Parkinson patient returns to normalcy after operation in Mumbai

A Parkinson patient got himself operated to play guitar for his eight-year-old son. Recently, David Motsonelidze, 51, underwent Deep Brain Stimulation surgery at Jaslok Hospital. 

An electrode was implanted in his brain to selectively inhibit a group of cells responsible for the symptoms. Motsonelidze, a resident of Georgia, US, has been suffering from Parkinson’s disease for 10 years. He lost his job because of it. 

“When he came to me in December 2010, he was significantly disabled and dependent on others for day-to-day work. He told me he wanted to take care of his son and play guitar for him,” said Dr Paresh Doshi, stereotactic and functional neurosurgeon, Jaslok Hospital.

Doshi said, “Surgery should be considered when patients have severe tremors and drug-related side effects as seen in advanced stages of Parkinson’s disease. It is also helpful for those who have either left their jobs or are at risk of losing their job due to the disease.” 

According to Doshi, there is no age limit to perform the surgery. He added that the surgery is safe and has virtually no side effects. The risk of complications is less than 2%. 

Motsonelidze just returned home. “He suffered from severe hallucinations and altered sleep patterns as well as extreme stiffness of limbs. He was on drugs. He used to get tremors too. Now he can walk freely. He played guitar for us before leaving.” 

The patient is discharged 10 days after surgery. The follow-up examination is conducted once in three months and then once at the end of the year. After that, once a year is enough. “I have overseen patients who have not come to me for the last two to three years and they are doing well,” said Doshi. 

The post-operative care is minimal except that at airports, the patient needs to avoid the metal detectors as they have pacemakers installed.