Karnataka witnesses a breakthrough with its first deep mind stimulation (DBS) surgical procedure for a affected person affected by drug-resistant epilepsy.
- First focused DBS surgical procedure for epilepsy in Karnataka carried out at Fortis Hospital
- Personalised mind mapping helped cut back seizures and enhance high quality of life
- DBS is a minimally invasive, adjustable remedy with long-term psychological and bodily advantages
A workforce of Bengaluru docs completed Karnataka’s first focused Deep Mind Stimulation (DBS) surgical procedure on a affected person with drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) who has been having problem controlling their seizures for a very long time. It tremendously expands how medical care is delivered within the state and can also profit hundreds of individuals across the nation dealing with unmanageable epilepsy (1✔ ✔Trusted Supply
Deep Mind Stimulation and Drug-Resistant Epilepsy: A Assessment of the Literature
).
Regardless of taking a number of anti-seizure medicines, the affected person had unpredictable seizures for years. Nonetheless, there’s now a real probability that the seizures will cease. Due to exact mind mapping and stimulation, expertise now offers hope and dignity to a drugs that might not obtain a promising final result for the affected person.
Rewiring the Mind: How DBS Modifications the Sport
Medicines fail to manage seizures in about 30% of individuals dwelling with epilepsy—a situation often called drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE). Regardless of attempting a number of medicines and combos, many nonetheless expertise frequent seizures. For these people, day by day life can really feel unsure, isolating, and at instances, dangerously unpredictable.
Till not too long ago, the one choices for managing drug-resistant epilepsy had been restricted to adjusting medicines, dealing with ongoing signs, or present process invasive mind surgical procedure—an choice that is not all the time appropriate or accessible for everybody.
The life-saving various DBS:
- It is minimally invasive in comparison with traditional brain surgeries.
- It gives adjustable, reversible remedy.
- It focuses on regulating mind circuits quite than eradicating mind tissue.
Exploring the Proof Behind a Breakthrough Remedy
Think about dwelling with epilepsy so extreme that even potent medicines fail to stop seizures. Now think about being advised that surgical procedure isn’t an choice as a result of the seizures begin in too many areas or in areas the place surgical procedure is unlikely to succeed. This was the fact for many individuals—till DBS got here alongside and supplied new hope (2✔ ✔Trusted Supply
Deep Mind Stimulation: A New Strategy to the Remedy of Epilepsy
).
In a examine revealed in Epilepsia, Dr. Fisher and his workforce demonstrated that DBS is a strong various for these with drug-resistant epilepsy. Whereas conventional mind surgical procedure removes components of the mind, DBS delivers mild electrical pulses to deep mind areas, particularly the anterior nucleus of the thalamus. These alerts assist calm the overactive areas that set off seizures. It’s like resetting your mind’s rhythm from the within, with out invasive surgical procedure. This breakthrough opened the door to remedy for sufferers who had beforehand been advised there have been no remaining choices.
Much more promising outcomes emerged over time. Over 5 years, sufferers receiving DBS typically skilled fewer and fewer extreme seizures than earlier than the process. However the advantages didn’t cease there. Many additionally reported emotional and psychological enhancements—higher temper, improved sleep, and a better high quality of life.
The analysis confirmed that DBS will not be solely about managing seizures—it’s additionally about serving to folks reside safer, fuller lives. In line with Dr. Fisher’s examine, DBS represents greater than a technological breakthrough; it’s a compassionate various for sufferers who’ve exhausted all different remedies. This technique has been proven in long-term research, such because the SANTE trial, to scale back seizures by as much as 69% over 5 years (3✔ ✔Trusted Supply
Bengaluru hospital performs Karnataka’s first focused DBS surgical procedure for drug-resistant epilepsy
Bengaluru’s Breakthrough
This idea was efficiently utilized to a affected person who was a 21-year-old male from Yemen who had been battling uncontrollable seizures for over 12 years, marking one more breakthrough. The neurosurgeon Dr. Raghuram G., Extra Director of Neurosurgery at Fortis Hospital, and his workforce carried out the process with distinctive precision and care. Not like standard surgical procedures, they used superior imaging and steady EEG monitoring to map the affected person’s distinctive seizure patterns in actual time.
Each step of the method adopted extremely particular, customized protocols. The workforce recognized a exact goal within the mind tailor-made to the affected person’s seizure exercise, aiming for the biggest impact with the least danger. Because of this personalized strategy, Karnataka witnessed its first targeted deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery for epilepsy.
The early final result has already confirmed very encouraging. Just some weeks after the process, the affected person skilled a noticeable discount in seizure frequency—a hopeful signal of long-term success. However the story doesn’t finish there. Because the seizures got here underneath management, the affected person additionally reported enhancements in temper, restored power, and higher sleep. Her confidence started to return, and managing day by day routines as soon as once more turned doable. A way of normalcy was starting to take form.
“This can be a new starting,” stated Dr. Raghuram G., the lead neurosurgeon. “With DBS, we’re not simply treating epilepsy—we’re giving folks a brand new lease on life.”
As consciousness grows and extra sufferers achieve entry to those superior therapies, the phrases they’ve longed to listen to might lastly change into a actuality for a lot of Indians:
References:
- Deep Mind Stimulation and Drug-Resistant Epilepsy: A Assessment of the Literature – (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6563690/)
- Deep Mind Stimulation: A New Strategy to the Remedy of Epilepsy – (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2704363/)
- Bengaluru hospital performs Karnataka’s first focused DBS surgical procedure for drug-resistant epilepsy – (https://www.theweek.in/wire-updates/nationwide/2025/05/26/mes16-ka-surgery.html)
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