Treatment of Parkinson's disease in Israel

Treatment of Parkinson’s disease in Israel opens up new opportunities for patients with this complex neurological diagnosis. Medical centers in Haifa, Jerusalem, and Tel Aviv apply technologies that successfully suppress the symptoms of the disease and its further progression without almost any adverse reactions.

Minimally invasive neurosurgery is widely used in Israeli clinics, as well as non-invasive treatments such as ultrasound surgery (HIFU surgery). Another method of neurosurgical treatment is deep brain stimulation. Foreign patients also have access to the latest developments used in only a few hospitals in Israel.

In the last few years, stem cells have been used to treat Parkinson’s disease in Israel. This therapy method is considered an alternative but quite effective due to the ability of stem cells to “transform” into other cells of the body.

Deep brain stimulation is a surgical treatment method. It is often recommended for people whose Parkinson’s disease is progressing and whose medications are not having a consistent effect. The DBS procedure may increase the medication’s effectiveness and reduce or eliminate uncontrolled movements called dyskinesia. In this way, limb tremor is diminished, and the quality of movement is improved.

What is DBS for Parkinson’s? It is a surgery in which a neurosurgeon places thin wires at a specific location in the brain. These wires connect to a device implanted under the chest’s skin. The device sends weak currents to the brain and can help manage the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.

The length of the DBS surgery can vary depending on the case’s complexity, but it usually takes no more than 7 hours. Most of the time is spent setting up and checking that the stimulator works. The patient is conscious and follows the doctor’s instructions to position the electrodes correctly.

In Israel, an innovative method of treating Parkinson’s disease other than DBS surgery is available to foreign patients. To find out if a patient can undergo this therapy, you should contact Experts Medical. The coordinating doctor will arrange an online consultation with an Israeli neurologist to discuss treatment options and pricing for medical services.

MRI-HIFU for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease

MRI-HIFU (MRgFUS) is a high-intensity focused ultrasound controlled by magnetic resonance imaging. The machine uses intense ultrasound to destroy areas of the brain that cause tremors. The patient is conscious during the procedure and may experience a reduced tremor immediately after the procedure is completed.

Ultrasound ablation (HIFU) has significant advantages over conservative therapies. MRI-HIFU allows real-time localization of the desired area of the brain (one of the thalamic nuclei) and its targeted irradiation.

What is important for patients to know about MRgFUS

MRI-guided ultrasound ablation is a new non-surgical method of treating Parkinson’s disease in Israel. The advantage of MRgFUS is that the patient does not require anesthesia or foreign body implantation.

The MRgFUS procedure is performed in a special MRI chamber where the patient wears a helmet with ultrasound emitters. Using the MRI, doctors identify the target area of the brain (thalamus) and direct ultrasound beams to it. These beams heat the brain tissue affected by the disease to such a temperature that it coagulates and stops functioning. During the procedure, the patient is conscious and can report their feelings.

MRgFUS lasts from 2 to 4 hours. After that, the patient can return to a hotel or stay in the clinic for one night for observation. The MRgFUS procedure significantly relieves tremors and improves the quality of life for patients with Parkinson’s disease.

What are the limitations? MRgFUS is not suitable for all patients with Parkinson’s disease. There are several contraindications, such as having metal implants, a shunt or clip on the cerebral vessels, and certain other conditions.

MRgFUS can be an alternative to deep brain stimulation. However, this technique is not widely used in all clinics. If you want to learn more about this method or enroll for an MRgFUS procedure abroad, request a free consultation with an Experts Medical coordinating doctor.

Because MRgFUS is a new treatment for Parkinson’s disease, it is not yet widely available in Israel and other countries with advanced medicine. A few Israeli clinics are authorized or involved in research on this method. These include:

• Suraski (Ikhilov) is one of Israel’s largest and most reputable medical centers. The hospital is accredited according to JCI standards. It cooperates with leading scientific institutions of the country. Suraski has a neurological team that uses modern technologies to diagnose and treat Parkinson’s disease. Specialists at the hospital are conducting trials of MRgFUS for treating tremors in Parkinson’s disease.
• Sheba is a large university hospital in Israel accredited with international JCI standards. The clinic is the center of scientific development in the country. Sheba is home to renowned experts in neurology and neurosurgery who utilize innovative treatments for Parkinson’s disease, including MRgFUS.
• Rambam is one of Israel’s oldest medical centers, which JCI accredits. The hospital has the status of a teaching and research center. The hospital has experienced neurologists and neurosurgeons who treat Parkinson’s with various methods, including MRgFUS.

