Medicover Hospital Wilanów in Poland introduces an innovative treatment for PD

Medicover Hospital is the first private medical facility in Poland which offers the Mrg-FUS treatment which allows for the treatment of essential tremors and Parkinson’s disease. The use of this solution in Medicover Hospital is possible thanks to the collaboration with Insightec, the exclusive provider of Exablate Neuro technology, which enables non-invasive MRg-FUS treatment. The procedures will be performed by Professor Mirosław Ząbek (Director of the Gamma Knife Center Warsaw), the only operator of the technology in Poland.

Approximately 80,000 people in Poland suffer from Parkinson's disease (PD). One of several symptoms of this progressive neurological disease that particularly lowers the patient's quality of life is tremor which affects 76% of patients. Meanwhile, another condition - essential tremor (ET), which is characterised by shaking of both hands - occurs ten times more frequently than Parkinson's disease and can appear not only in the 5th-6th decade of a patient's life, but also even in adolescence.

Thanks to the cooperation with the world-famous neurosurgeon, Professor Mirosław Ząbek, Medicover Wilanów Hospital has been offering innovative and up till now the most advanced MRg-FUS (Magnetic Resonance-guided Focused Ultrasound) technology since February 2023. Professor performs procedures with the team of neurosurgeons: Dr Paweł Gutowski, M.D. and Dr Mikołaj Raźniak, M.D.

This procedure involves concentrated ultrasound beams, which, controlled by magnetic resonance, are focused on the dysfunctional brain structures responsible for causing tremor symptoms. After confirming their disappearance, the doctor finally eliminates the planned or chosen defective structure. The non-invasiveness and high degree of the safety of the treatment make it a groundbreaking alternative to surgical methods as well as pharmacotherapy that have been used to treat tremors until now.

Tremors are a symptom of Parkinson's disease and essential tremors and have a particularly adverse impact on the patient's life. The FUS device allows us to eliminate this problematic condition in a particularly non-invasive way - the procedure is performed without opening the skull, thus significantly shortening the recovery time and minimising the risk of complications, explains Professor Mirosław Ząbek. The patient remains conscious throughout the procedure, which lasts only a few hours, and the symptoms of the disease immediately disappear on the operating table, he adds.

The MRg-FUS method was first used by Professor Ząbek in March last year at Bródno Hospital and has been used commercially since February 2023 at Medicover Hospital.

At Medicover Hospital, we consistently prioritise collaboration with leaders and the full utilisation of cutting-edge technologies. Professor Ząbek's presence in our team and the FUS system offer a real opportunity to improve the quality of life for patients with Parkinson's disease and essential tremors as well as their families, comments Anna Nipanicz-Szałkowska, Director of Medicover Hospital. There are many indications that this method will become increasingly significant, and it is currently being tested for use in other disease entities, she summarises.

FUS-based operations are part of the portfolio of innovative, minimally invasive procedures performed at Medicover Hospital.

The centre regularly performs operations assisted by the da Vinci robot for the treatment of endometriosis, colorectal cancer or prostate cancer. In December 2021 the first-ever world-class cryoablation-pulsed electric field ablation procedures were performed at the Cardiology Clinic of Medicover Hospital, and in April 2022 an innovative implantation of a biologic mitral valve was performed at the Cardiac Surgery Clinic.