Almaty performs first deep brain stimulation surgery
For the first time, surgeons of the City Children’s Clinical Hospital No. 2 in Almaty performed a deep brain stimulation (DBS) procedure on a teen with severe motor impairments, Qazinform News Agency reports.
The 15-year-old patient suffers from a rare genetic disorder, dopa‑responsive dystonia type I, that was diagnosed and genetically confirmed one and a half years ago.
Its symptoms included pronounced involuntary limb movements, primarily left‑sided, and the formation of pathological postures.
Earlier, the patient underwent medication therapy that initially showed positive results but later lost effectiveness. He received two injections of Dysport, which provided only temporary improvement.
Due to the lack of lasting effect from conservative therapy, doctors decided to perform deep brain stimulation (DBS) procedure.
They performed a stereotactic bilateral implantation of deep electrodes.
This was the first such operation in Almaty. Previously, such pediatric surgeries were carried out only at the National Neurosurgery Center in Astana. The procedure was carried out by a joint team of specialists led by invited neurosurgeon Talgat Yermekov from the Presidential Medical Center in Astana.
The main goal of the operation is to improve quality of life, reduce involuntary movements, and restore social and daily activities.
Postoperative results confirmed the effectiveness of the procedure. According to neurologist Gulnara Kassenova, the patient’s gait has impaired, with reduced involuntary movements in the upper limbs.
The patient expressed motivation to attend school and engage in social life.
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