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Psychosurgery Cures Mental Disorders
India made a colossal breakthrough in the field of ‘psychosurgery’ by performing two DBS procedures on patients struggling with Depression and Schizophrenia.
The surgeries were done using the technique of Deep brain stimulation and mark the first of its kind operation in India and the 14th in the world.The procedure involved inserting electrodes at the sites affected by the psychiatric disorder and through a surgical process.
The patient – A 28-year-old African man, battling schizophrenia for 13 years was operated on 14th June at Marengo Asia Hospital in Gurugram.
Another 38-year-old Australian woman living in Mumbai and struggling with depression since she was 12 years old also underwent DBS and recovered successfully.
How is DBS done?
Electrical Impulses are responsible for all the activities and functions transpiring in our Brain, including the way we think, perceive, and behave.
In DBS, the areas in the brain damaged by mental disorders are mapped and artificial electrodes are installed. The current flow in these implants is regulated by a battery that is positioned in the chest.
Dr. Himanshu Champaneri, one of the surgeons involved in the DBS procedure done in Mumbai, elaborates that this technique entails recognizing definite centers causing the aberrations and altering their working to restore homeostasis in the brain, resembling the working of a pacemaker.
Taking about 4-8 hours, this procedure is a permanent solution to treating psychological disorders. Post-operative care is very critical for the patient to monitor and adjust the magnitude of the current.
According to Dr. Sunit Mendiratta, a consulting neurosurgeon at the IBS Hospital, New Delhi, DBS is only ideal for patients in the later phase of sickness who have already tried a variety of medications for more than 3 years and failed to conquer their illness.
Why DBS Remained Unexplored As Yet?
Answering the question as to why it took so long to explore this potential arena, Dr. Himanshu replies that Deep brain stimulation was already implemented in the last 10 years in India for curing brain diseases located in a definite region, like Parkinson’s Disease.
With more research conducted in this advancing field, the scope of its utilization expands. When neurologists recently identified the nodes in the brain that trigger dysfunctions in human behavior, for instance, delusions and hallucination in schizophrenia, this approach can be wielded for remedy.
Most psychological disorders do not have a distinct locale of origin or impact. Some of them are not yet identified by experts due to a lack of awareness and exploration. Unless we know the specific target sites, DBS cannot be performed, declares Dr. Mendiratta
Apart from biological and scientific factors, social and cultural elements are also culpable for the slow exploitation of this sphere. The stigma enfolding mental illnesses, the deep-rooted orthodox beliefs in treating disorders, and the ethical issues involved in the surgery affected its progress in India.
Obstacles Challenging DBS Exploitation
This marvelous treatment, proving to be a wonder for long-time sufferers of serious mental health issues, is not entirely free of drawbacks.
The occurrence of this surgery requires permission from the family as well as the government for ethical reasons. Also, the exorbitant cost of equipment, ranging between 8-15 lakhs, becomes a huge impediment for people who cannot afford it.
Moreover, people and professionals are still oblivious to this novel evolution in the discipline of psychosurgery, noted Dr Champaneri.
DBS Promising Potential and Optimism
DBS, undoubtedly a field of infinite potential and immense scope for application, is still relatively untrodden.
With more research and more such surgeries and successes, DBS can also be employed to heal a manifold of other psychological abnormalities like OCD, anxiety, bipolar, or mania, said an optimistic Dr.Champaneri.
This procedure is a ray of hope for age-old victims of psychiatric conditions for whom therapy and even medicines have proven to be ineffective.
