Hospital da Luz Lisboa performed its first surgery to control the symptoms of Parkinson disease with deep brain stimulation , the so-called DBS. This is a complex surgery where a device is implanted to send electrical impulses to deep structures of the brain associated with motion functions. This surgery at Hospital da Luz was performed by neurosurgeons Pedro Duarte Batista and Herculano Carvalho and neurologists Ana Calado and Joana Vitor . The anaesthesia team was coordinated by Rute Jácome , and the Operating Room team of nursing was coordinated by Luís Anastácio and Patrícia Macedo. DBS surgery: Started to be developed in the 90ies for people with motion neurologic disturbances or diseases, namely tremors, dystonia, and Parkinson. Today, DBS is used to treat multiple diseases, such as Parkinson, dystonia, tremors, pain, Tourette syndrome, obsessive-compulsive disorder, epilepsy, among others. As explained by Pedro Duarte Batista, “it is applied only in selected cases of patients where medication is no longer sufficient to control the symptoms and when there is still a high probability of benefiting from the device implantation”. This is a neurostimulator producing electrical impulses that are sent to block or regulate abnormal messages of the brain which cause some of the symptoms of Parkinson disease, such as tremors and slowed movements, significantly improving the quality of life of patients. “Electrodes are placed in the brain, and a battery on the chest, under the skin, generates low electrical current. During surgery, CT exams are conducted and the patient is awakened to evaluate the effect of the therapy”, further describes Pedro Duarte Batista. This first surgery performed at Hospital da Luz Lisboa was a success, the patient is well and was discharged from hospital after three days. The procedure represents a milestone in the history of the Hospital, which has a multidisciplinary team dedicated to support patients with motion diseases and prepared to offer a complete response in terms of diagnosis and therapeutics. This team includes neurologists, neurosurgeons, neuroradiologists, psychiatrists, neuropsychologists, nurses, physiotherapists, speech therapists, and occupational therapists.
