4 out of 5 who undergo surgery for NPH experience improvement
If you are one of the many elderly people experiencing memory, walking, and urinary problems, it could be caused by NPH, a condition that can be treated in Denmark. Medical studies show that it can be treated with a so-called shunt operation.
Almost 4 percent of all people over the age of 65 suffer from fluid accumulation in the brain, but far from everyone is diagnosed with NPH. As a result, many elderly people live with walking and balance difficulties, poor memory, and sudden urges to urinate. Many confuse the symptoms with dementia or normal signs of aging and believe that nothing can be done.
The condition is called NPH, which stands for Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus.
The earlier the treatment, the better the outcome
If you have NPH, it is important to get a diagnosis and start treatment quickly, explains a neurosurgery specialist in Denmark who is experienced in so-called shunt operations. Together with their team of neurosurgeons, they have operated on 30 patients since 2023, when they began performing the procedures at Privathospitalet Mølholm.
"The earlier you start treatment, the better the outcome," says neurosurgery specialist Christian Bonde Pedersen.
Far from everyone is diagnosed in time, because waiting times to see a neurologist are very long in many places. The disease cannot be cured, but it can be treated and can improve quality of life. If treatment is given in time, the outlook is very good, he explains:
"Four out of five patients who receive the correct treatment experience improvements, including their ability to remember, walk, and control urination," says Christian Bonde Pedersen.
Important advice from the specialist
Unfortunately, far from everyone who suffers from NPH is even diagnosed. Therefore, the specialist’s advice is to contact your own doctor if you suspect that you may have NPH.
Privathospitalet Mølholm in Denmark has a large team of experienced neurologists and neurosurgeons with expertise in treating patients with NPH. Here, the waiting time is less than four weeks from the initial contact until diagnosis and surgery. The operation itself takes 45 minutes.
Privathospitalet Mølholm has performed surgery on 30 patients with NPH since 2023.
See more about surgery for NPH
4 November 2024