If you are suffering from any movement disorders related to your brain, deep brain stimulation can be the best option for you. To avail of the best deep brain stimulation surgery, you will require an experienced neurosurgeon. Dr. Gurneet, a top neurosurgeon in Mumbai, is proficient in performing DBS surgery. Here we are going to discuss deep brain surgery in detail. So, continue to read the article till the end.
What is Deep Brain Stimulation
Deep brain stimulation is a surgical treatment where we implant electrodes into certain portions of your brain. The implanted electrodes help in producing electrical impulses that regulate all the abnormalities in your brain.
They affect certain chemicals and cells within your brain. A pacemaker-like device that we place under your skin in the upper chest region controls your brain’s amount of stimulation.
When do we advise the deep brain stimulation surgery?
Deep brain stimulation surgery is very beneficial in treating the following conditions.
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder- It is a mental issue where you are obsessed with doing certain things repeatedly. The obsession reaches the level where it hampers your daily life.
- Dystonia– It is an uncontrolled, abnormal movement of your muscles. Dystonia results in the repetitive motion of your muscles or abnormal postures.
- Parkinson’s disease– It is a brain-related disorder that can lead you to continuous shaking, difficulty walking, coordinating, and balancing.
- Essential tremor– It is a neurological malfunctioning that includes involuntary rhythmic shaking.
- Epilepsy– It is again a neurological issue that results in abnormal brain activity, loss of awareness, and unusual behavior.
Along with these, we may advise you to go for deep brain stimulation surgery as a potential treatment for the following issues.
- Brain injury– It includes any type of damage to your brain due to an accident.
- Addiction– It refers to an obsession with certain things that can hamper your life.
- Tourette syndrome– It includes repetitive movement or uncontrolled unwanted sound.
- Chronic pain– It includes continuous and severe pain in your head, neck, and shoulder.
- Recovery from stroke– During the rescue of a stroke, your brain may not function properly. So, for that, we may advise deep brain stimulation.
- Cluster headache– It refers to the series of excruciating headaches in repetition.
- Multiple sclerosis– It is a situation where your immune system destroys the protective layer of nerves.
- Dementia– It refers to specific thoughts and social symptoms that can hamper your daily functioning.
- Huntington’s disease– It is a brain disorder that results in emotional issues, loss of thinking ability, and uncontrolled movement.
- Major depression– It refers to severe episodes of depression that create problems in your regular life.
We recommend this procedure only when medication can not handle your issue, and there is no other way than deep brain stimulation to treat your movement disorder.
Advantages of deep brain stimulation
The surgery is very beneficial to the patients who require this help in particular. The advantages of the surgery are as follows-
- We can customize and revise the effects or dosages of the electrodes.
- It works according to the symptoms of the disease.
- We can perform the treatment on one or both sides of your brain according to your requirements.
- We can modify the stimulation settings and increase the effectiveness of the treatment for an extended period.
- It can work continuously to control your problematic symptoms all day long.
- According to their availability, patients who have opted for deep brain stimulation can avail of other treatments like stem cell or gene therapy.
After a few weeks of the surgery, we turn on the device to understand the appropriate settings in the beginning. Here some settings may lead you to specific side effects as well. But the situation can be improved with the next adjustments in stimulation.
Side effects of stimulation
- Tingling and numbing sensation
- Lightheadedness
- Muscle tightness of your face and arm
- Problem in speech
- Double vision or unclear vision
- Problem in balancing
- Sudden mood changes without any reason
After all, it is a fact that deep brain stimulation cannot cure your disease, but it may help to control the symptoms associated with your condition. In some cases, we may advise you to continue the medications along with the treatments as well.