Being neurodegenerative, chronic and progressive, Parkinson’s affects the central and peripheral nervous system, causing motor symptoms (such as tremors, slowness or bradykinesia, rigidity) and non-motor symptoms (depression, cognitive impairment, sleep disorders) that impair life, not only of those who take it, but of everyone around them. For this reason, the Dr. Franco Ravera Zunino Hospital (HFRZ) on World Parkinson’s Day highlighted its role in clinical innovations in this pathology, such as the “Deep Brain Stimulation Surgeries” that, started in 2020, helped to a total of 28 patients, who hope to resume this year.
The head of the HFRZ Neurology Unit, Dr. María Consuelo Burgos, recalled that “for our health team it was very comforting to see that the patients who underwent deep brain stimulation surgery were able to effectively resume their lives, remain stable during the 24 hours and recover their physical and emotional well-being”, adding that, “the surgeries we performed, supported by the O’Higgins Regional Council, were part of two projects, the first in the San Borja Hospital in 2018 and the second in the then Regional Hospital, in December 2020, with Dr. Ravera himself intervening, a plan that, delayed by the pandemic, concluded at the beginning of 2023, signifying important milestones for the health and well-being of the people who undergo the pathology.”
With the above, the hospital neurologist emphasized that “it is important to know that the disease affects both men and women, with a slight predominance in men, that the average age is around 60 years, becoming more prevalent as age increases. In fact, it is estimated that today there are around 10 million people in the world who suffer from the disease, so it is imminent to take an active role in the fight against this disorder.”
Along these lines, Dr. Burgos maintained that “each year our hospital treats around 700 patients with this disease, people who have opted for pharmacological and rehabilitation therapies with us. Some of them benefited from the surgery which, although it is palliative and if carried out requires the multidisciplinary team to evaluate the patient’s health conditions, always has a positive impact. They benefit from better controlling symptoms, reducing motor fluctuations, and more fully performing their activities of daily living, which invites us, as health professionals, to continue moving forward.”
In the commemoration
“Within the framework of World Parkinson’s Day, we are calling to raise awareness about what it means to have the disease, in addition to remembering James Parkinson, the first doctor to discover the disease in 1817. But beyond that, on this significant date We want to say that as a hospital we want to continue Deep Brain Stimulation Surgeries to benefit more patients who need it this 2024, working together with Dr. José Miguel Müller, neurosurgeon at HFRZ and neurologist, Dr. Cinthia Terroba. We are in the bidding process for the purchase of deep brain stimulators,” said the head of the establishment’s Neurology unit.
Symptoms and prevention
Dr. Burgos stressed the importance of inviting the community to learn about the symptoms that accompany Parkinson’s, indicating that “first, attention should be paid to whether one has a first-degree relative with the disease, then to symptoms that could represent suspicion of the pathology in its initial state, such as loss of smell, depressive symptoms, sleep disorders, constipation (non-motor symptoms), which for a more accurate diagnosis will require the presence of motor symptoms, such as tremors.
Finally, the specialist pointed out that “when in doubt, consult a doctor, ideally a neurologist, although it could also be a general practitioner and, as in any neurodegenerative disease, consider a healthy diet, physical activity, maintaining good spirits, receiving cognitive stimulation and avoid social isolation.”
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