When you consider several options for providing the brain stimulation, have in mind the following factors:
- The doctor’s experience. The qualification is the key factor of successful brain surgery outcome. It requires special skills and lots of experience. Even if deep brain stimulation has nothing to do with intervention in the brain, its effect depends on the accuracy of pacemaker electrodes placing. If electrical signals don’t reach the targeted area, a patient will not relieve the symptoms. We highly recommend to learn the doctor’s CV and figure out how many people he treated with DBS. Read his patient reviews, contact them if possible to get additional information firsthand, watch videos with doctor’s patients before and after the procedure.
- Certifications. Best DBS clinics have certificates and awards ensuring a patient receives care according to the international guidelines. Among them are Joint Commission International (JCI), European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM), etc.
- The hospital equipment. The modern equipment gives a neurosurgeon a better picture of the patient’s brain, so an expert puts electrodes faster and more accurate. Some technologies as Neuromate robot allows minimizing traumatic effect for the head.
- The clinic location. Patients with Parkinson’s disease and dystonia at different stages have different conditions and diverse symptoms — and not all of them can have long-time flights. In this case, it’s better to look upon neighboring countries.
The ranking represents medical centers in Turkey, India, Spain, Israel, South Korea, Germany, and the Czech Republic. All of them have international certificates, trained neurosurgeons, and advanced technologies. The prices for DBS in these hospitals differ due to price policy within the country, hospital awareness, and other factors.
Let’s gain insight top 3 countries with DBS clinics.
Turkey
For the last decade, Turkey has become a new healthcare brand. By the end of 2019, the country will have hosted 1M international patients.
I’is a top choice due to quality-price ratio. This correlation is explained by governmental supervision of prices in the hospitals and experienced professionals who have vast experience in DBS for Parkinson’s, essential tremor, dystonia, and Tourette syndrome.
Patients from the Gulf and Western European countries most often come to Turkey for neurosurgery.
India
If you are looking for affordable prices and want to be sure of the procedure quality, India is the choice. Indian hospitals report that they offer the lowest prices, some of which take a tenth part of the US prices for the same neurosurgical procedures, including DBS.
Indian neurosurgeons are trained overseas and thus are skillful enough to provide the most complex surgeries.
Patients from the Middle East (Oman), African countries (Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania), Asia (Bangladesh, Bhutan) visit Indian DBS specialists for treatment of Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor, OCD, depression, dystonia.
Spain
WHO ranks the Spanish healthcare system the 7th in the world. The country spends around 10% of its GDP on medicine development. Thus, hospitals have the newest equipment possible. Many centers provide clinical trials. In Spain, deep brain stimulation is carried out for Parkinson’s, essential tremor, and other movement disorders, dystonia, epilepsy, and Tourette syndrome. Prices are higher than in Turkey and India.
Patients from France, Germany, the UK, and the Netherlands come here for treatments.
We understand that brain surgery alone sounds terrifying, and the decision may be not that easy. Submit a request on Bookimed, and our medical coordinator will contact you to answer all your questions on the procedure in different DBS hospitals.
Be ready to provide us with a video of patient’s movements and the list of medications taken. This information will help to evaluate if you are a candidate for a brain pacemaker installment and make treatment program with cost estimate right for you.