India’s first surgery for Schizophrenia successfully performed in Gurugram hospital 

Taking a big leap in the field of “psychosurgery” - a subspecialty of Neurosurgery India's First Surgery for Schizophrenia was performed at Marengo Asia Hospital in Gurugram. 28-year-old African patient with Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia underwent NAcc-DBS surgery. The patient was suffering from the ailment ever since he was 13 years old. Only 13 such surgeries have been performed across the world.

In a path-breaking effort, the Neurosurgery team at Marengo Asia Hospitals Gurgaon successfully treated this patient through Nucleus Accumbens - Deep Brain Stimulation surgery. This was the first surgery performed in India, for schizophrenia, a debilitating mental illness. 

The surgery was led by Dr Himanshu Champaneri, a senior consultant neurosurgeon at the Marengo Asia Hospitals Gurugram. This ground-breaking procedure, which has been performed only 13 times globally, marks a remarkable advancement in the psychiatric surgery (psychosurgery) field. 

Schizophrenia, a complex psychiatric disorder, affects millions of people worldwide, and finding effective treatment has been a challenging endeavor.

The patient, a man from Africa (identity kept confidential), had been diagnosed with schizophrenia at the age of 15 years.  Despite undergoing various medication regimens, he had been experiencing persistent hallucinations and delusions among other symptoms of schizophrenia. 

He had isolated himself in his room for eight years, severely impacting his quality of life, his social life, and his academic growth since he dropped out of school. 

The patient's symptoms of schizophrenia had progressively worsened over the years, manifesting in complete social withdrawal. He became increasingly resistant to the prescribed medicines. The condition began to significantly impact the patient's ability to function in daily life. And he became increasingly resistant to the prescribed medicines when he chose to come to India for an enhanced treatment called neuromodulation.