A medical team specialising in neurosurgery at Al-Kafeel Specialist Hospital has announced the successful completion of a pioneering surgical procedure on a 59-year-old patient using deep brain stimulation technology.

Dr Heba Abdul-Amir stated: “A 59-year-old patient from the Nasiriyah Governorate consulted us suffering from tremors in his limbs accompanied by rigidity, and his response to drug treatments had begun to gradually decline. Following a thorough diagnosis and consultation with a neurologist, the medical decision was taken to perform deep brain stimulation surgery.”

Dr Heba Abdul Amir added, “We performed deep brain stimulation on the patient, which is considered one of the best functional surgical procedures for controlling involuntary movements and motor disorders. It is used for patients with Parkinson’s disease, specific types of epilepsy, as well as those with obsessive-compulsive disorder,” she explained that “the procedure was carried out within two hours under general anaesthesia, after which the patient made a full recovery.”

Abdul Amir confirmed that the patient’s treatment programme is ongoing; programming of the device will begin in ten days’ time, after which the patient will undergo regular follow-up and programming sessions whilst gradually reducing their reliance on medication.