Nims Offers Hope For Patients With Severe Tremors
While medication is effective in many cases, some patients continue to experience severe symptoms
Hyderabad: The Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (Nims), Hyderabad, has introduced MRI-guided Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) for treating patients with disabling tremors, officials said, marking an advancement in functional neurosurgery at the government-run facility.
Tremors, characterised by involuntary shaking of the hands, head, voice or other body parts, commonly affect patients with Essential Tremor and Parkinson’s disease, often interfering with routine activities. While medication is effective in many cases, some patients continue to experience severe symptoms.
For such cases, RFA offers a minimally invasive treatment option. Using MRI imaging and stereotactic neurosurgical techniques, a specific target deep within the brain responsible for abnormal tremor signals is identified, said Prof. Dr Y. Vamsi Krishna, head of the department of neurosurgery.
Controlled radiofrequency energy is then used to create a small lesion to interrupt the abnormal brain circuit while preserving surrounding tissue, he added.
Unlike conventional brain surgery, the procedure does not require implantation of a device or battery and involves a small incision, enabling faster recovery and early return to daily activities.
The functional neurosurgery programme at NIMS is led by Prof Dr Y. Vamsi Krishna in collaboration with the department of neurology headed by Prof Dr T. Suryaprabha. The movement disorder programme is jointly managed with Dr Y. Sireesha, consultant neurologist.
“Our goal is to make advanced functional neurosurgical care accessible within the public healthcare system. For carefully selected patients with disabling tremors, radiofrequency ablation can restore independence and significantly improve quality of life,” Prof. Krishna said.
