Social Security Fund and Health Ministry perform first joint Parkinson’s surgery

For a person with Parkinson’s disease, getting dressed, walking or eating without help can mean regaining part of their independence. A complex operation performed jointly by Panama’s Social Security Fund and Health Ministry aims to make that improvement possible for appropriately selected patients.

The procedure, deep brain stimulation, can improve motor symptoms such as tremors, rigidity and slowness by between 50% and 80%. The operation took place at Rafael Estévez Hospital in Aguadulce, Coclé, where the Social Security Fund has performed the surgery since 2016.

This marked the first time the procedure was carried out jointly with the Health Ministry, as Panama moves toward integrating its health systems. Hospital neurosurgeon Omar Gordón said the results can significantly change patients’ quality of life. Candidates must first undergo exhaustive medical and neuropsychological assessments.

The technique involves implanting a brain electrode connected to a device placed beneath the collarbone. The device regulates movement. Patients usually leave the hospital one or two days after surgery, while the device is activated about a month later.

Gordón said the procedure can cost between $90,000 and $100,000 in the private sector, making its availability through the public network especially important. The surgical team included Dioselina Tristán of Luis “Chicho” Fábrega Hospital and Social Security Fund neurosurgeons Ariel Francis and Luis Andros. The collaboration is intended to strengthen specialized care for patients in Panama’s public health system.

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The results can generate a significant change in patients’ quality of life.