Hyderabad: NIMS cuts deep brain stimulation surgery duration to 2 hours

Doctors at NIMS Hyderabad have reduced Deep Brain Stimulation surgery duration from six hours to under two hours using advanced imaging and general anesthesia. The hospital also introduced free MRI-guided radiofrequency ablation for tremor disorders under the CMRF scheme

Hyderabad: The Neurosurgery Department at the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) has reduced the duration of Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) surgery, which involves implanting a brain pacemaker, from six hours down to just one to two hours.

Led by Prof. Dr. Y. Vamsi Krishna, Head of the Neurosurgery Department, the team has introduced advanced MRI-guided Radiofrequency Ablation for tremor disorders like Parkinson’s.

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Previously, patients undergoing DBS for movement disorders such as Parkinson’s, essential tremor, and dystonia had to remain awake for several hours during an awake craniotomy, causing physical discomfort, anxiety, and fatigue, NIMS doctors said.

Following specialized training at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London, the NIMS team coordinated advanced imaging and surgical planning to perform DBS under general anesthesia with high precision in just one to two hours for selected patients.

NIMS has also launched MRI-guided radiofrequency ablation for tremors unresponsive to medications. Using modern MRI sequences, the dentato-rubro-thalamic (DRT) tract is targeted with extreme precision, requiring no permanent device implantation.

While this treatment costs up to around Rs 5 lakhs in private hospitals, NIMS provides it free of cost to eligible patients through the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF).

NIMS Director Prof. Dr. Rahul Devaraj congratulated Dr. Vamsi Krishna, Dr. Sirisha Yarida, Dr. Vasundhara, and the healthcare team for the achievement.