Deep Brain Stimulation at UAB Medicine

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Deep Brain Stimulation

Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) is a procedure used to reduce uncontrollable movements and related problems in patients with movement disorders. It is generally used to treat conditions such as Parkinson’s Disease, Dystonia, and Essential Tremor; predominantly when medications can’t achieve the desired result. DBS is also used to treat Epilepsy and there is current research examining the use of the device in the treatment of certain other medical conditions, including some psychiatric disorders. For many patients, DBS can be life-changing.

How DBS is performed

Deep Brain Stimulation surgery is only considered after a thorough neurologic evaluation. The surgery itself is performed in a hospital operating room, where a surgeon makes a dime-sized hole in the skull and subsequently implants a wire into a specific part of the brain (determined by the individual patient’s condition). Accuracy is achieved through the use of MRI and CT imaging, electrophysiologic testing and (most importantly) confirmation of the patient’s symptoms substantially improving with the device on. In some cases the surgery is performed asleep, with guidance from imaging studies.

A second surgery is performed later, typically a few days or within 2 weeks, wherein a battery-powered generator and control system are implanted in the chest and connected to the lead in the brain by wires underneath the skin. The system provides continuous stimulation to a targeted area of the brain. The device itself can generate thousands of different types of electric fields and physicians personalize DBS settings for each individual patient to help improve results and minimize side effects. There is a small risk of things like infection or bleeding associated with DBS surgery, but overall the risks of surgery are low and recovery is within a few days. Your neurologist and/or neurosurgeon will provide a detailed discussion of surgical risks.

Why choose UAB Medicine

UAB Medicine is one of the leading and largest centers for DBS in the nation, with a long and successful track record. We perform approximately 150 such procedures annually. If you are interested in hearing how Deep Brain Stimulation may be of benefit in your case, it is never too early to request a referral to UAB to discuss this with one of our DBS Neurologists.

Our neurologists are consistently named among the top doctors in the United States. Because UAB Medicine is a major center for research, patients may also have access to promising new treatments not available at other medical centers.