Epilepsy in Children - Best NeuroSurgery Hospitals in India

Epilepsy is a type of brain disorder which leads to a sudden change in how the brain works. It can cause people to have repeated (several or many) seizures called epileptic fits (convulsions), for short periods of time. The seizures happen because there is an uncontrollable electrical discharge from the nerve cells in the brain. This may create a short term disturbance in the way the brain works and cause odd sensations and abnormal movement or behaviour.

Epiliptic seizures are not usually dangerous. But, a person can be at risk if they are in a dangerous environment (eg swimming in a pool or beach, driving a car), or if they become unconscious. Injuries can happen at school, at work, at home or other places.

One child in every 20 will have a seizure during their childhood, often with a high temperature (febrile convulsion). This is not epilepsy. Most children who have febrile convulsions do not go on to have epilepsy. Only about one in 200 children have epilepsy.

Children with epilepsy can usually lead a normal and active life but will need to take be careful with certain activities.

It is important to know what to do and how to help your child if they have a seizure.

Signs and symptoms

The symptoms of the seizure depend on what parts of the brain are affected. What happens during a seizure lets doctors know what parts of the brain are involved.

Signs and symptoms may include:

• Sensory disturbances - is when you/your child experiences tingling, numbness, changes to what you/your child sees, hears or smells, or unusual feelings that may be hard to describe.
• Abnormal body movements - limp, stiff or jerking movements that may come with loss of consciousness and shallow or jerky breathing
• Abnormal behaviour - is when you/your child may be confused or have automatic movements such as picking at clothing, chewing and swallowing or appearing afraid
• All of the above

Types of seizures

There are many different types of seizures and they can be generally classified into two groups:

Focal seizures

Focal seizures happen when the seizure activity begins in only one part of the brain. It usually affects one side of the body and you/your child may or may not lose consciousness.

These include:

• Simple partial seizures
• Complex partial seizures

Generalised seizures

Generalised seizures happen when the seizure activity begins all over the brain. The person's conscious state is always affected.

These include:

• Tonic-clonic seizures, sometimes called 'grand mal' or major seizures.
• Absence seizures, sometimes called 'petit mal' or starring seizures.
• Myoclonic, atonic and tonic seizures.

Diagnosis of epilepsy

It is important that your/your child's epilepsy is correctly diagnosed and treated by a children's doctor (paediatrician) or a doctor who specialises in childhood disorders of the brain (paediatric neurologist). To diagnose epilepsy the doctor will need a very detailed description of your child's seizures, medical history, development, learning and behaviour. A home video recording of your child's seizures is very helpful if they happen often or are predictable.

Tests

Special test are needed in some children with epilepsy. Your child's doctor will talk to you about the following tests if they are needed.

• Blood tests:to check your child's sugar, calcium, magnesium and salt levels.
• EEG:is a recording of brainwave activity. (More information on EEG factsheet).      
• CT or MRI:gives us pictures of the brain. (More information on MRI or CT factsheets).
• Video EEG monitoring:detailed EEG done in hospital. (More information on Video EEG monitoring factsheet).

What causes epilepsy in children?

Many different disorders of the brain may be associated with epilepsy.

For some patients the epileptic disorder is congenital, that is, the child is born with the predisposition to have epilepsy. In other patients, the epileptic disorder is acquired, as a result of brain damage that occurred after birth.

The congenital epilepsies could be the result of the child having a gene that is responsible for the epileptic disorder; these are the genetic types of epilepsy. Alternatively, congenital epilepsy may be the result of factors that interfere with the development of the brain during gestation, resulting in brain malformations.

In acquired epileptic disorders, the damage might occur at the time of birth, for example the case of newborns that have oxygen deprivation during labor and delivery; or intracranial bleeding, as seen in some children born prematurely. Also, the brain damage may occur any time after birth. For example, epilepsy could be a complication of infections in the brain (meningitis, encephalitis), head injuries with brain damage, brain tumors, or intracranial bleeding.

Are seizures bad for children?

Presently there is no indication that short-lasting seizures will result in any brain damage. However, prolonged seizures, especially generalized tonic-clonic seizures, in some cases could result in brain damage, but this is very unusual.

