Frequently Asked Questions

Prostate artery embolization (PAE) is a minimally invasive procedure performed by an interventional radiologist on an outpatient basis that involves targeted release of microscopic particles into the arteries that feed the prostate gland

A. Individual patient outcomes depend on several factors, including age, proper patient selection, target selection and accuracy of final electrode location, programming settings, adjustments in medicines following DBS. B. Symptoms of PD that improve with levodopa, improve after DBS. The only exception is tremor which will subside after DBS, even if it is not relieved by levodopa. C. Partial or incomplete response to DBS in PD patients may be partly due to incorrect patient selection (patients not having PD but other diseases resembling PD) or suboptimal DBS electrode placement. D. Unrealistic expectations from DBS can also result in patients being dissatisfied with the treatment. E. A critical factor influencing successful outcomes for DBS is a multidisciplinary team that specializes in the care of patients with DBS devices. The typical team includes a movement disorder specialist, a neurosurgeon who has a specialty training in stereotactic and functional neurosurgery and a neuropsychologist who has knowledge and experience assessing cognitive, mood and behavioural changes in PD. Patient outcomes are better when DBS surgeries are performed regularly by the team in high volume centres. F. Device programming and management of medications following DBS should ideally be provided by an experienced movement disorder specialist.

The different abnormal movements are shaking (tremor), stiffness of muscles, slowness and loss of balance (together called parkinsonism), twisted postures (dystonia) abrupt jerks (myoclonus), dance-like flowing movements (chorea) and stereotyped rapid jerks and involuntary sounds (tics). Many diseases that produce movement disorders result from degeneration of brain cells in areas controlling movement and do not have an obvious cause or may be due to a genetic change. These movements can develop as a consequence of injury, infections, inflammation, metabolic disturbances and tumours of the brain or as side effects of certain drugs. Neurologists who are specialists in movement disorders offer diagnosis and treatment for such conditions through dedicated movement disorder clinics.

Movement disorders are a group of diseases affecting the ability to produce and control body movement. Lakhs of people in India lives with movement disorders, including Parkinson's disease. It is the second commonest neurological degenerative disease of the brain after Alzheimer’s disease. Estimates show that 1-2% of people over the age of 60 years develop this condition. 

DBS is a recommended treatment for Parkinson’s disease, Essential Tremor and Primary Generalized Dystonias. It has also shown success in some forms of secondary dystonias and Tourette syndrome. The most common condition for which DBS is used is Parkinson's disease (PD). DBS cannot cure any of these diseases but gives substantial relief from the abnormal movements and improves the quality of life of persons affected by these diseases.

Experiencing fluctuations in response to levodopa with or without dyskinesias Tremor which is not relieved by levodopa Who cannot tolerate high doses of drugs. Recent studies have shown that patients with mild to moderate fluctuations or dyskinesias with levodopa treatment benefit as much as those with more advanced disease. Therefore early referral is indicated before patients experience any disability due to these phenomena.  Long-term results of DBS have shown significant improvement in the motor symptoms of PD and the fluctuations in response to treatment. As patients require less medications after DBS, they also have much reduction in the dyskinesias. Majority of patients regain the the ability to perform activities of daily living independently and the quality of life of patients improves

Tricuspid valve. Located between the right atrium and the right ventricle. Pulmonary valve. Located between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery. Mitral valve. Located between the left atrium and the left ventricle. Aortic valve. Located between the left ventricle and the aorta.

TMVR is a minimally invasive structural heart disease treatment to replace a damaged mitral valve without open-heart surgery. A flexible, hollow tube (catheter) is inserted through a blood vessel to reach the heart and replace the mitral valve.

The two types of heart valve surgery options are: Valve repair surgery to fix the damaged or faulty valve, while preserving much of the person's own tissue.  Valve replacement surgery to remove the faulty valve and replace it with a biological (pig, cow or human tissue) or mechanical (metal or carbon) valve.

Multiple device-specific considerations distinguish TMVR from TAVR. The mitral valve annulus is significantly larger than the aortic annulus, and therefore will require larger valve mounted on larger delivery system.