Deep brain stimulation is a high-tech neurosurgical procedure during which special electrodes are implanted into the patient's brain. In cases where drug treatment does not give the expected results, this method is the most optimal way out.
The procedure is effective for the treatment of a number of neurological disorders, such as Parkinson's disease, Tourret syndrome, obsessive-convulsive disorders, general depression, etc. The cost of deep brain stimulation is high, but, given the technological complexity of the operation, it is justified.
Diagnostics
Deep brain stimulation abroad, as in Russia, is a complex procedure, the success of which largely depends on the patient's body condition. Therefore, it is preceded by a set of diagnostic procedures.:
- general blood test;
- biochemical blood analysis;
- electrocardiogram – study of the work of the heart muscle;
- Electromyography is a study of the bioelectric activity of a patient's muscles;
- Electroencephalography is the study of the electrical activity of the brain;
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a layered image of the brain performed using magnetic fields.
- Diagnostic procedures are not included in the cost of deep brain stimulation, but they must be completed. The data obtained make it possible to determine whether the patient has any contraindications to the operation. The doctor also finds out if the patient is allergic to anesthesia or certain medications. If the diagnosis does not reveal any contraindications, surgery is prescribed.
The course of the procedure
- The operation is performed under local anesthesia. The patient needs to be conscious so that doctors can adjust the equipment as accurately as possible. The patient is given various instructions, for example, to move his fingers, or to utter a phrase. During these actions, impulses arise in the patient's brain, which are recorded by the equipment and fed to the monitor. Based on the information obtained in this way, the configuration is performed.
After setting up the equipment, the following two steps of the operation follow:
- A stereotactic brace is installed in the patient, after which a pair of electrodes are inserted into the brain one after the other, which will produce deep stimulation.;
- an electrostimulator is sewn under the skin of the chest, with which electrodes are connected.
- Deep brain stimulation abroad has a special quality. The clinics here are equipped with the best equipment, and foreign specialists have world-class experience.
The cost of deep brain stimulation
This procedure is a complex, multi-step process that requires expensive equipment and the unique experience of highly qualified specialists. Therefore, the question of how much deep brain stimulation costs cannot but cause some concerns in terms of the financial availability of the operation. Indeed, the price of deep brain stimulation can reach $100,000. But this is the maximum. In some clinics, the procedure can cost $35,000, or even $16,000.
