Coimbatore, February 16, 2023: His Excellency, Mr. Naor Gilon, Ambassador of Israel to India, inaugurated and dedicated India’s first MRgFUS Technology to the nation in the presence of Dr. K. Madeswaran, Chairman and Managing Director, Royal Care Super Speciality Hospital, and other dignitaries in the city today. Royal Care Super Speciality Hospital, Coimbatore has set up India’s First MRgFUS (Magnetic Resonance Guided Focused Ultrasound Surgery) – a new technology for the treatment of Essential Tremors and Tremor Dominant Parkinson’s disease.
MRgFUS is a technology that has the potential to change the way movement disorders are being treated. Tremors have long been treated with various medications without significant benefit. For the treatment of essential tremors and tremor-dominant Parkinson’s disease MRgFUS is approved by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) which is a part of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of India. MRgFUS has also been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA).
According to Dr. K. Madeswaran, Chairman and Managing Director, of Royal Care Super Speciality Hospital, “The Royal Care Super Speciality Hospital is equipped with advanced medical equipment and technologies and has often been the first in introducing the latest innovations in the medical field to the country. The newest and the most advanced of them is the Magnetic Resonance Guided Focused Ultrasound for the treatment of essential tremors and tremor-dominant Parkinson’s disease. This procedure is conducted by a team of highly qualified and experienced neurosurgeons and neurologists who have been specifically trained in the focused ultrasound technique to target sub millimeter areas in brain.”
Magnetic Resonance Guided Focused Ultrasound provides an incision-less treatment option for tremor-dominant Parkinson’s patients who do not respond to medications. MRgFUS works under the principle of combining 2 technologies – Magnetic Resonance Imaging aids and Ultrasound.
Focused ultrasound is a treatment option that provides tremor control without surgical incisions. During the treatment under MRI guidance, ultrasound waves are precisely focused on the small spot in the brain considered to be responsible for causing tremors. Low energy is first applied which allows the patient to inform the physician of any sensations they feel, decrease in tremors and other potential side effects, then the physician can make individualized adjustments to the target. The energy is gradually increased to create a small therapeutic lesion.
MRI provides a high-resolution, complete anatomical survey of the treatment area which helps in designing patient-specific treatment planning. Its real-time thermometry monitors temperature changes thereby helping in adjusting the treatment target in real time. MRI gives intra-operative T2 weighted MR images to verify complete ablation.
At present, MRgFUS has been approved for the treatment of Essential Tremor and Tremor Dominant Parkinson’s disease in India. Many patients have reported an immediate improvement in tremors with minimal temporary complications. Over 3500 patients have been treated to date around the world.
