Parkinson’s patients benefit from ‘life-changing’ deep brain stimulation implants in UAE

Abu Dhabi: Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, part of the M42 network, has successfully completed 50 deep brain stimulation implants since it was introduced in the hospital in 2020. It is one of the leading hospitals in the UAE to provide this unique treatment option to Parkinson’s disease patients.

Deep brain stimulation is a surgical procedure that involves implanting electrodes in specific areas of the brain, which deliver controlled electrical impulses to modify abnormal brain activity responsible for Parkinson’s disease symptoms.

Electrodes are connected to a device, known as an implantable pulse generator (IPG), which is placed beneath the skin on the chest. Once activated, the IPG emits continuous electrical pulses to the targeted areas of the brain, effectively modulating abnormal neural activity and reducing the debilitating symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease.

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi said its offering of deep brain stimulation surgery in the UAE has “significantly reduced” the need for patients to travel abroad for specialised treatment. In fact, patients travelling from the region and beyond seek treatment at the hospital due to the availability of this technology.

The journey toward this achievement began three years ago when Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi collaborated with Cleveland Clinic in the US to introduce deep brain stimulation surgery for patients in the UAE. With a multidisciplinary approach, the surgeries are led by Dr Shivam Om Mittal, Staff Physicianin the Neurological Institute, who leads the Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Programme, and Dr Tanmoy K. Maiti, Associate Staff Physician, also an expert functional neurosurgeon at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, who completed fellowship training at Cleveland Clinic in the US along with a team of nurses, physical therapists, speech therapists, and more.

He added: “Also, to have deep brain stimulation, it’s important to be physically strong enough for surgery and to be prepared for the care needed afterwards. For those who can’t have deep brain stimulation, other treatment options are available such as pump therapy, which is also routinely done at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.”