Outreach OPD to treat Parkinson’s disease in M'luru

Bengaluru-based Columbia Asia Referral Hospital in association with Indiana Hospital, Mangaluru, will establish an outreach OPD (out patient department) on deep brain stimulation (DBS) for tackling Parkinson’s disease in the city.

Consultant Neurology in Columbia Asia Referral Hospital Dr Guruprasad Hosurkar told mediapersons in Hotel Ocean Pearl here, that the outreach OPD would be available for patients once in a month at Indiana Hospital.

Dr Hosurkar will be in Mangaluru to diagnose patients and provide necessary medical assistance.

Parkinson’s disease usually develops in people above the age of 60.

Some of the most obvious symptoms are shaking, rigidity of the limbs, slowness in movement and difficulty with walking.

As the disease advances, patients start developing cognitive and behavioral problems as well.

There is no cure for Parkinson’s disease. But brain stimulation can help ease the symptoms and improve quality of life, he said.

He said, “Parkinson’s is a special neurodegenerative disorder. Symptoms vary from person to person. DBS is one such advanced treatment for patients with severe movement disorders.”

DBS is a procedure in which neurostimulator is implanted in brain to induce electrical impulses, through implanted electrodes to specific parts of the brain.”

Dr Elvis Rodrigues, consultant neuro surgeon at Indiana Hospital and Heart Institute, said, ‘’Medical therapies can bring significant improvements in the symptoms of Parkinson’s. The launch of the Outreach OPD was long overdue for patients here in Mangaluru. Understanding the complexities of the Parkinson’s disease, we intended to collaborate with a global healthcare institution like Columbia Asia Hospitals.This association will significantly benefit patient care and reduce the burden on the caregivers.”