Surgical options for people suffering from Parkinson's

Parkinson, Nervous system, Treatments
 
Surgical options for people suffering from ParkinsonSurgical options are available for some people with Parkinson's, depending on their symptoms. We recommend taking advice from your specialist. The options are:

Stereotactic surgery

This involves inserting a fine needle into the brain causing selective damage to certain cells in either the thalamus (thalamotomy) or the globus pallidus (pallidotomy). This is know to have a beneficial effect on people with Parkinson's.

Deep brain stimulation

This involves the implantation of a wire with four electrodes at its tip into one of three target sites in the brain:
  • the thalamus
  • the globus pallidus
  • the subthalamic nucleus
This wire is connected to a small unit called an implantable pulse generator (IPG) which is implanted under the skin in the chest rather like a pacemaker. When switched on, the IPG produces electrical signals which are sent to the brain to stop or reduce Parkinson's symptoms.

Future developments

In the future, other surgery-related treatments may be shown to be safe and beneficial and could be introduced. These are some way off, but might include:
  • brain implants using brain tissue
  • infusion of chemicals into basal ganglia

Complementary therapies

Complementary therapies are treatments that may be used in addition to or alongside conventional medicine. There are many types of complementary therapy techniques, often based on systems that have been practiced for thousands of years. One attraction for many people is that complementary therapies in general, focus on treating the patient as a 'whole person' rather than treating a particular symptom or symptoms. Another attraction is that they are often perceived as being harmless. Some people refer to them as 'alternative' or 'fringe' therapies/medicine. However, these terms are inaccurate and misleading as 'complementary' means 'that which fills out or makes whole'. Complementary therapies do not replace orthodox medicine and their correct use should always be in addition to, not instead of, usual treatments.




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