Individualized Parkinson's treatment is over 70% effective

Parkinson's diagnosis in Vietnam is over 95% accurate

Parkinson's is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that cannot be cured completely, so the goal of Parkinson's treatment is to reduce symptoms, help patients not become disabled and be able to return to normal life. Currently, with the advantage of clinical diagnosis by specialists and current testing equipment, the rate of accurate diagnosis of Parkinson's disease is over 95%, much higher than before.

Typical symptoms of Parkinson's are resting tremor, slowness, stiffness, and unstable postural reflexes. Non-motor symptoms include: loss of blood pressure reflex, postural hypotension, anxiety disorders, insomnia, etc. The "incubation" period is called the prodromal or preclinical stage with signs such as loss of smell, REM sleep behavior disorder or symptoms of depression, constipation, etc.

Dr. Tran Ngoc Tai (left) and Dr. Pham Anh Tuan (middle) participated in the online consultation session on the topic: "Deep brain stimulation - Minimally invasive therapy for Parkinson's patients" on March 28, 2024.

Individualized treatment for Parkinson's disease has a positive effect of over 70%

Dr. Tran Ngoc Tai explained that Parkinson's patients have their own characteristics, related to genetic and genetic issues. Older people, younger people, or people with different physical constitutions will need different treatments, called personalized treatment, to help increase effectiveness and improve quality of life.

In the drug-resistant stage, usually 5-7 years after the disease, patients are prescribed minimally invasive deep brain stimulation DBS therapy combined with medication to treat Parkinson's symptoms.

After the therapy, the patient stays in the hospital for about a week and is closely monitored by a specialist to ensure the stimulator is working effectively. During the first month, the patient needs to have a check-up every week, then once a month for 6 months.

DBS deep brain stimulation therapy is effective in treating typical Parkinson's symptoms such as tremor by over 70% and has a positive effect on symptoms of slowness and stiffness. After treatment, patients can resume their lives, work, and participate in social activities.

Vietnam currently has five medical facilities implementing DBS deep brain stimulation therapy in the treatment of Parkinson's. In Ho Chi Minh City, there are Nguyen Tri Phuong Hospital, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital and Vinmec Central Park International General Hospital. In Hanoi, there are the neurosurgery centers of Viet Duc Hospital and Military Hospital 103.

Equipping the community with knowledge about Parkinson's disease

On March 28, 2024, on the occasion of World Parkinson's Day (April 11), AloBacsi collaborated with Medtronic Vietnam to conduct a livestream program on the topic "Deep Brain Stimulation - Minimally Invasive Therapy for Parkinson's Patients" with in-depth consultation by Dr. Pham Anh Tuan and Dr. Tran Ngoc Tai. The program attracted tens of thousands of views.

And on April 7, 2024, a direct and online consultation program was held with the theme: "Advances in Parkinson's treatment in the world and Vietnam", taking place at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City.

The event "Advances in Parkinson's treatment in the world and Vietnam" continues to bring useful information to patients and specialists.

In recent years, a series of specialized programs on Parkinson's disease have been organized for patients and doctors such as: "Update on Deep Brain Stimulation Therapy" in Ho Chi Minh City in 2022, "DBS Patient Club", "Deep Brain Stimulation Program Series", "Continuing Medical Education - Parkinson's Disease & Movement Disorders" in Nha Trang in 2023 with the participation of 190 neurologists.

The scientific conference "Parkinson's Disease & Movement Disorders" in Nha Trang in 2023 was attended by 190 neurologists.

2023 also marked many international medical events on DBS for experts accompanied and sponsored by Medtronic, such as: "ASNA 2023 - APAC Biennial Neurology Conference" held in Da Nang, gathering neurologists from 5 countries, "DBS - MDT APAC Regional Course" in Thailand, and "AESC 2023 - APAC Epilepsy Surgery" held in Ho Chi Minh City, attracting more than 300 doctors from 10 countries to attend.

The programs aim to raise awareness among patients, their families, and the community by providing information about Parkinson's disease, as well as updating knowledge about Parkinson's disease treatment and DBS therapy for specialists in the field. Thereby, helping patients improve their quality of life.

Nha Phuong

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