Deep brain stimulation for Parkinson’s disease, tremor and dystonia, with Dr. Puneet Rana, visiting senior consultant neurosurgeon.
Deep brain stimulation, or DBS, places fine electrodes into a precise target deep within the brain. These are connected to a small stimulator placed under the skin below the collarbone, rather like a pacemaker. The device delivers continuous electrical pulses that settle the abnormal activity causing tremor, stiffness and unwanted movement.
DBS does not cure the underlying condition, and it is not a last resort offered when nothing else is left. It is a treatment for people whose symptoms are no longer well controlled by medicines, and it works best when offered at the right stage rather than after years of decline.
The settings can be adjusted afterwards, and the stimulation can be turned down or off. That adjustability is a large part of why it is preferred over older, permanent procedures.
DBS is considered for movement disorders where medicines are no longer giving steady control.
For people whose medicines have begun to wear off between doses, or who develop involuntary movements on treatment.
For disabling tremor of the hands or head that has not responded to medication.
For sustained abnormal postures and twisting movements, including some forms that begin in childhood.
Not everyone with Parkinson’s disease or tremor is a candidate, and selection matters more than the surgery itself. The assessment is made jointly by a neurologist and the neurosurgeon, and looks at how the symptoms respond to medication, what the MRI shows, and memory and mood, since these influence how well someone does afterwards.
A good candidate typically still responds to medication but no longer smoothly, with troublesome fluctuations through the day. If the symptoms have never responded to medicines at all, DBS is less likely to help, and that is an important thing to establish before surgery is discussed.
The electrodes are positioned using detailed imaging and careful targeting, since the target is only a few millimetres across. The stimulator is placed under the skin in a second step, and the system is switched on and programmed afterwards.
Programming is not a single event. The settings are tuned over subsequent visits, alongside adjustment of medication, to find the combination that gives the steadiest control. This is why DBS is managed by a team rather than by a surgeon alone.
Please note: NeuroMet Wellness is an outpatient clinic. Consultation, review of your scans, and second opinions happen here; if a surgery is advised, it is carried out by Dr. Rana at his hospital, Paras Health, Gurugram.
No. DBS controls symptoms such as tremor, stiffness and fluctuation, often very effectively, but it does not stop the underlying condition from progressing. It is offered to improve day-to-day function and steadiness of control.
The electrodes are placed through a small opening using precise targeting. Unlike older procedures that destroyed a small area of tissue permanently, stimulation can be adjusted, reduced, or switched off entirely.
Selection is a joint decision between a neurologist and the neurosurgeon, based on how your symptoms respond to medication, your MRI, and an assessment of memory and mood. Not everyone with Parkinson's or tremor is a candidate.
Usually yes, though often at a reduced dose. DBS and medication work together, and the settings are tuned over several visits alongside your drug doses.
Consultation and the discussion about whether DBS suits you happen at NeuroMet Wellness. The procedure itself is carried out by Dr. Rana at his hospital, Paras Health, Gurugram.
Leave your number and our clinic team will call you back to fix a time. Dr. Rana’s clinic at NeuroMet runs 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM by prior appointment.
