Deep Brain Stimulation

Deep brain stimulation can treat a variety of disabling conditions, including movement disorders like Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor, dystonia, and refractory epilepsy.  

At Endoscopic & Minimally Invasive Spine Specialists, we have extensive experience and expertise in treating movement disorders and refractory epilepsy with deep brain stimulation surgery.

If you have been suffering with Parkinson’s Disease, Essential Tremor, or refractory epilepsy and are interested in learning more about surgical treatment with a deep brain stimulator, call the office today or request an appointment online.

Deep Brain Stimulation Q & A

Question:  What is deep brain stimulation?

• Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a surgery that implants electrodes, also called leads, in precise locations of the brain depending upon your specific problem. The leads carry electrical impulses to your brain to regulate abnormal brain activity. The electrical impulses can also change chemical imbalances in your brain.

• A pacemaker-like device in your upper chest controls the amount of electrical stimulation. Wires beneath your skin connect the electrodes in your brain to the device in your chest.

Question:  What does deep brain stimulation treat?

• At Endoscopic & Minimally Invasive Spine Specialists, Dr. Glickman performs DBS surgery to treat movement disorders like Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor, and dystonia.  DBS can also manage the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and epilepsy.

• Research investigating DBS as a possible treatment for other conditions, including cluster headaches, dementia, eating disorders, depression, central pain, and multiple sclerosis (MS) is underway.

Question:  How do I know if deep brain stimulation is right for me?

• You could be a candidate for DBS if you have a movement disorder, epilepsy, or OCD and don’t get relief from conservative treatments like medications and physical therapy. 

• If your symptoms continue and are severe enough to affect your quality of life, it could be time to consider DBS.

• Each condition has specific criteria that dictate indication for the procedure and should be evaluated by a neurologist and a neurosurgeon.

• Patients should be otherwise medically stable to undergo this elective procedure.

Question:  What should I expect from deep brain stimulation surgery?

• First, patients are evaluated by a thorough medical history with review of symptom duration, frequency, and severity, general health, neurological health, medications, risk factors, and patient preferences and wishes.  

• Second, all patients undergo general and focused neurological exam, checking strength and sensation, orientation and cognition, balance and gait, hearing, vision, balance, and coordination, among other things. Irregularities on exam provide information about possible targets for DBS therapy and to ensure that DBS is right for you. 

• For patients who are good candidates for DBS, risks and benefits of the procedure and recovery are explained to help you make an informed decision about your health. 
• A specific high definition magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequence is ordered as an outpatient to map out the areas of your brain for electrode placement.

• During surgery, you could be asleep under general anesthesia or awake with some sedation and a local anesthetic to numb your scalp. Your brain has no pain receptors, so you won’t experience discomfort if you remain awake.  There are significant advantages to the awake procedure.

• Dr. Glickman has extensive experience with both framed and frameless surgery for DBS and is one of the leaders in frameless DBS surgery.

• The surgeon precisely places two thin leads into specific predetermined points in your brain under high technology computer guidance. The leads are then attached to a wire that runs under your skin to a pulse generator implanted below your collarbone.

• A week later, you return to the hospital or surgery center for implantation of the battery generator as an outpatient.  

• At four weeks, in the Endoscopic & Minimally Invasive Spine Specialists office, we activate and program the pulse generator. You can then control the stimulation with a remote application on a phone device.

To learn more about our expertise and patient-centered care of movement disorders or epilepsy with deep brain stimulation, call Endoscopic & Minimally Invasive Spine Specialists today, or book an appointment online.