Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) is a treatment for many movement disorders (particularly for Parkinson’s Disease, dystonia, tremor and other involuntary movements) that can help patients when medication do not work well enough. DBS cannot cure these conditions or change the progression of the disease, but it can relieve symptoms and improve quality of life.
At the Movement Disorder Clinic, we begin the evaluation process to confirm your eligibility to undergo DBS surgery and we continue to follow and monitor those patients that have had DBS surgery.
Programming the Deep Brain Stimulator
Three to four weeks after implantation of the deep brain stimulator (DBS), it can be turned on and programmed. The initial programming session can take several hours, as the device is checked to ensure it’s functioning correctly and various parameters of stimulation (voltage, frequency of stimulator and what electrodes are used) are programmed. Constant feedback from you is needed to ensure the benefits and identify any side effects.
You will return several times during the following months until the stimulator is programmed optimally. Understanding the programming process and the anticipation of the trial and error that is involved will lead to realistic expectation of the process, limiting any potential frustration. Most patients show very significant benefits, as long as you understand the expectations prior to surgery.