Although brain damage is not likely, children can be injured at the time of the seizures. For example, in the atonic seizures there is a sudden loss of muscle power and, if this happens when the patient is standing, it is followed by a fall that might result in injuries to the face and/or mouth. Similar types of physical injuries can happen with other seizures.

For more information visit:          http://www.medworldindia.com     
                    https://www.facebook.com/medworld.india

Please scan and email your medical reports  to us at care@medworldindia.com and we shall get you a Free Medical Opinion from India’s Best Doctors.

Call Us : +91-9811058159

Mail Us : care@medworldindia.com

What are the benefits of DBS surgery? - Best Neurosurgery Hospital in India

When should one consider surgical therapy? 
 
For patients with early Parkinson's disease, levodopa (sinemet) and other antiparkinsonian medications are usually effective for maintaining a good quality of life. As the disorder progresses, however, medications can produce disabling side effects. Many patients on long-term levodopa develop troublesome dyskinesias, excessive movements that often cause the limbs and body to writhe or jump. In addition, their dose of levodopa no longer lasts as long as it once did. This may lead to "on-off fluctuations," a condition in which the ability to move changes unpredictably between a mobile ("on"), state when medication seem to work, and an immobile ("off") state in which little effect of medication is apparent and normal movement is very difficult. When patients no longer have an acceptable quality of life due to these shortcomings of medical therapy, surgical treatment should be considered. 
 
What are the different types of surgery for Parkinson's disease? 
 
There are several different types of surgery for Parkinson's disease. The first surgical procedures developed were the ablative, or brain lesioning, procedures. Examples of lesioning surgery include thalamotomy and pallidotomy. Lesioning surgery involves the precisely controlled destruction, using a heat probe, of a small region of brain tissue that is abnormally active. It produces a permanent effect on the brain. In general, it is not safe to perform lesioning on both sides of the brain. 
 
We continue to perform some lesioning surgeries for patients who desire it, although in our practice lesioning has been largely replaced by deep brain stimulation (DBS). DBS surgery involves placing a thin metal electrode (about the diameter of a piece of spaghetti) into one of several possible brain targets and attaching it to a computerized pulse generator, which is implanted under the skin in the chest (much like a heart pacemaker). All parts of the stimulator system are internal; there are no wires coming out through the skin. To achieve maximal relief of symptoms, the stimulation can be adjusted during a routine office visit by a physician or nurse using a programming computer held next to the skin over the pulse generator. Unlike lesioning, DBS does not destroy brain tissue. Instead, it reversibly alters the abnormal function of the brain tissue in the region of the stimulating electrode.

 
Many patients inquire about the "restorative" therapies, a category of procedures which includes transplantation of fetal cells or stem cells, growth factor infusion, or gene therapy. These procedures attempt to correct the basic chemical defect of Parkinson's disease by increasing the production of dopamine in the brain. In the future, restorative therapies will hopefully emerge as effective and possibly curative interventions for Parkinson's disease. Growth factor therapy for Parkinson’s disease

 
What are the possible brain targets for DBS?
 
There are now four possible target sites in the brain that may be selected for placement of stimulating electrodes: the internal segment of the globus pallidus (GPi), the subthalamic nucleus (STN), the pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN), and a subdivision of the thalamus referred to as Vim (ventro-intermediate nucleus). These structures are small clusters of nerve cells that play critical roles in the control of movement. Thalamic (Vim) stimulation is only effective for tremor, not for the other symptoms of PD. Stimulation of the globus pallidus or subthalamic nucleus, in contrast, may benefit not only tremor but also other parkinsonian symptoms such as rigidity (muscle stiffness), bradykinesia (slow movement), gait problems, and dyskinesias 

How does DBS work? 
 
The theoretical basis for DBS of the GPi or STN in PD was worked out in the late 1980's and early 1990's. In Parkinson's disease, loss of dopamine-producing cells leads to excessive and abnormally patterned activity in both the GPi and the STN. "Pacing" of these nuclei with a constant, steady-frequency electrical pulse corrects this excessive and abnormal activity. DBS does not act directly on dopamine producing cells and does not affect brain dopamine levels. Instead, it compensates for one of the major secondary effects of dopamine loss, the excessive and abnormally patterned electrical discharge in the GPi or the STN. The exact mechanism by which the constant frequency stimulation pulse affects nearby brain cells has not been determined. 
 
