Cairo: An Egyptian neurosurgeon has performed brain surgery on a Saudi patient who had suffered from Parkinson’s disease for 10 years, with his hand tremor stopped during the procedure.
Dr Ali Salah, Consultant of Functional Neurosurgery at the Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, performed the procedure on Ahmed Al-Zahrani, who remained conscious under local anaesthesia and interacted with the medical team during the operation.
Salah later shared video of the procedure on Instagram, which went viral on social media. At the beginning of the video shared by Salah, Al-Zahrani can be seen holding a glass while his hand shakes. As the procedure progresses, the tremor is no longer visible, and he continues holding the glass without spilling it
In the caption, Salah described it as the moment the tremor stopped after 10 years of suffering. He said the patient showed clear and immediate improvement during the procedure, while noting that results vary between patients and suitability is determined following specialist assessment.
Al-Zahrani agreed to have the operation filmed and the video published to raise awareness of specialised surgical options for people with similar symptoms.
Watch the video here
Patient assessed before surgery
Speaking to Al-Araby TV from Cairo, Salah said Al-Zahrani first underwent an online assessment after submitting videos showing his condition, including tremors and rigidity.
The medical team also checked for conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure as part of his preparation for the operation.
After he was deemed ready, Al-Zahrani travelled to Cairo for a further assessment at the clinic before undergoing surgery.
Salah said the video had not been modified, edited or cut. He added that Al-Zahrani decided to publish it because many patients are unaware that specialised surgical procedures are available to manage certain symptoms.
How the procedure was performed
Salah described the operation as functional neurosurgery, which targets abnormal activity in a specific area of the brain.
The team first carried out 3D CT and MRI scans and entered the images into specialised software to identify the treatment site. Salah said the target area was approximately 1 millimetre in size.
The procedure targeted the thalamic nucleus. A radiofrequency needle was guided towards the target using a navigation device.
Salah said the surgical team mapped a safe route from the skin to the targeted area before inserting the needle. He compared the navigation system to a sniper rifle, explaining that it identifies the target and guides the instrument along the predetermined path.
Thermal energy was then used to treat the targeted area.
About Parkinson’s disease
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder that affects movement. It can cause symptoms such as tremors, stiffness and slowed movement. Medication is a key treatment, while surgery may be considered for selected patients whose symptoms remain difficult to control.
