Parkinsons

    
      Re: Parkinsons
    


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Posted by ccf neuro M.D. on April 18, 1997 at 15:00:17:

In Reply to: Parkinsons posted by Marlena  on April 12, 1997 at 01:15:59:

: Tonight, I saw a 20/20 show on ABC. They told of a
  doctor in France that is doing surgery to implant an
  electrode in the brain of patients with severe
  Parkinsons. The result was a complete change in their
  abilities with the implant. Is this the  same procedure
  done at KU Med Center in Kansas City? The show told of
  a doctor ( Warren Lanno) of Cedars Sianai(SP) in New
  York.Is anyone at your clinic doing this procedure, or
  can you put me in touch with a surgeon that is doing
  this. I have a friend who has had Parkinson's for about
  5 or 6 years, I am guessing. He is only in his 40's,
  and has a family still at home. His wife has to work,
  and he is unable to pursue this on his own. Please help
  me contact this Dr. Warren if you do not have anyone
  who can do this. We live in Kansas, so the closer the
  better. I have tried all night to find a web site for
  Cedars of Sianai(SP), and have found nothing. He was
  supposed to have the surgery in March at KU, but he was
  cancelled for unknown reason. This is a friend and he
  is special to me and his family. We grew up together,
  and feel like I have to help him. His wife is doing all
  she can to make the living, and take care of family,
  and him. Thank you. Marlena
========================================================
The surgical treatment of medically intractable (untreatable) Parkinson's disease is a very "hot" area in medicine right now. Many large academic centers now perform a procedure known as pallidotomy, during which a very precise part of the brain is burned using a small, wand-like probe that is computer-guided by a precise 3-dimensional grid system known as STEREOTAXIS. The procedure you make reference to in your question is different, and is one in which a STIMULATOR--- a device that discharges electrical signals into the brain is implanted in a different portion of the brain and the signals it delivers cause the electrical communications between all the different nerve cells that talk to each other to produce maovement to be altered in such a way that the balance is tipped from the highly abnormal arrangement seen in Parkinson'd disease to a more balanced, normal situation. Very few centers are currently performing this procedure. You would have to contact the University of Kansas department of Neurosurgery to find out whether they are one of them. Otherwise I would suggest Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, or (even further away), perhaps Columbia University in New York or Baylor medical center in Houston, Texas, all of which have very active programs in the treatment of movement disorders and are on the cutting edge of such types of treatments. We do not perform this procedure yet at the Cleveland Clinic. You may wish to simply contact Cedar Sianai directly--- ask for the operator to connect you to the neurosurgery department. I do not know of any other more simple way or web site specifically that might help you answer such specific questions about whether or not a particular institution offers implantable neurostimulators as a Parkinson's disease treatment option.