Banner Boswell Medical Center invites the community to a free public symposium on deep brain stimulation from 8:30 to 11 a.m. April 23 in the Smoot Hall Conference Center at Lakeview United Methodist Church, 10298 W. Thunderbird Blvd. in Sun City.
Reservations are encouraged by calling 602-230-CARE (602-230-2273). A continental breakfast will be served.
Presentations include “Deep Brain Stimulation: How Do You Know When It’s Time?” with neurologist Dr. Maria Cristina Ospina, and “Deep Brain Stimulation as a Surgical Treatment for Parkinson’s Disease” with neurosurgeon Dr. David Pootrakul. A panel discussion and question-and-answer session will follow.
DBS is a surgical therapy used to help patients with Parkinson’s disease or essential tremor. Qualified patients who opt for DBS have motor-skill challenges that significantly interfere with their quality of life and cannot be controlled by medication.
DBS therapy works much like a cardiac pacemaker. A pulse generator is implanted beneath the skin in the chest and sends electrical signals through a wire in the neck and up to the region of the brain that controls movement. Leads – thin, insulated wires – typically are placed on both sides of the brain to lessen the effects of tremor and the stiffness and slowness associated with Parkinson's disease.
Banner Boswell is one of three centers in the Valley and 160 centers in the nation approved to perform DBS.
In the largest study of its kind published in the Jan. 7, 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers concluded that DBS improves both physical function and quality of life after six months in patients with Parkinson’s disease. The surgical procedure is approved by the FDA and covered by most insurance providers, including Medicare.
There is currently no cure for the more than 1.5 million Americans who suffer from the Parkinson’s disease
No comments:
Post a Comment