NO PATIENT CARE ISSUES SHOULD BE COMMUNICATED THROUGH THIS FORM.
Deep Brain Stimulation for Parkinsons Disease
Deep brain stimulation is a surgery that involves the implanting of electrodes in certain areas of the patient’s brain. Electrical impulses are composed by these electrodes to regulate any unexpected impulses in the brain. These electrical impulses can also disturb certain chemicals and cells in the brain. The amount of stimulation that the brain accepts in this procedure is controlled by a device, much like a pacemaker, placed under the patient’s skin in the upper chest. A wire travels under the skin to connect this device to the electrodes.
Surgery for Parkinson’s disease
- Tremor – Tremor in a limb, often in the hand or fingers at rest, a back-and-forth rubbing of your thumb and forefinger, known as “pill-rolling”
- Orthostatic hypotension – Lightheadedness or dizzy when standing
- Rigid muscles – Muscle stiffness and abnormal tone in the body limiting your motion and causing pain
- Impaired posture and balance – Stooped posture, unsteady balance
