Doctors at Chennai-based MGM Healthcare, have performed Tamil Nadu’s and South India’s first Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) surgery for Obsessive Compulsive Neurosis or OCD, a mental illness. The procedure was led by Dr. K. Sridhar, Senior Consultant Neurosurgeon at MGM Healthcare and his team of experts.
Explaining the surgery, Dr. Sridhar said, “Deep Brain Stimulation is a type of surgery where micro-electrodes are placed in specific parts of the brain to stimulate groups of nerve cells and their connections. The surgery is done most often for Parkinson's disease and other abnormal movements like Dystonia. In recent times the indication has also included certain psychological disorders. One such disorder is Obsessive Compulsive Neurosis or OCD. While most of these patients are treated with medications and counseling and other non-invasive therapies, there are a group of patients who do not respond and continue to suffer. DBS offers relief for such patients by way of stimulation of parts of the brain that break the cycle of thought which happens in OCD.”
DBS allows people to potentially reduce their medications and improve their quality of life. Being a new therapeutic procedure, only less than 10 such surgeries have been across the country so far.
“Here the selection of the patient is very important and involves strict protocols and guidelines. DBS for OCD requires a multi- disciplinary team consisting of a Psychiatrist, Clinical Psychologist, Neurologist, Neurosurgeon as well as a Neuro-anesthesist . Each of them need to eamine the patient, and only if there is independent consensus of all of them, we offer and counsel the patient for the surgery. This way we ensure that medically, ethically and socially the correct decision has been taken,” adds Dr. Sridhar.
Dr Sridhar, Senior Consultant Neurosurgeon at MGM Healthcare
With this successfully performed surgery, MGM hopes to bring relief to many patients who are silently suffering across the city, state and country, a press release from the hospital said.