How is the surgery performed?
 
There are several available surgical methods. In the most common method, implantation of the brain electrode is performed with the patient awake, using only local anesthetic and occasional sedation. The basic surgical method is called stereotaxis, a method useful for approaching deep brain targets though a small skull opening. For stereotactic surgery, a rigid frame is attached to the patient's head just before surgery, after the skin is anesthetized with local anesthetic. A brain imaging study (MRI or CT) is obtained with the frame in place. The images of the brain and frame are used to calculate the position of the desired brain target and guide instruments to that target with minimal trauma to the brain. After frame placement, MRI/CT, and calculation of the target coordinates on a computer, the patient is taken to the operating room. At that point an intravenous sedative is given, a Foley catheter is placed in the bladder, the stereotactic frame is rigidly fixed to the operating table, a patch of hair on top of the head is shaved, and the scalp is washed. After giving local anesthetic to the scalp to make it completely numb, an incision is made on top of the head behind the hairline and a small opening (1.5 centimeters, about the size of a nickel) is made in the skull. At this point, all intravenous sedatives are turned off so that the patient becomes fully awake. 
 
To maximize the precision of the surgery, we employ a "brain mapping" procedure in which fine microelectrodes are used to record brain cell activity in the region of the intended target to confirm that it is correct, or to make very fine adjustments of 1 or 2 millimeters in the intended brain target if the initial target is not exactly correct. The brain mapping produces no sensation for the patients, but the patient must be calm, cooperative, and silent during the mapping or else the procedure must be stopped. The brain's electrical signals are played on an audio monitor so that the surgical team can hear the signals and assess their pattern. The electronic equipment is fairly noisy, and the members of the surgical team often discuss the signals being obtained so as to be sure to interpret them correctly. Since each person's brain is different, the time it takes for the mapping varies from about 30 minutes to up to 2 hours for each side of the brain. The neurological status of the patient (such as strength, vision, and improvement of motor function) is monitored frequently during the operation, by the surgeon or by the neurologist. 
 
When the correct target site is confirmed with the microelectrode, the permanent DBS electrode is inserted and tested for about 20 minutes. The testing does not focus on relief of parkinsonian signs but rather on unwanted stimulation-induced side effects. This is because the beneficial effects of stimulation may take hours or days to develop, whereas any unwanted effects will be present immediately. For the testing, we deliberately turn the device up to a higher intensity than is normally used, in order to deliberately produce unwanted stimulation-induced side effects (such as tingling in the arm or leg, difficulty speaking, a pulling sensation in the tongue or face, or flashing lights). The sensations produced at high intensities of stimulation during this testing are experienced as strange but not painful. We thus confirm that the stimulation intensity needed to produce such effects is higher than the intensity normally used during long-term function of the device. 
 
Once the permanent DBS electrode is inserted and tested, intravenous sedation is resumed to make the patient sleepy, the electrode is anchored to the skull with a plastic cap, and the scalp is closed with sutures. The stereotactic headframe is removed. The patient then receives a general anesthetic to be completely asleep for the placement of the pulse generator in the chest and the tunneling of the connector wire between the brain electrode and the pulse generator unit. This part of the procedure takes about 40 minutes. . 
 
 
Why must patients be awake for part of DBS surgery? 
 
Using the standard, microelectrode guided technique for DBS surgery, brain mapping is performed using microelectrodes. The brain mapping procedure is much harder to do if the patient is under a general anesthetic or strong sedative. In addition, the procedure is safer if the patient's neurological function (speech and voluntary movement) can be checked periodically during the procedure, which is only possible in an awake patient. For patients undergoing surgery in our investigational interventional MRI protocol, general anesthesia is used for the whole procedure, as the MR images take the place of electrical mapping and monitoring of neurological function. 
  
What are the benefits of DBS surgery? 
 
