Based on their therapeutic activities and research results in Parkinson’s disease, the leadership of the Boston Scientific Corporation handed over the “Center of Excellence” award to the University of Pécs Clinical Centre Departments of Neurosurgery and Neurology in the frame of a ceremony held on June 11 at the University of Pécs Medical School. Professor Norbert Kovács, Deputy Director at the Department of Neurology, and Dr. István Balás, Associate Professor at the Department of Neurosurgery, were also honored separately.
Boston Scientific Corporation (USA) is a biomedical-biotechnology company and a leading multinational manufacturer of devices used in interventional medical specialties, including interventional radiology and cardiology, peripheral interventions, neuromodulation, neurovascular interventions, electrophysiology, cardiac surgery, vascular surgery, endoscopy, oncology, urology, and gynecology.
The first Boston Scientific DBS (deep brain stimulation) system was implanted at the UP CC Department of Neurosurgery in 2016, and since then, the clinic has been participating in several international studies with outstanding results. The UP CC Department of Neurology was the first to introduce Image Guided DBS Programming in Hungary, which is routinely used in everyday practice, reducing side effects during brain stimulation and making everyday life easier for patients with movement disorders. The high level of education at the department has contributed significantly to the development of neurosurgery and neuromodulation in the Central and Eastern European regions.
Over the last twenty years, deep brain stimulation has become a significant treatment for movement disorders. Using it has resulted in an important breakthrough in the treatment of the late stage of Parkinson’s disease, which is limited by medication, and in the symptomatic management of certain types of tremors and dystonia. The procedure involves the application of high-frequency stimulation to the target area using an implanted electrode. As the stimulation only inhibits the functioning of nerve cells and does not cause damage, the inhibition can be stopped at any time by switching off the stimulation.
“The introduction and dissemination of therapies are critical in Central and Eastern Europe, where the University of Pécs Departments of Neurosurgery and Neurology have an outstanding role. They are helping this process through their high level of education, and this award is our way of saying thank you,” said Piotr Lohman, head of the neuromodulation division at Boston Scientific in Central Europe.
“This recognition is a tribute to the excellent clinical and teamwork, the creation of internationally outstanding conditions, and our achievements to date. There are only a few centers in the world where neurosurgery, psychiatry, neurology, and imaging can work together to such an extent,” said Professor Norbert Kovács, who added that more than 700 patients were treated there between 2010 and 2022 as it is the largest stimulation center in the country.
Photo:
Dávid VERÉBI