Deep Brain Stimulation

[missy]

A good friend of mine has Parkinson's and she had surgery last year that really decreased her tremors and improved her quality of life. Just saw this story and thought some of you might be interested...
@cflutist thought of you

https://www.upi.com/Woman-plays-flute-while-undergoing-brain-surgery/3221522335000/

March 29 (UPI) -- Doctors at a Houston hospital shared video of a woman playing the flute while on the operating table during a brain surgery procedure.

The Texas Medical Center said Anna Henry, 63, was undergoing a procedure known as "deep brain stimulation" in the hopes of treating a condition known as essential tremor, which caused Henry's hands to shake and prevented her from doing activities including eating soup with a spoon and playing her beloved instrument.

Doctors said the procedure involves implanting tiny electrodes in the brain that deliver a constant electric current. They said the science behind how the procedure works is still being studied, but it has been found to be effective for treating symptoms of conditions including essential tremor and Parkinson's disease.

The surgeons had Henry bring her flute, an instrument she has practiced since she was 11 but had to give up in recent years due to her shaking hands. They shared a video of her playing the instrument during the procedure to test if the electric current was helping.

"[Deep brain stimulation] works amazingly well," said Henry's neurologist, Mya Schiess, M.D., of the Mischer Neuroscience Institute at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center and UTHealth. "If you have a tremor that is truly interfering with hand function, lifestyle, head or voice, honestly, there isn't a medicine out there that's going to really put you in a better state."

More info fyi.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/deep-brain-stimulation/about/pac-20384562

 

[MarionC]

It's wonderful that they now have this treatment!

 

[TooPatient]

Will read later, but wanted to say thanks for sharing! My grandma is going to be having this done soon. Learning all I can about the subject.

 

[missy]

Will read later, but wanted to say thanks for sharing! My grandma is going to be having this done soon. Learning all I can about the subject.

Good luck to your grandma @TooPatient!

 

[ksinger]

Thanks Missy. I will read later too. I have a friend recently diagnosed with Parkinson's, and he will undoubtedly be interested.

 

[cflutist]

@missy
Thanks for the shout out. They are talking about it on the flute boards.
The craniotomy part was essentially the same but the Mayfield clamp that held my head still with 3 pins under 60lbs of pressure looked like this instead.



Here is what the pins look like, I still have a mark in my forehead but it is barely visible.



In the video I could see the Raney chips along the edges of her scalp flap, they are used to prevent scalp bleeding as your scalp is rich in blood vessels.

I also saw the cranial perforator being used to drill the burr holes, normally 14mm in diameter. There are usually 3 or 4 of these. The craniotome is used to saw through your skull to connect the dots and produce the bone flap. Bone flap is removed to expose the meninges (3 layers dura, arachnoid, and pia matter) which are then opened to expose the brain. The brain itself feels no pain, but the meninges sure do (origin of migraine headaches). I had throbbing headaches during my recoveryl

When the neurosurgeon is finished with what they are doing they replace the bone flap (mine is held in place with 3 titanium plates and 14 screws) or they may leave it off if there is lots of swelling (craniectomy).

Good luck to TPs grandma.

Oh one thing, when I got home from the hospital, I took a Percocet (oxycodone) at 10 pm thinking that I would sleep through the night in my own bed. Wrong, exactly 4 hours later at 2 am, woke up with a throbbing headache. Mad, I fire off an email to my neurosurgeon. He writes back in the morning "don't be afraid to take your pain meds"

 

[Austina]

That’s really interesting @missy.

I saw that chemotherapy followed by stem cells has also be trialed for MS. The difference in the patient was nothing short of miraculous, from not being able to walk, she was up and mobile and even had a baby.

It’s amazing what can be done these days. Hopefully one day there’ll be a permanent cure for all these horrible conditions.

 

[AprilBaby]

Too bad it’s too late for my dad. He died at 72 in 2001.