Also, there are some other Israeli clinics where you can undergo treatment using the DBS method. This surgery is available to all foreign patients. Such Parkinson’s treatment in Israel has positive feedback from patients from Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

The final cost of Parkinson’s disease treatment in Israel will be influenced by several factors:

• The need for diagnostic measures;
• pricing of the clinic and the popularity of specialists: neurologist, neurosurgeon;
• the type of surgery and the length of the rehabilitation period under the supervision of medical staff.

Examples of prices for diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson’s disease in Israel:

• doctor’s сonsultation – about $700;
• MRI of the brain – from $800;
• comprehensive examination – from $2000;
• brain stimulation surgery – from $20000.

To learn more about prices for procedures, leave a request online. Coordinating doctors will consult you on all questions and help you organize Parkinson’s disease treatment in Israel.

How does it manifest? Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative disease of the brain. Therefore, it is accompanied by motor dysfunction: slow movements, stiffness, loss of balance, and hand tremors. The patient also has functional syndromes and cognitive decline. Speech may become slurred depending on the stage of the disease.

How is it diagnosed? In modern medical practice, no single test would allow doctors to diagnose the patient clearly. Parkinson’s disease is diagnosed based on clinical findings and overt symptoms.

A neurologist may use various procedures to confirm or refute the diagnosis. For example, the doctor will order a brain MRI or other types of scans to rule out other conditions that may be causing similar symptoms.

Diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease may include tremorography, a method of studying the shaking of different parts of a person’s body. This is how neurologists can determine if the tremor is related to Parkinsonism.

Why does Parkinson’s disease occur? According to the American organization Parkinson’s Foundation, the leading causes of the disease are a combination of genetic factors and environmental influences. Genetics causes between 10% and 15% of all disease cases. 

Over the years, scientists have studied the DNA of people with Parkinson’s disease, comparing their genes. They have found dozens of gene mutations associated with this diagnosis. Environmental risk factors are most often linked to head injuries and exposure to pesticides and other hazardous substances. 

People with Parkinson’s disease lose special brain cells – dopaminergic neurons. These cells help a person move normally. They are located in a part of the brain called the substantia nigra. Since the process occurs at the cellular level, treatment begins with the use of special medications. In the most severe cases, neurosurgical intervention is required.

In most cases, patients diagnosed with the disease are treated with medication at their residence. Depending on the age of the person and the severity of symptoms, the patient may take therapy for more than 30 years. Why do people choose treatment for Parkinson’s disease in Israel?

Effectiveness of drug therapy

Some medications can make life easier for the patient if they have difficulty walking or moving and have pronounced tremors in the hands and head. These drugs increase or replenish dopamine. Dopamine is a substance that is lacking in the brain of Parkinson’s patients. But it cannot simply be injected into the body because dopamine does not cross the blood and brain barrier. Medication for Parkinson’s disease can have a noticeable effect and reduce symptoms. However, over time, the effects of medications often decrease or become less stable.

In the later stages of Parkinson’s disease, doctors may prescribe monoamine oxidase B (MAO B) inhibitors. They help prevent the brain’s dopamine breakdown by inhibiting the enzyme monoamine oxidase. However, side effects of MAO B inhibitors can include headaches, nausea, or insomnia. When added to standard treatment, this drug increases the risk of hallucinations.

Based on feedback from patients’ relatives and follow-up examinations, it has been found that other drugs have side effects as well. For example, the doctor may prescribe anticholinergic medicines. These medications have been used for years to control tremors. However, their modest benefits are often offset by side effects such as memory impairment, confusion, hallucinations, constipation, dry mouth, and impaired urination.

What treatment options become relevant if medications do not work?

According to patient reviews, they decide to go to Israel when medications no longer work. There are significant risks of injury due to uncontrolled tremors and body weakness. Most often – this is a fracture of the femoral neck and complete disability.

To prevent this, patients go to Israel for Parkinson’s disease treatment, primarily for the DBS procedure – deep brain stimulation.