Lucknow hospital surgically treats ‘suicide disease’

Lucknow, June 16: Balrampur Hospital in Lucknow has become the first district hospital to offer surgical treatment for Trigeminal Neuralgia, also known as the suicide disease (mainly because of the high-level pain that the patient suffers).

This achievement follows the successful operation of Ashok Kumar, 46, who was suffering from the condition. The patient had to spend merely Rs 400 for the surgery.

Bollywood star Salman Khan also had this disease. Trigeminal neuralgia affects about 10-12 out of 100,000 people and is more frequently found in women.

Ashok was experiencing severe pain on the right side of his face for six years. Despite using painkillers and undergoing treatments since the age of 40, he found no relief. Later, considering his financial constraints, some persons recommended him to visit Balrampur Hospital.

Ashok sought help from Dr Vinod Tiwari, a neurosurgeon at Balrampur Hospital. Dr Tiwari noted that Kumar’s right facial pain was triggered by minor activities such as wind, brushing his teeth, gargling, eating, drinking water, or a light touch on his right cheek, causing him hours of excruciating pain.

“I told him if it is not cured by medicines, then surgery is the only solution,” said Dr Tiwari.

Further, MRI scan revealed that an artery was compressing the fifth nerve on the right side of Kumar’s brain, leading to unbearable pain. The medical team decided to perform surgery to relieve the compression and ease the patient’s suffering.

“I and my team at Balrampur Hospital decided to perform the surgery to remove the tumour and decompress the nerve,” Dr Tiwari explained.

The operation, which took over three hours under general anaesthesia, was successful. Ashok is currently recovering in ICU ward.

The patient can speak normally and is no longer experiencing pain, Dr Tiwari said. Dr Pawan Kumar, Chief Superintendent at Balrampur Hospital, said: “Due to this disease, the patient is at risk of paralysis due to brain pressure.”