The major benefit of DBS surgery for PD is that it makes movement in the off-medication state more like the movement in the on-medication state. In addition, it reduces levodopa-induced dyskinesias, either by a direct suppressive effect or indirectly by allowing some reduction in medication dose. Thus, the procedure is most beneficial for Parkinson's patients who cycle between states of immobility ("off" state) and states of better mobility ("on" state). DBS smoothes out these fluctuations so that there is better function during more of the day. Any symptom that can improve with levodopa (slowness, stiffness, tremor, gait disorder) can also improve with DBS. Symptoms that do not respond at all to levodopa usually do not improve significantly with DBS. Following DBS, there may be a reduction, but not elimination, of anti-Parkinsonian medications. At present, we believe that DBS only suppresses symptoms and does not alter the underlying progression of Parkinson's disease

Early diagnosis of Parkinson's disease gives you the best chance of a longer, healthier life.

Early Warning Signs of Parkinson's Disease

Sometimes it is hard to tell that you might have Parkinson'sdisease. Parkinson's disease is when your brain stops making an important chemical called dopamine. This chemical helps your body to move, and helps your mood. If you do have Parkinson's, you can feel better by taking a pill that helps your body to replace that chemical. Parkinson's disease will get worse slowly over time, and your doctor can help you stay healthy longer. Some of the problems listed here could be signs of Parkinson's disease.

No single one of these signs means that you should worry about Parkinson's disease. If you have more than one symptom, you should make an appointment to talk to your doctor. 

What you can do if you do have Parkinson's disease:

·         Work with your doctor to create a plan to stay healthy. This plan might include:

·         A referral to a neurologist, a doctor who specializes in the brain

·         Care from an occupational therapist, physical therapist or speech therapist

·         Meeting with a medical social worker to talk about how Parkinson's will affect your life

·         Start a regular exercise program to delay further symptoms.

·         Talk with family and friends who can provide you with the support you need.

Tremor or Shaking

Have you noticed a slight shaking or tremor in your finger, thumb, hand, chin or lip? Does your leg shake when you sit down or relax? Twitching or shaking of limbs is a common early sign of Parkinson’s disease.

Small Handwriting

Has your handwriting suddenly gotten much smaller than in it was in the past? You may notice the way you write words on a page has changed, such as letter sizes are smaller and the words are crowded together. A sudden change in handwriting is often a sign of Parkinson’s disease.

Loss of Smell

Have you noticed you no longer smell certain foods very well? If  you seem to have more trouble smelling foods like bananas, dill pickles or licorice, you should ask your doctor about Parkinson’s disease.

Trouble Sleeping

Do you thrash around in bed or kick and punch while you are deeply asleep? You might notice that you started falling out of bed while asleep. Sometimes, your spouse will notice, or will want to move to another bed. Sudden movements during sleep may be a sign of Parkinson’s disease.

Trouble Moving or Walking

Do you feel stiff in your body, arms or legs? Sometimes stiffness goes away as you move. If it does not, it can be a sign of Parkinson’s disease. You might notice that your arms don’t swing when you walk, or maybe other people have said you look stiff. An early sign might be stiffness or pain in your shoulder or hips. People sometimes say their feet seem ‘stuck to the floor.

Constipation

Do you have trouble moving your bowels without straining every day? Straining to move your bowels can be an early sign of Parkinson’s disease and you should talk to your doctor. 

A Soft or Low Voice

Have other people told you that your voice is very soft when you speak in a normal tone, or that you sound hoarse? If there has been a change in your voice you should see your doctor about whether it could be Parkinson’s disease. Sometimes you might think other people are losing their hearing, when really you are speaking more softly.

Masked Face

Have you been told that you have a serious, depressed or mad look on your face more often, even when you are not in a bad mood? This serious looking face is called masking. Also, if you or other people notice that you have a blank stare or do not blink your eyes very often, you should ask your doctor about Parkinson’s disease. 

Dizziness or Fainting

Do you notice that you often feel dizzy when you stand up out of a chair? Feeling dizzy or fainting can be signs of low blood pressure and can be linked to Parkinson’s disease.

