Care4Dystonia, Inc. » About Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery

About Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery

We’ve included only a photo sampling of the DBS Tour on this page, but if you’re interested in browsing it in its entirety, click here to start at the beginning. We encourage you to read the Personal Accounts of Beka’s Journey with DBS in her Blog section. She will take you through each phase of the surgery: before, middle, end and aftermath. We also encourage you to download the valuable document, Top 55 Questions to ask about DBS before embarking on this procedure. It has been reviewed by Medtronic, Inc. staff.

(Source: Michael Paras Photography ©)

“The Beginning is the most important part of the Work.”

Guide to Deep Brain Stimulation

Guide authored by Dr. Blair Ford, MD Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center in NYC. Great layout and informative about the operative phases of DBS. Guide to Deep Brain Stimulation.

What you should know about DBS

Guide to Questions that you should ask and have answers to before moving ahead with Deep Brain Stimulation. Detailed questions cover all phases of DBS including the actual procedure and programming.

Top 55 Questions to ask about DBS

Deep Brain Stimulation
Activa Therapy from Medtronic is one of the most significant and innovative advances in the treatment of neurological movement disorders in decades. The treatment uses a surgically implanted medical device, similar to a cardiac pacemaker, to deliver carefully controlled electrical stimulation to precisely targeted areas within the brain.

We urge that you and your family explore all avenues of dystonia care prior to choosing DBS. The procedure has its’ success but is not without pitfalls. Educate yourself about DBS before embarking on this new journey.

Please visit the website : www.parasphotography.com/beka.html for the start of your DBS Tour. Some photos may be too graphic for children (and adults !!), but they represent the procedure called DBS in a realistic photo-essay manner.
The Activa Therapy or DBS System consists of 3 parts :

Lead: The lead consists of four thin coiled insulated wires with four electrodes at the lead tip. The lead tip is implanted in the brain.

Extension: The lead is connected to an extension, consisting of four insulated coiled wires; the extension is threaded under the skin from the head, down the neck and into the upper chest.

Neurostimulator or IPG: The extension is connected to a neurostimulator, a small, sealed device similar to a cardiac pacemaker that contains a battery and electronics. The neurostimulator is implanted beneath the skin in the chest below the collarbone. Sometimes called a brain pacemaker, it produces the electrical pulses needed for stimulation. These electrical pulses are delivered through the extension and through the lead to the targeted areas in the brain. These pulses can be adjusted noninvasively by a clinician with the programmer, which uses radio telemetry to check or change the neurostimulators settings.

(Source: Medtronic)

Resources:
www.rewiredforlife.org
www.yahoo.com/groups/ DBSSurgery
http://www.parkinsonappeal.org (UK)

http://www.activadbs.com/

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8292305/

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8335651/

NBC’s Robert Bazell reports on “The Future of Medicine : Brain Stimulation shows promise ” Nightly News June 2005
Portraits in Determination Show Baltimore, Maryland
July 2005 : View the video online about Cervical Dystonia and its’ impact on the personal lives of two individuals.

New Videos :

Risks of DBS include:

Stroke

Brain bleeding or hemorrhage

Infection

Device failure

Seizures

Death

(Source: www.medtronic.com )

Bekas’ Journey :

Part 1 ( The 1st Year )
Part 2 ( Years 1-2 )
Part 3 ( Year 3 )

Additional information about DBS has been compiled by Okun, Hernandez and Foote from the University in Florida in Gainesville via these links :

Should Patients See a Movement Disorders Neurologist?
http://mdc.mbi.ufl.edu/candidate/candidate-MDneurologist.htm

The Need for Well Trained Interdisciplinary Teams
http://mdc.mbi.ufl.edu/candidate/candidate-allcenters.htm

How Do We Accomplish Large Population Screening?
http://mdc.mbi.ufl.edu/candidate/candidate-largepop.htm

What Kind of Commitment Does DBS Require?
http://mdc.mbi.ufl.edu/candidate/candidate-commitment.htm

What are the Risks of Deep Brain Stimulation?
http://mdc.mbi.ufl.edu/candidate/candidate-risks.htm

What is Deep Brain Stimulation?
http://mdc.mbi.ufl.edu/candidate/candidate-whatisdbs.htm

What is the Future for Deep Brain Stimulation?
http://mdc.mbi.ufl.edu/candidate/candidate-future.htm

Who is a candidate for DBS surgery?
http://mdc.mbi.ufl.edu/candidate/candidate-whois.htm

Why Does Deep Brain Stimulation Work?
http://mdc.mbi.ufl.edu/candidate/candidate-risks.htm

Why Everyone is Not a Candidate?
http://mdc.mbi.ufl.edu/candidate/candidate-largepop.htm

Beka’s Story with Dystonia and DBS has been featured in multiple media forums. A complete listing of Care4Dystonia’s media activities can be found by clicking our >>> Media List 1998-2006 .

A shortened version of her story can be read here http://community.nursingspectrum.com/MagazineArticles/article.cfm?AID=2169

Other DBS Companies :

www.neuropace.com

RNS Neurostimultor for Epilepsy

www.ans-medical.com

Libra DBS Neurostimulator www.poweroverET.com, www.poweroverPD.com