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BACOLOD CITY: A Filipino neurologist based at the prestigious Mayo
Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona, USA, brings hope to thousands of men
diagnosed with X-Link Dystonia Parkinsonism (XDP) Syndrome or Lubag,
after discovering an effective symptomatic treatment for the
disease, reported Panay News.
Dr. Virgilio Gerald Evidente successfully
undertook the surgical operation called “Deep Brain Stimulation”
and implanted a pacemaker or pulse generator on a Filipino patient
who volunteered to be his “medical guinea pig” to test if his
method of treating Lubag is effective.
Lubag is a genetic disease; the gene causing it
lies in the X-chromosome and is transmitted by female carriers who,
in majority of cases, are asymptomatic, Evidente explained.
Male children who inherit the gene from their
carrier mothers are the ones who develop symptoms, which are mainly
Parkinsonism and Dystonia of various muscle groups.
The genealogy of the disease is said to have
started around 1,000 years ago.
“Majority of the several thousands of men
diagnosed with Lubag are residing in Panay or trace their roots in
Panay Island in the Philippines,” Evidente noted.
A majority of those afflicted come from poor
families who cannot afford medication and surgery.
Also, there are many patients misdiagnosed
because of the unfamiliarity of some doctors with the entire
spectrum of signs and symptoms of the disease, Evidente added.
The first to be treated with “Deep Brain
Stimulation” surgery is Dr. Jesus Villanueva, a medical doctor
from Bacolod City but is also based in Philadelphia, USA.
He was a practicing internal medicine doctor at
Fitzgerald Mercy Catholic Medical Center when his XDP or Lubag
started showing.
Villanueva, who earlier experienced involuntary
tremors and other symptoms of Parkinsonism, now showed tremendous
recovery after undergoing treatment from Evidente.
He teamed up with Evidente to form a foundation
to help people diagnosed with Lubag by conducting more research
about the disease, providing medical costs, and disseminating
information on new treatments.
After his successful treatment of Villanueva,
Evidente said his medical breakthrough was published in a medical
journal.
Doctors from all over the world are now tapping
his expertise in combating the disease.
The foundation, which they named John Vincent
Villanueva/Lubag Foundation in memory of Dr. Villanueva’s brother,
is now lobbying with the Philippine government and other entities to
help defray expensive medical expenses of patients with Lubag.
Evidente said he is preparing to treat another
patient, also an Ilonggo.
A “Deep Brain Simulation” operation and
pulse generator implant would ordinarily cost around $200,000 but
with the collaboration he has with other neurologists and medical
experts, he hopes to bring the expenses down to only $40,000.
He also announced that neurologists from Japan
have made known their intention of duplicating his feat and would
select two Filipino lubag patients for treatment.
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