AN article published in the National Library of Medicine stated that neurological disorders are the leading cause of physical and cognitive disability all over the world affecting about 15 percent of the global population.
In the Philippines, cerebrovascular diseases remain to be one of the leading causes of death according to an article published in June 2022 on the Philippine Statistics website.
Makati Medical Center (MakatiMed) is one of the few top-ranking hospitals that provide world-class neurological care, with the Stroke Team of its Department of Neurosciences (Neurology Section) receiving a Diamond Status- Excellence Award this year from the World Stroke Organization, the only private hospital to receive a diamond status in 2023.
At a roundtable discussion held, MakatiMed’s medical director and two of its top neurosurgeons shared with a select members of the press the neurological advancements available at MakatiMed such as awake craniotomy surgery for brain tumor patients, cerebral bypass surgery, and stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS).
“Filipinos only stand to benefit from innovations in neurological care. They don’t need to leave the country to get the best treatment in this area. MakatiMed has new and improved procedures that make the recovery process easier for the increasing number of Filipinos with neurological disorders,” says Saturnino Javier, MD, the Medical Director at MakatiMed.
“It’s hard to understate the importance of a sound neurological condition given its impact on cognitive functions, which directly shapes your quality of life,” Javier added.
Dr. Javier mentioned the gaps in stroke care in the Philippines such as a low number of neurologists, inadequate CT scan machines, lack of stroke training among health care workers, lack of stroke protocols, and pathways, poor community stroke awareness, low government insurance coverage with high out of pocket medical expenses, lack of infrastructure, inadequate acute stroke ready hospitals, stroke units and rehabilitation facilities. “I have mentioned these because MakatiMed can play a role in closing many of the gaps mentioned,” he added.
Since 2018, the hospital has been offering awake craniotomy surgery, a highly specialized surgical technique that is safer and provides a more effective approach to brain tumor removal while reducing the risk of neurologic deficit.
“In this procedure, we target parts of the brain controlling speech and motor function,” explains Guillermo Victorino Liabres, MD of MakatiMed’s Neurosurgery Department. “Not only does it minimize risks, but our team also offers postoperative care to ensure patients get back to their regular lives easily.”
Dr. Liabres notes that the hospital has a 100 percent patency rate for cerebral bypass surgeries. According to him, this complex procedure, which is sometimes necessary for cranial or head and neck tumors, involves using a blood vessel from another part of the body to redirect blood flow around blockages in the brain.
He also emphasized that not all patients can be candidates for cerebral bypass surgery, and that they have rigid parameters in choosing candidates for this procedure. “We check the clinical parameters. For example, the patient has persistent and recurrent stroke despite the best treatments,” he explains.