BGS Global Hospitals' dedicated Neuroscience Institute is the first facility in the South Asia to install the Neuro Navigational System (NNS) which is a recognized gold standard in neuro surgery. The hospital invested Rs 2 crore for the equipment from Medtronic, a world leader in medical technology.

The Institute has a Centre of Excellence for brain, spine, neuro trauma and neuro critical care. An advanced training lab provides hand-on experience to be adept in incisions that help groom neurosurgeons to be armed with the latest skills in surgical technologies for the future.

Tumours in the brain and spine are increasing in India. NNS is the ultimate for a neuro surgeon as it minimizes the risk of complications in brain and spine surgeries. The surgical technology is based on the infrared and electromagnetic rays generating a 3-D environment of the brain anatomy.

Any part of the brain can be accessed with a computer assisted minimally invasive technique enabling the surgeon to mark the scalp and go in for a precise incision and be able to scoop out the tumour or tackle the blood vessel accurately and safely.

The increasing number of neurological disorders including brain and spine diseases can be tackled with the modern, invasive and safe methods. Neurology management is a critical component in healthcare. This has increased need to treat, train and learn neurosciences in India. Our Neuroscience Institute handles wide range of neurological disorders at an affordable cost, Dr NK Venkataramana, vice chairman, neurosurgeon, director, Global Neuroscience Institute told Pharmabiz.

The Institute has the expertise to handle complex neurological and neurosurgical diseases including neuro oncology, stereotactic surgery, functional neurosurgery, deep brain stimulation, skull base surgery, neurovascular surgery, epilepsy surgery, neuro trauma, spinal trauma, complex spinal surgeries, spinal tumours, peripheral nerve surgeries, and neuro regenerative surgeries. A team of neurosurgeons, neurologists, neuro radiologists, interventional endovascular specialists, neuro anaesthetists and neuro critical care experts work out of Institute's five specialized departments: Neurology, Neuro surgery, Neuro Trauma and Neuro Critical Care Support Services (Neuro Radiology and Neuro Pathology). There are also stand-alone clinics for Epilepsy, Parkinson's, Stroke, Spine, Paediatric neurology, Movement Disorders, Dementia and Learning Disabilities.

The modular operation theatres are equipped with micro dopplers, 64 splice CT, 3T MRI and a comprehensive brain mapping system supported with neuro electrophysiology like EEG, ENG, sleep lab and video telemetric EEG.

Such hi-end surgical expertise needs constant training and availability of neurosurgeons at all times. Therefore, need for both comprehensive and intensive training in surgical skills is mandatory to become adept in the procedures which require more than nimble fingers but hand-eye coordination and alertness, explained Dr Venkataramana.

"Keeping this in mind, our in-house training centre, provides surgeons hands-on-experience in micro surgery where real time exposure to surgical techniques using artificial blood vessels are provided", he said. Such a real time training lab is unique to a private hospital in the country. Continuous training in laparoscopy, operating microscope, brain-spine endoscopy, ultrasound surgical aspirator, intra-operative electrophysiological monitoring, minimally invasive and cell saver are offered to the surgeons on a regular basis. It helps them to act instantly and comfortably during an emergency. Surgeons also need to be familiar with the attachments of the neuro operating table, instruments like Cranitome, a high speed pneumatic drilling system with a 1 lakh rpm (rate per minute) used to delicately remove the skull bones during neurosurgery with minimal blood loss, scores of monitoring techniques and the ability to switch from neurosurgical or trauma or stoke condition, he added.