Stooping or Hunching Over

Are you not standing up as straight as you used to? If you or your family or friends notice that you seem to be stooping, leaning or slouching when you stand, it could be a sign of Parkinson’s disease.

Hydrocephalus Surgery and Treatment in India - Best Neurosurgery Hospitals in India

Hydrocephalus also known as "water in the brain," is a medical condition in which there is an abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the ventricles, or cavities, of the brain. This may cause increased intracranial pressure inside the skull and progressive enlargement of the head, convulsion, tunnel vision, and mental disability. Hydrocephalus can also cause death.

The clinical presentation of hydrocephalus varies with chronicity. Acute dilatation of the ventricular system is more likely to manifest with the nonspecific signs and symptoms of increased intracranial pressure. By contrast chronic dilatation (especially in the elderly population) may have a more insidious onset presenting, for instance, with Hakim's triad (Adams triad).

Symptoms of increased intracranial pressure may include headaches, vomiting, nausea, papilledema, sleepiness or coma. Elevated intracranial pressure may result in uncal and/or cerebellar tonsill herniation, with resulting life threatening brain stem compression.

In infants with hydrocephalus, CSF builds up in the central nervous system, causing the fontanelle (soft spot) to bulge and the head to be larger than expected. 
Early symptoms may also include:

* Eyes that appear to gaze downward (Sundowning)
* Irritability
* Seizures
* Separated sutures
* Sleepiness
* Vomiting

Symptoms that may occur in older children can include:

* Brief, shrill, high-pitched cry
* Changes in personality, memory, or the ability to reason or think
* Changes in facial appearance and eye spacing
* Crossed eyes or uncontrolled eye movements
* Difficulty feeding
* Excessive sleepiness
* Slow or restricted movement
* Vomiting

Signs and tests

When a health care provider taps fingertips on the skull, there may be abnormal sounds that indicated thinning and separation of skull bones. Scalp veins may appear stretched or enlarged.

Part or the entire head may be larger than normal. Enlargement is most commonly seen in the front part of the head. Head circumference measurements, repeated over time, may show that the head is getting bigger.

The eyes may look "sunken in." The white part of the eye may appear above the colored part of the eye, given the eyes a "setting-sun" appearance. Reflexes may be abnormal.

A head CT scan is one of the best tests for identifying hydrocephalus. Other tests that may be done include:

* Arteriography
* Brain scan using radioisotopes
* Cranial ultrasound (an ultrasound of the brain)
* Lumbar puncture and examination of the cerebrospinal fluid (rarely done)
* Skull x-rays

Treatment
Hydrocephalus treatment is surgical, generally creating various types of cerebral shunts. It involves the placement of a ventricular catheter (a tube made of silastic), into the cerebral ventricles to bypass the flow obstruction/malfunctioning arachnoidal granulations and drain the excess fluid into other body cavities, from where it can be resorbed. Most shunts drain the fluid into the peritoneal cavity (ventriculo-peritoneal shunt), but alternative sites include the right atrium (ventriculo-atrial shunt), pleural cavity (ventriculo-pleural shunt), and gallbladder. A shunt system can also be placed in the lumbar space of the spine and have the CSF redirected to the peritoneal cavity (Lumbar-peritoneal shunt). An alternative treatment for obstructive hydrocephalus in selected patients is the endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV), whereby a surgically created opening in the floor of the third ventricle allows the CSF to flow directly to the basal cisterns, thereby shortcutting any obstruction, as in aqueductal stenosis. This may or may not be appropriate based on individual anatomy. This is the treatment.

Shunt complications
Examples of possible complications include shunt malfunction, shunt failure, and shunt infection, along with infection of the shunt tract following surgery (the most common reason for shunt failure is infection of the shunt tract). Although a shunt generally works well, it may stop working if it disconnects, becomes blocked (clogged), infected, or it is outgrown. If this happens the cerebrospinal fluid will begin to accumulate again and a number of physical symptoms will develop (headaches, nausea, vomiting, photophobia/light sensitivity), some extremely serious, like seizures. The shunt failure rate is also relatively high (of the 40,000 surgeries performed annually to treat hydrocephalus, only 30% are a patient's first surgery) and it is not uncommon for patients to have multiple shunt revisions within their lifetime.

