Bani Reza, born in Malaysia, has lived in London for decades. He worked as an IT specialist, designing computer systems for large companies and travelling the world. However, he decided to take early retirement. He found it difficult to cope with the symptoms of Parkinson's disease while rushing to the airport to catch a flight.
Diagnosis and search for a solution
The first sign was bradykinesia. This means you move more slowly when you try to do something. A feeling of stiffness was another symptom. His back was constantly stiff, which caused pain. Tremors were also an additional problem. These are actually common symptoms of Parkinson's disease that are described in medical books.
But how does all this actually affect someone's life?
"You can't sleep, you can't watch TV and you can't relax. You can't even go out for a meal. When you go out for a meal, you want to enjoy time with your family, but you can't," says Bani Reza.
“I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s about five years ago, during the height of COVID. It was September 2020, I remember clearly. I didn’t know what Parkinson’s was. The doctors told me not to do too much research and prescribed medication in London. It helped for the first two years. Then it started to affect my life to the point where it became debilitating.”
Over the past three years, Reza's symptoms have worsened; unfortunately, this is also a very common scenario for Parkinson's patients. After a certain period of time, medications can lose their effectiveness, and due to the nature of the disease, there is no going back. The condition is constantly progressing. This happens slowly in some patients, and more quickly in others.
After he shared that he could no longer live like this, his neurologist in the UK presented him with several options. “I started thinking about DBS surgery. Initially, I was not close to surgical treatment, but after researching, I decided to go this route,” says Bani Reza.
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) involves placing a wire electrode in a specific area of the brain and implanting a stimulator under the skin near the collarbone. The stimulator sends electrical impulses to the electrode, helping to regulate abnormal signals in the brain that cause the symptoms of Parkinson's disease.
Finding the right place for DBS surgery
After believing that DBS surgery could help him, the next step for Reza was to find the right place for such a service. Initially, he had two main alternatives.
The first option was to fly back to Malaysia, where he was born. However, that meant a 13-hour flight, which seemed too far. The second option was, of course, to have the operation in the UK. What's more, according to the NHS, the operation would be free. However, there was one problem.
“I would have to wait almost two years. I couldn’t take this feeling anymore. First, you have to wait about a year just to get an assessment. After the assessment, you might have to wait another six to twelve months. So, in total, it could take about two years. I didn’t want to live like this for another two years,” Reza says.
Bani Reza briefly explained how he started thinking about Turkey and Acıbadem:
"I found the official website of the Turkish Ministry of Health. There were thousands of hospitals listed there. First, I searched for hospitals in Istanbul. Then I filtered some criteria, such as university hospital and professor of neurosurgery. After that, I narrowed down the selection to six hospitals. I contacted and spoke with some of them.
The first step that led me to choose Acıbadem was when the international patient representative called me. He was very helpful and got back to me very quickly, answering all my questions. He was also the first person to ask me relevant medical questions.”
Acıbadem's expertise in neurosurgery
Since Acıbadem Healthcare Group began serving patients 35 years ago, its neurosurgery clinic has become a globally recognized leader in its field. Acıbadem neurosurgeons have taken on leadership roles in prestigious international organizations, including the World Academy of Neurological Surgery, the International Meningioma Society, and the European Society of Pediatric Neurosurgery.
Professor Hajri Kertmen is one of these surgeons and focuses on the treatment of movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease. He has worked on treating this specific neurodegenerative disease for over 15 years and has helped hundreds of patients.
Reza was one of those who had gait disturbances, hand tremors, muscle stiffness, and slowness of movement. He no longer benefited from the medications he was taking, and he also had side effects from those medications. Eventually, he was unable to manage his daily life independently.
After a thorough evaluation, Acıbadem neurosurgeons and neurologists determined that deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery could help alleviate Reza's symptoms. The procedure was then planned and successfully performed.
It's time to enjoy life again.
After the surgery, Reza's symptoms were alleviated. Muscle stiffness decreased and movements became faster. He was able to move independently, no longer needed support to walk, felt better, and was able to enjoy life again.
Reza is almost ready to be discharged and return to his country. Before his discharge, we asked him how he was feeling. "I'm very, very optimistic and positive. I feel like I'm... I'm not quite normal yet, but I'm almost there, you know. Almost like before I knew what Parkinson's was."
If you would like to find out more, you can contact our information office in Montenegro.
Office in Podgorica: +382 68 880 406 / +382 68 880 418
(I.e. City Stadium 2000, Street, bb Vaka Đurovića, Podgorica 81000
(Acibadem)
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