CHCSJ plans to introduce Parkinson’s surgery services

Surgical services targeting Parkinson’s Disease patients may be available in Macau in the future as the public hospital works on their introduction.

Acting Chief Physician of the Neurosurgery Department of the public Conde de São Januário Hospital, Ho Hin Chao, revealed that the hospital is training medical staff in the area.

Surgery for the disease is known as Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), which is a medical technique involving implanting a stimulator into certain parts of the brain. The stimulator delivers electrical impulses to these brain parts to help slow down the deterioration of the disease on patients.

The disease, however, is incurable.

Ho revealed that the hospital is organizing a team of related medical staff to receive training in Hong Kong for the future service.

After the service is rolled out, there will be three doctors specifically specializing in the procedure. Ho said that counterparts within the Greater Bay Area have been contacted for support in preparation for the service.

Discussing future eligibility for the service, Ho said that the cost for the surgery will be high, so cost efficiency is part of the consideration, adding that patients will need to undergo a systematic evaluation to verify their eligibility.

On whether the surgery will be free-of-charge to eligible patients, the Health Bureau (SSM) will have the final discretion, Ho expects.

Meanwhile, Hoi Chu Peng, acting chief physician of the Neurology Department of the hospital, estimates that the city has at least 1,300 patients with Parkinson’s Disease, based on data from neighboring regions.

He expects the number of patients will continue to rise as the city marches towards an aging society. The four neurologists at the hospital received about 1,000 patients last year. Further training will be promoted and he believes the scale of the department will be able to handle future needs.

Explaining the disease, Hoi said that it is the second-most commonly seen neurodegenerative disease.

Patients usually retain normal brain cognitive function during the early onset stage, but experience impaired movement and lose the ability to move. Patients have resting tremors, muscle stiffness and slow movement during the early stage. At later stages, patients experience symptoms such as imbalance, unsteady gait and experience frequent falls.

Non-movement symptoms include anxiety and depression, hyposmia, sleep disturbance, and orthostatic hypotension.

Medications appear effective during early stages – usually for about four to five years – with weakened effects during later stages.

Currently, the cause of the disease is unclear, so no certain ways of prevention have been determined. However, citing scientific studies, Hoi suggests exercising, balanced diets and healthy lifestyles are some of the ways to lower the risk.