For more information visit:          http://www.medworldindia.com     
                    https://www.facebook.com/medworld.india

Please scan and email your medical reports  to us at care@medworldindia.com and we shall get you a Free Medical Opinion from India’s Best Doctors.

Call Us : +91-9811058159

Mail Us : care@medworldindia.com

Early surgery for seizures may also be recommended if the cause of seizures is identified to be a brain lesion that is growing, such as a tumour.

For most children, medication is all that is needed to control seizures. However, some children continue to have seizures even after trying two or more different medications or a combination of medications. Seizures that fail to respond to two or more anti-epileptic drugs are called medically refractory seizures.

When medication fails to control seizures, surgery (an operation) may be considered to remove or disconnect the part of the brain that is generating the seizures. This is called the epileptogenic (seizure-causing) region of the brain.

With improvements in imaging technology and EEGs, it is now easier for doctors to define the epileptogenic areas of the brain. As a result, surgery has become a well-established method of treatment.

All children with epilepsy that cannot be controlled with medication should be considered for surgery. There appear to be some advantages to doing epilepsy surgery in children, rather than waiting for adulthood:

• Children's brains are more plastic than adults' brains, with a greater ability to compensate for portions removed during surgery.
• In some children, treating seizures earlier may prevent brain damage or changes from repeated seizures and their detrimental effects on cognition and development.

Early surgery for seizures may also be recommended if the cause of seizures is identified to be a brain lesion that is growing, such as a tumour.

Although surgery will not help every child with uncontrolled seizures, it can be a very effective treatment. Various studies suggest that 57% to 69% of babies, children, and teenagers treated with surgery become seizure-free. Between 11% and 24% continue to have frequent seizures.

This page contains an overview of the surgical process, from determining whether your child is a candidate for surgery to post-operative care. You will find more detail about each step and each surgical procedure in the other pages in this section

Who is surgery considered for?

Surgery for epilepsy is considered when:

• The child has seizures that will not improve by themselves as the child gets older.
• Drugs have been tried and have failed to control a child's seizures. Often at least two individual medications separately (monotherapy) and one combination of medications (polytherapy) will have been tried and will have failed to control seizures.
• The epileptogenic or seizure-causing region of the brain can be clearly identified and can be removed or disconnected with minimal risk of harming the child.

With advances in knowledge and technique in both diagnostic tools and surgery, broader spectrums of people with epilepsy are now being considered for surgery.

Determining whether your child is a candidate for surgery

Not every child with intractable epilepsy is a good candidate for surgery. Some children may be ruled out based on their history and EEG.

If your child's history and EEG suggest that surgery may be helpful, a detailed pre-surgical evaluation will be done and the results will be thoroughly analyzed to determine:

• whether your child will be helped by surgery
• the type and exact location of the operation

The pre-surgical evaluation may consist of one or more procedures.

Making a decision about surgery

If the doctors determine that surgery is an option for your child, you should discuss it with the doctor and with your child (if your child is old enough) and think the decision over carefully. You will need to consider the possible improvements from the surgery, the risks of surgery, the risks if your child does not have the surgery, and any alternative treatments.

Gamma Knife Radiosurgery uses radiation to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors :Gamma Knife Surgery for Brain in India

What is Gamma Knife Surgery or Radiosurgery ?

Gamma Knife radiosurgery, also called stereotactic radiosurgery, is a very precise form of therapeutic radiology. Even though it is called surgery, a Gamma Knife procedure does not involve actual surgery, nor is the Gamma Knife really a knife at all. It uses beams of highly-focused gamma rays to treat small to medium size lesions, usually in the brain. Many beams of gamma radiation join to focus on the lesion under treatment, providing a very intense dose of radiation without a surgical incision or opening.

Gamma Knife radiosurgery is called “surgery” because a result similar to an actual surgical procedure is created by a one-session radiation therapy treatment. The beams of radiation are very precisely focused to reach the tumor, lesion, or other area being treated with minimal effect on surrounding healthy tissue.

