There are a number of surgical options available for patients with Parkinson’s, although only one is used on a regular basis.  Surgery should only be considered as an option to treat Parkinson’s disease if a patient has improved on Levodopa therapy. 

Thalamotomy, Pallidotomy and Subthalamotomy are all surgical procedures involving destroying a precise portion of the brain in order to improve Parkinson’s symptoms. These options are generally used on otherwise healthy individuals under the age of 65.

DBS or Deep Brain Stimulation is the most common surgical procedure used to treat tremor, rigidity and bradykinesia.  It does not destroy healthy brain tissue. 

Deep Brain Stimulation helps to control some of the movements that are symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease when medications no longer work.  Deep Brain Stimulation an provide additional hours of good movement control, and can make certain activities of daily living such as tying shoes, buttoning buttons, writing, bathing, drinking and eating easier.

Deep brain stimulation is a surgical procedure in which a hair-thin wire (electrode) is implanted in the area of the brain that is responsible for abnormal movement. The wire is connected to a pulse generator that is implanted under the skin below the collarbone. Once activated, the generator sends mild electrical pulses through the wire to the brain. These electrical pulses modify the brain’s electrical signals to help control or stop abnormal movements.

There is a period of adjustment.  That is done with the doctor to receive the optimal impact of the device.  The individual with the DBS is shown how to utilize a small remote control that can dial up or down the amount of stimulation being delivered through the wires in the brain.

Often times, the amount of Parkinson’s medication that is required by the patient can be reduced once the device is implanted.  This is good because Parkinson’s Disease medications have a finite lifetime when they are actually able to help a person function. 

Personal experience of someone with Parkinson’s who had a device implanted:

One of our members was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson’s Disease  and was hyperkinetic.  All of that uncontrolled movement or trying to consciously control all of the uncontrolled movement was exhausting.  He was greatly helped by the Deep Brain Stimulation.  It was astonishing to see him before and after. It used to be thought that having Deep Brain Stimulation implantation was a late in the game treatment, but the new thinking is to do it sooner rather than later.

People with comorbidities, or cognitive impairment may not be good candidates for Deep Brain Stimulation. The operation is now reversible. Generally, an overnight stay in the hospital will be required and up to six to eight weeks of recovery.  Adjustments to the neurotransmitter by your doctor are required and it may take up to a year before the full benefit is felt.