Activa® Therapy (also called deep brain stimulation or a brain pacemaker ) is implanted in the
operating room at Georgetown University Hospital while the patient is awake.
Neurosurgeons embed two small electrodes directly into the patient’s brain in
the targeted area where the movement disorder originates, using sound to locate
the precise location.
The electrodes are attached to a neuro-stimulator the size
of a heart pacemaker. Thedevice
can be turned on or off. A small electricpulse,
stimulates that precise part of the brain, immediately stopping the tremor, abnormal movements or rigidity.
“During the surgery to implant the electrodes, we see an immediate
difference,” says Christopher Kalhorn, MD, neurosurgeon at Georgetown University Hospital. “This sort of
treatment offers an improved quality of life to those suffering from this
debilitating illness.“
More than one million Americans suffer from Parkinson’s disease and more than 16,000 patients with Parkinson’s and other essential tremors live in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.
Because the symptoms of Parkinson’s include loss of motor control (such as tremors or flailing limbs), and are involuntary movements, they can become so overwhelming and embarrassing that some individuals never leave their homes in order to avoid public situations – and some can no longer care for themselves.
Previous treatments relied mostly on medication, which does not help everyone. The brain pacemaker is used in addition to drug therapies in advanced stages of the disease.
Who is eligible?
In the Washington, DC area, there are about 2,700 patients who would benefit from the deep brain stimulation. These are Parkinson's patients with movement-related symptoms that cannot be controlled by drugs, and patients who have negative side effects from drugs. They also need to be "levodopa-responsive," which means their primary symptoms respond to the drug, levodopa. Age and other pre-existing conditions do not necessarily exclude patients from being eligible for Activa Therapy. A neurosciences specialist at Georgetown will help you determine if deep brain stimulation is best for you.
Follow-up care
Patients aren’t left on their own after surgery. Doctors work with patients in subsequent appointments to adjust the pacemaker to ensure it’s working properly. As the symptoms of the disease progress in a patient, the brain pacemaker can be reprogrammed to provide continuing benefits. Also, deep brain stimulation is reversible and adjustable. If a cure is found for Parkinson’s disease, this device can be removed.
“Patients come into my operating room flailing or shaking so hard, they are really embarrassed to go out into the world, but they leave Georgetown with significant symptom reduction. I feel lucky that we are able to offer such treatment and a better life for these people,” says Dr. Kalhorn.
Call for a FREE physician referral today!
To schedule an appointment with one of Georgetown’s neurosciences specialists and find out if the brain pacemaker will help you, contact Georgetown MD at 202-342-2400. A nurse specialist will immediately assist you.
