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic.
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, an integral part of Mubadala Health, is the only hospital in the UAE equipped with the requisite technology and infrastructural expertise to offer deep brain stimulation to patients as a team.
