Specialists of the National Medical Center named after. Meshalkin in Novosibirsk performed a unique operation on the brain of a patient who suffered from severe tremors. The minimally invasive intervention allowed the man to return to normal life immediately after discharge.
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In 2014, a resident of Novosibirsk had an accident and received a severe traumatic brain injury, after which he was in a coma for a long time. The man recovered, but four years later he developed a specific disorder: involuntary sweeping movements of his right hand, similar to the beating of a wing. The tremor was especially severe when trying to perform any action or hold an object in the hand.
According to the patient, the tremor caused huge problems because the arm was “absolutely beyond his control.” The man was so unable to control his movements that he repeatedly struck himself and pulled out door handles when trying to open the doors. He consulted various specialists, underwent examinations, took prescribed medications, but there was no result.
Neurosurgeons of the center named after. Meshalkin, to whom the man turned, decided on surgical intervention. He underwent radiofrequency thalamotomy – a minimally invasive intervention aimed at the destruction of certain areas of the thalamus.
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“Such tremor is especially resistant to conservative therapy. In these cases, radiofrequency destruction can be an effective treatment method. Currently, this technique is being replaced by implantation of deep brain stimulation systems. However, for a number of neurological disorders, especially with unilateral symptoms, destructive surgery has advantages, freeing the person from implantation of the device,” said neurosurgeon Martin Kilchukov.
The operation was planned based on the results of magnetic resonance imaging. The positive effect was noticeable even during the intervention: the patient was conscious all the time and was in contact with the surgeons.
After the operation, the man’s tremor significantly decreased, thanks to which he was able to return to everyday activities without restrictions, experts reported.