Gamma Knife radiosurgery is most often used to treat tumors and other lesions in the brain. It is also used to treat certain neurological conditions, such as trigeminal neuralgia (a condition in which pressure on the trigeminal nerve causes spasms of extreme facial pain) and acoustic neuroma (a noncancerous tumor in the brain that affects the nerves that control hearing).

Gamma Knife radiosurgery may be used in situations where the brain lesion cannot be reached by conventional surgical techniques. It may also be used in persons whose condition is such that they might not be able to tolerate a surgical procedure, such as craniotomy, to treat their condition.

Because the therapeutic effects of a Gamma Knife procedure occur rather slowly over time, it is not used for persons whose condition requires more immediate therapy.

In what cases Gamma Knife Surgery is preferred in India?

Following are the conditions where Gamma Knife Surgery is successfuly used in India:

• Intracranial tumors such as acoustic neuromas, pituitary adenomas, pinealomas, craniopharyngiomas, meningiomas, chordomas, chondrosarcomas, metastases and glial tumors

•Vascular malformations including arteriovenous malformations

•Functional disorders such as Trigeminal neuralgia, Intractable pain , Parkinson’s disease, Essential tremors , Epilepsy and Obsessive-compulsive disorder

What are the advantages of Gamma Knife Surgery over traditional Open Surgeries?

•Non Invasive Procedure
•Very less or no complications
•Done on out patient basis so no admission required
•Cost of gamma kife surgery is lower than that of open surgery
•Minimal harm to the healthy tissue as compared to open surgery
•Very high success rate

Who can perform a Gamma Knife Surgery?

Gamma Knife Surgery is performed by a Neurosurgeon who is very well trained in performing the gamma knife surgery. In India there are some of the very good neurosurgeons for gamma knife surgery.

Back to your normal routine 

Once your treatment is complete, the head frame will be removed. If you had an angiogram, you might have to lie quietly for several more hours. Some patients experience a mild headache or minor swelling where the head frame was attached, but most report no problems. Your doctor will tell you whether or not he wants you to stay overnight for observation or if you can go home immediately. Either way, you should be able to return to work or your normal routine in another day or so.

The effects of your Leksell Gamma Knife treatment will occur over time. Radiation treatments are designed to stop the growth of tumors or lesions, which means they won’t disappear immediately but over a period of weeks or months. Your physician and Leksell Gamma Knife® team will stay in contact with you to assess your progress, which will include follow-up MRI or CT images in the near future and periodic check-ups.

For more information visit:          http://www.medworldindia.com       
                    https://www.facebook.com/medworld.india

                                    

Please scan and email your medical reports  to us at care@medworldindia.com and we shall get you a Free Medical Opinion from India’s Best Doctors.

Call Us : +91-9811058159

Mail Us : care@medworldindia.com

What's the difference between benign and malignant brain tumours? Latest and Advanced Treatment options for Brain Tumor in India

Brain tumours in adults

In a brain tumour, cells grow abnormally, but this doesn’t mean a tumour is cancerous.

Although brain tumours in adults can be caused by cancer, benign tumours are possible. These may be due to medical conditions or may have no obvious cause.

Primary brain tumours emerge from the various cells that make up the brain and central nervous system and are named based on the kind of cell they first form in. The most common types of adult brain tumours are gliomas, the commonest type of which is called an astrocytoma. These tumours form from cells called astrocytes, which are cells that help support the nerve cells.

The second most common types of adult brain tumours are meningiomas. These form in the meninges, the thin layer of tissue that lines the brain and spinal cord and can grow from a number of different kinds of brain and spinal cord cells.

What's the difference between benign and malignant brain tumours?

Benign brain tumours are non-cancerous. Malignant primary brain tumours are cancers that originate in the brain. They typically grow faster than benign tumours and aggressively invade surrounding tissue. Although brain cancer rarely spreads to other organs, it will spread to other parts of the brain and central nervous system.

Benign brain tumours usually have clearly defined borders and are not usually deeply rooted in brain tissue. This makes them easier to surgically remove, assuming they are in an area of the brain that can be safely operated on. However, even after they've been removed they can still come back, though benign tumours are less likely than malignant ones to recur.

