Revolution at Vanvitelli in Naples: Parkinson's tremors can be cured in 60 days

Parkinson's, in 60 days treatments to eliminate tremors will begin. At the AOU Luigi Vanvitelli a new technology will change the lives of thousands of patients

Sixty days later, the Luigi Vanvitelli University Hospital in Naples will begin treatments that will restore a normal life to patients suffering from Parkinson's disease.

Thanks to the use of regional funds provided for by Art. 20/88, the strategic direction of theUniversity Hospital Company has in fact purchased a system of focused ultrasound therapy, guided by magnetic resonance imaging, which allows to treat tremors, in particular drug-resistant Parkinson's tremor and essential tremor.

The new technology is called MR-guided Focused Ultra-Sound

“MR-guided Focused Ultra-Sound (this is the name, ed.) is a technology that radically changes the lives of patients, restoring their lost functional autonomy”, explains the general manager Ferdinando Russo.

With the acquisition of this technology, Campania is the only region in Southern Italy (and among the very few in Italy) to be able to offer the treatment which, in studies published so far, has proven effective in over 70% of patients.

As for the procedure, it is performed inside an MRI without the need for sedation. The therapy lasts on average 3 to 4 hours, during which quality controls are performed on the equipment, MRI scans, measurements to identify the target nucleus, and then proceed with the delivery of focused ultrasound.

Unlike what happens with normal diagnostic magnetic resonance imaging tests, the patient's head is fixed to the bed thanks to a stereotactic helmet and a membrane containing water facilitates the passage of the ultrasound.

“Focused ultrasound targets lesions in the thalamus, particularly the pallidal nucleus,” explains Professor Alessandro Tessitore, director of the Neurology Unit, “in this way the area that produces the tremor becomes necrotic. The action is contralateral, meaning that the “bombardment” on the right hemisphere resolves the tremor on the left and vice versa.

The two treatments are performed nine months apart and there is no need to repeat the procedure.”

“Thanks to the enormous teamwork carried out by the entire strategic management staff and the collaboration of the relevant Regional Offices – concludes General Manager Russo – we were able to quickly prepare what was necessary for the acquisition of this very important equipment which in fact makes our University Hospital and the Campania region a centre of attraction for hundreds of thousands of patients from all over Italy”.