Baclofen Pump Implanted at Neurosurgery Clinic, Vagus Stimulator Implantation Also Planned!

(Patria) - A baclofen pump was implanted at the Neurosurgery Clinic in a twenty-one-year-old patient with a severe form of cerebral palsy.

This is the second time this type of procedure has been performed in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and it was first implanted in the same patient at the Neurosurgery Clinic of the University Clinical Center Sarajevo seven years ago.

According to the Head of the Spinal and General Neurosurgery Department, Dr. Edin Hajdarpašić, the baclofen pump is implanted in patients who have spasms that are difficult to treat with oral medication, i.e., tablets.

"The surgery involves inserting a catheter into the spinal canal and implanting the pump into the anterior abdominal wall, subcutaneously. The pump automatically administers a small, specific amount of medication intrathecally throughout the day. The pump needs to be replaced every seven years. The surgery was completed without any complications, the postoperative course is normal, and after two days of monitoring, the patient will be discharged for home treatment" – said Dr. Hajdarpašić.

Dr. Hajdarpašić states that the implanted pumps are refilled periodically depending on the amount of medication administered daily, and that they also provide refills for a certain number of patients who had pump implantation performed in centers outside of Bosnia and Herzegovina, given that the Neurosurgery Clinic is the only one providing this type of service in our country. 

The youngest member of the neurosurgery team, Dr. Walid Sarmini, points out that the Neurosurgery Clinic is a reference center in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where the most complex cases from our country, as well as the region, are treated. He emphasizes that complex surgical procedures for patients of all ages in the field of neurosurgery (cerebrovascular, spinal, pediatric, oncological, functional, trauma) are performed at the Neurosurgery Clinic of the University Clinical Center Sarajevo.

The Head of the Neurosurgery Clinic, Prof. Dr. Haso Sefo, highlights that the work of neurosurgeons is recognized beyond the borders of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and that they very often receive inquiries for surgical procedures from patients from the region.

 "We record the lowest percentage of referrals for treatment to foreign clinics. We are recognized for our excellence in work beyond the borders of Bosnia and Herzegovina. We plan to further improve services by introducing new procedures in the field of functional neurosurgery and implanting vagus stimulators in patients with epilepsy. The project of procuring and implanting vagus stimulators has been underway for some time, in terms of coordinating activities with the Federal Ministry of Health, i.e., the Solidarity Fund, as well as educating neurosurgeons and medical staff. Vagus stimulators function by stimulating the vagus nerve, thereby successfully controlling certain types of epileptic seizures" - said Prof. Dr. Sefo.