Although benign tumours in other parts of the body can cause problems, they are not generally considered to be a major health problem or to be life threatening. However, even a benign brain tumour can be a serious health problem. Brain tumours damage the cells around them by causing inflammation and putting increased pressure on the tissue under and around it as well as inside the skull.

What are the symptoms of a braintumour in adults?

Symptoms of brain tumours vary according to the type of tumour and the location. Because different areas of the brain control different functions of the body, where the tumour lies affects the way it's manifested.

Some tumours have no symptoms until they are quite large and then cause a serious, rapid decline in health. Other tumours may have symptoms that develop slowly.

A common initial symptom of a brain tumour is headaches, but a lot of things besides a brain tumour can cause headaches. However, brain tumour headaches may be described as worse in the morning and then better after a couple of hours. Often they occur when a person is sleeping and will cause the person to wake up. The headache may be accompanied by vomiting and may get worse when the person changes position, coughs or exercises. The headaches also typically don't respond well to the usual headache remedies.

Other common symptoms include:

·         Seizures

·         Changes in speech or hearing

·         Changes in vision

·         Balance problems

·         Problems with walking

·         Numbness or tingling in the arms or legs

·         Problems with memory

·         Personality changes

·         Inability to concentrate

·         Weakness in one part of the body

It's important to keep in mind that these symptoms can be caused by a number of different conditions. You shouldn't assume you have a brain tumour just because you experience some of them. Seek medical advice if you are concerned.

How are brain tumours diagnosed?

The doctor starts by asking questions about your symptoms and taking a personal and family health history. Then he or she performs a physical examination, including a neurological examination. If there's reason to suspect a brain tumour, the doctor may request one or more of the following tests:

·         Scanning tests such as a CT (CAT) scan or MRI to see detailed images of the brain.

·         Angiogram, which involves the use of dye and X-rays of blood vessels in the brain to look for signs of blockage.

·         Spinal tap/Lumbar puncture, which examines fluid taken from the spinal cord.

The doctor may also ask for a biopsy to determine whether or not the tumour is cancer. A tissue sample is removed from the brain either during surgery to remove the tumour or with a needle inserted through a small hole drilled into the skull before treatment is started. The sample is then sent to a laboratory to see if there is any cancer present.

Brain Tumor Treatment at World Best Cancer Hospitals in India

• Surgery : Surgery is often the first treatment if the tumour can be removed without causing harm to the surrounding brain tissue. Treatment of brain cancer is usually complex. Most treatment plans involve several consulting doctors.The team of doctors includes neurosurgeons (surgical specialists in the brain and nervous system), oncologists, radiation oncologists (doctors who practice radiation therapy), and of course, your primary health-care provider. A patient's team may include a dietitian, a social worker, a physical therapist, and probably other specialists.
• Chemotherapy : Chemotherapy is not used to treat all brain tumours. It may be used for people with high-grade primary brain tumours, either as an initial treatment alongside radiotherapy, or where the tumour has come back. In this situation, chemotherapy is unlikely to be able to cure a brain tumour, but it can sometimes shrink a tumour down or slow its growth, which can reduce symptoms.
• Radiation therapy : Radiation therapy (also called radiotherapy) is the use of high-energy rays to kills tumor cells, thereby stopping them from growing and multiplying.Radiation therapy may be used for people who cannot undergo surgery. In other cases, it is used after surgery to kill any tumor calls that may remain. Radiation therapy is a local therapy. This means that it affects only cells in its path. It does not harm cells elsewhere in the body or even elsewhere in the brain
  
  Latest and Advanced Treatment options for Brain Tumor in India

Brain Tumor is no more a scary health condition as modern technology and advanced surgical modalities now offer near perfect clinical outcomes and the patients can soon return to normal life after surgery.

Brain Suite - Intra-operative MR Navigation Microsurgery

Trans-Nasal Endoscopic Removal of brain Tumor through the nose

Stereotactic Radiosurgery - Gamma Knife & Novalis TX

Tumor Embolization using Neuro Interventional Radiology

CyberKnife Radiosurgery