- Gold Coast University Hospital is the first public hospital in Australia to offer incisionless brain surgery to treat a range of neurological conditions.
- The non-invasive procedure uses ultrasound to treat areas of the brain that cause movement tremors from diseases like Parkinson's Disease.
- The Miles Government invested $3.5 million to purchase the specialised equipment, which has treated three patients in the past month.
Gold Coast University Hospital will be the first Australian public hospital to offer innovative incisionless surgery for people with disabling neurological conditions like Parkinson's Disease.
The Miles Government has provided $3.5 million in funding for a Magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS), which is a non-invasive procedure which uses MRI to locate and treat areas of the brain that trigger symptoms of movement disorders.
More than 1,000 ultrasound beams intersect at a single point and create tiny lesion on the brain, disrupting the abnormal brain activity and significantly reducing tremors.
Patients do not require general anaesthetic and improvements can often be demonstrated in real-time, as patients are awake throughout the incisionless procedure.
As this surgery is non-invasive, there are no incisions or drill holes, which enhances recovery time, and enables patients to potentially be discharged the following day.
Each patient requires a "halo" to be fitted during the procedure, to keep their head still and their scalp cool. This halo is unique to each patient and can only be used once.
As stated by the Minister for Health, Mental Health, and Ambulance Services and Minister for Women, the Honourable Shannon Fentiman MP:
"This treatment is life changing for people who suffer from debilitating movement disorders.
"It's incredible to see the immediate and significant reductions in tremors thanks to this new procedure and our highly skilled health heroes.
"This surgery is helping Queenslanders to regain the ability and dignity to perform daily tasks like writing and picking up a glass of water.
"I'm so proud that the Miles Government is focused on delivering the highest quality healthcare for Queenslanders.
"And our $3.5 million investment in this new treatment is in addition to our record breaking $28.9 billion health budget this year."
As stated by Gold Coast Health Medical Director Neurology, Dr Sam Heshmat:
"At Gold Coast Health, we are proud to launch this innovative service to help patients with certain movement disorders, including tremors.
"To see a significant change in a patient's functional capacity within a few hours, to see them gain back some independence after so many years, it's just priceless.
"This service is unique as it involves a group of clinicians from different specialties.
Neurologists, neurosurgeons, and our radiology colleagues all play a role within each patient's journey. We also have a Nurse Navigator, which is a newly created position specifically for this service."
As stated by CEO Gold Coast Hospital Foundation, Russell Ousley:
"The Gold Coast Hospital Foundation is incredibly honoured to support another life-changing treatment for our local community with Incisionless Surgery.
"Thanks to the generosity of our incredible donors, the Gold Coast Hospital Foundation has contributed over $386,000 towards the purchase and supply of Halo Kits, essential for every patient undergoing this precision surgery. This equipment will have a profound impact on patients suffering from tremors.
"The Foundation is dedicated to supporting leading initiatives like this, it enables us to use community donations to make a positive impact that will change lives."
