News
Hollywood celebrates success of deep brain stimulation on World Parkinson’s Day’
Apr 11, 2019
Almost 50 patients with Parkinson’s disease have undergone deep brain stimulation (DBS) at Hollywood Private Hospital since it became the first hospital in Australia to carry out the procedure using an intra-operative CT scanner and directional lead technology.
Almost 50 patients with Parkinson’s disease have undergone deep brain stimulation (DBS) at Hollywood Private Hospital since it became the first hospital in Australia to carry out the procedure using an intra-operative CT scanner and directional lead technology.
DBS is a delicate procedure whereby tiny electrodes are implanted into the patient’s skull, sending electric pulses that regulate abnormal impulses caused by Parkinson’s disease, a progressive nervous system disorder that affects movement.
The amount of stimulation in DBS is controlled by a pacemaker-like device placed under the patient’s skin in their upper chest. A wire that travels under the skin connects this device to the electrodes in the patient’s brain.
Hollywood Private Hospital neurologist, Dr Julian Rodrigues, said although doctors had been performing DBS for about 25 years, the intra-operative CT scanner being used at Hollywood had revolutionised DBS in Australia.
“It enhances accuracy, which in turn, has led to better outcomes,” Dr Rodrigues said.
“It also means patients can undergo the procedure in one session rather than breaking it into two sessions and moving patients between the operating theatre and radiology.”
Dr Rodrigues said that while only select patients were suitable to undergo DBS, the hospital had achieved excellent results.
“All patients who have undergone deep brain stimulation at Hollywood have seen improvements to their dexterity, stiffness, slowness of movement and tremor giving them greater independence,” Dr Rodrigues said.
One patient to benefit from DBS is Trudy Drabarek, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2003 and underwent the procedure last July.
It is estimated that about 100,000 people are living with Parkinson’s in Australia. It affects both men and women. Men develop Parkinson’s a little more commonly than women although the reason for this is not yet known.
One in seven people living with Parkinson’s is under the age of 40, but the average age of diagnosis is around 65 years. The prevalence of Parkinson’s worldwide varies from between 1 in 1000 to 2 in 1000 with the figure increasing to 1 in 100 over the age of 60.
Today is World Parkinson’s Day.