Jaslok Hospital on Tuesday announced that it had performed a breakthrough surgery, which could go a long way towards reducing the symptoms of ?Parkinson’s disease? amongst patients.

Dr Paresh Doshi, chief of the department of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery at the Jaslok Hospital, said that he had performed a ?Subthalamic Nucleus lesioning? (STN) for advanced Parkinson?s diseases on a 61-year-old patient from Gujarat. Typically, those with advanced Parkinson?s are treated by using a technique called the ?Deep Brain stimulation? ? which involves implanting electrodes on the two sides of the brain, and passing high frequency current through it.

This is besides treating them with medicines. Through this, the idea is to target a part of those hyperactive cells of the subthalamic nucleus, which aggravate the symptoms of Parkinson?s among patients. when high frequency current is passed, these hyperactive cells calm down. ?But this is very expensive as patients have to come back frequently for follow up treatments,? Doshi said.

On Friday, Doshi performed an STN on Purushottam Dadhania. this surgery involves performing a lesion on these hyperactive cells. this means these hyperactive cells are removed altogether. It is tricky as doctors have to avoid harming the good cells as subthalamic nucleus cells are responsible for movement, emotions and moods in a patient. ?I have been suggesting this technique to patients for nearly two years. It is one sixth the cost of the DBS technique, but patients have been wary of the STN because this is an irreversible process,? Doshi said.