Dr. Gurneet Singh Sawhney highlights on the Revolutionary Spasticity Treatment which improves lives of patients with spasticity

Mumbai: The baclofen pump treatment is quite effective in treating spasticity and hence improving lives of many patients who are unable to perform activities of daily living and have to depend on others. Spasticity is a condition that causes muscles to become stiff and difficult to control, commonly found in people with multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, and other neurological disorders.

Dr. Gurneet Singh Sawhney, founder of Neruolife Clinic and Senior Consultant (Brain and Spine) at Fortis Hospital, Mumbai states, ‘The baclofen pump is a revolutionary treatment that improves the quality of life of people with spasticity. The patient experiences fewer side effects of baclofen as just one-tenth of the oral baclofen dosage is induced through the pump and directly delivered into the spinal cord.

He elaborates on spasticity in which the patient is unable to move or talk normally and may experience pain or discomfort while doing it on account of stiff muscles or an abnormal increase in muscle tone. Damage to the nerve pathways in the brain or spinal which control the muscle movement is the main reason for spasticity.

Symptoms with spasticity complain of muscle spasms, involuntary crossing of the legs, fixed joints, increased muscle tone, series of rapid muscle contractions, and increased muscle tone. Also, spasticity can be mild or severe muscle stiffness with varying degrees of pain and at times, uncontrollable muscle spasms. Spasticity can interfere with daily activities and affect the rehabilitation process in people

Patients with spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, stroke, brain or head trauma, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, hereditary spastic paraplegias, adrenoleukodystrophy, phenylketonuria, and krabbe disease and other metabolic diseases get affected with spasticity.

Explaining the baclofen pump surgery, Dr. Gurneet Singh Sawhney states it is recommended to patients with severe spasticity. A neurosurgeon places a pump underneath the abdominal skin. This surgery takes nearly 1 or 2 hours.

The pump delivers the desired dosage of the drug at a pre-decided rate via a catheter to the intrathecal space of the spinal cord for maximum results 24x7. Also, the pump has programmer for adjusting the dosage as per requirement.

The patient needs to stay in the hospital for at least three days after the baclofen pump implantation surgery to monitor their return to regular activity as per age and pre-operative condition. The neurosurgeon sets the daily dosage of the baclofen during OPD within the following month.

The neurosurgeon will suggest a schedule for refilling the baclofen pump depending upon the concentration of baclofen, dose and pump size. The refilling procedure is an OPD procedure and takes approximately 15-20 minutes.

Also, a pump replacement surgery is scheduled before the expiration of its battery which is of almost seven years and is a relatively simpler surgery.

About Dr Gurneet Singh Sawhney

Dr. Gurneet Singh Sawhney, a world-renowned neurosurgeon with unwavering commitment to treating complex and critical brain and spinal cord disorders. His treatment is very dynamic ensuring a remarkable success rate of patient recovery. He is acknowledged for his expertise in neuro-oncology, vascular neurosurgery, minimally invasive spine surgery, image-guided neurosurgery, neurocritical care, and intracranial tumor surgery, particularly skull base tumors

His areas of specialization include Functional Neurosurgery, Epilepsy Neurosurgery, Stereotactic Radiosurgery, and Neuroendoscopy. Additionally, he has received extensive training in neurotrauma procedures, deep brain stimulation surgery (DBS), Parkinson’s treatment, and seizure treatment.

Dr. Gurneet Singh Sawhney's 17+ years of experience have earned him recognition as a distinguished neurosurgeon in Mumbai and across the world.

Contact Dr Gurneet Singh Sawhney:

• Address: Neurolife Brain & Spine Clinic, C-118, 1st floor, Hall Mark Commercial Complex, Vasant Oscar, LBS Marg, Mulund, West, Mumbai - 400082.

• Address: Fortis Hospital, Mulund, Goregaon Link Rd, Industrial Area, Mulund West, Mumbai, Maharashtra - 400078.

• Call: +91 8104310753