Eating was a just a way of ingesting protein for Andrew Falzon, 33, who suffers from Parkinson’s, and when the debilitating tremors took over he would grab the plate and shovel everything in his mouth.

This all changed two weeks ago when he became one of the first five patients to undergo deep brain stimulation (DBS), a groundbreaking surgical procedure that is being offered at Mater Dei Hospital.

The results were instantaneous – he could get up and walk off with ease, when before it was a long, excruciating struggle to just lift himself off the chair.

Ludvic Zrinzo, consultant neurosurgeon at London’s National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, believes DBS is the “closest thing to magic” he has ever seen.

The procedure is similar to a heart pacemaker, where electrodes are implanted deep within the brain and connected to a neurostimulator – approximately the size of a stopwatch – that lies underneath the skin on the chest wall.

The electrodes in the brain are connected by wires that pass underneath the skin and are connected to the ‘pacemaker’ implanted on the chest wall. The computer inside it then allows doctors to change the way the brain works, treating symptoms, most commonly those of Parkinson’s disease, such as tremor, rigidity, stiffness, slowed movement and walking problems.

DBS does not provide a cure but it can provide significant improvements in symptoms and the quality of life of both patients and their families.

Recent research has shown promise in treating severe cases of some chronic pain syndromes, obsessive-compulsive disorder and refractory depression.

Mr Zrinzo, the 39-year-old doctor who has been appointed visiting consultant neurosurgeon at Mater Dei for DBS procedures, told The Sunday Times how he fell in love with this minimally invasive surgery when he was going through medical school.

He eventually went on to perfect the technique following extensive research for his Ph.D. Previously, DBS was a 17-hour procedure where patients were under local anaesthetic but still awake to verify the technique was working. Through his research he introduced MRI-verified technique to map the patient’s brain. It is now a seven-hour procedure under full anaesthetic that is less traumatic for patients.

Mr Zrinzo believes five to 10 patients a year will be benefitting from this procedure in Malta. Rather than send patients abroad for this surgery, the Health Ministry has invested in this equipment.

Apart from the obvious advantage to patients, it is also more cost-effective than paying for individual procedures abroad – in England it costs £30,000 per patient for the surgery.

The ministry said several studies have shown that DBS results in cost savings for health services within three years of surgery because of the reduction in expensive medication and supportive care, as well as by keeping younger patients in gainful employment.

Last Thursday, Mr Zrinzo met Health Minister Joe Cassar to brief him about the results obtained after the first DBS interventions at Mater Dei and show him footage of patients before and after the interventions (see timesofmalta.com).

Mr Zrinzo is working closely with consultant neurologist Josanne Aquilina, with many years experience in managing patients with movement disorders.

“The early results we have seen in the first five patients – aged 33, 44, 49, 51 and 66 – with Parkinson’s disease undergoing DBS surgery in Malta are extremely encouraging,” he said, adding this type of surgery required meticulous organisation and tight collaboration between neurosurgeon, neurologist, radiology services, theatre and ward staff.

Mr Falzon is a walking example of the wonder of DBS. One of the first things he did after the procedure was order a salad with plenty of beans that he could fork up himself without spilling all his food on the table.

Diagnosed with Parkinson’s at the age of 26, Mr Falzon realised he had the degenerative disease two years previously after he searched for the symptoms on Google. However, doctors believed he was too young and they spent two years trying to establish what he had until they reached the same conclusion.

In the beginning medication helped his symptoms but recently, his condition began to worsen and he was close to “no voluntary movement”.

“If I needed to go to the toilet at night I’d have to call my younger brother to drag me across the floor to get there. I couldn’t even speak on the phone – I was close to being mute,” he told The Sunday Times, speaking from his girlfriend’s mobile phone.

However, the former PE teacher never lost hope despite the cruel cards fate dealt him. He remained healthy, maintaining a diet of lean meat, nuts, plenty of water, vegetables and no processed food, reasoning that if he had to undergo surgery, the chances of a successful outcome were greater.

“I used to believe and hope this will pass. I believed that if I remain strong enough and refuse to let this crush me, there was a way out... I can’t even begin to describe the difference DBS has made to my life,” he said.

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