Surgical Options and Devices:
Only 15-20% of PD patients are candidates for surgical options.
The options include:
Ablative Surgery
Invasive: Involves destroying a small target within the brain that generates symptoms of Parkinson's disease by inserting a heated probe or electrode resulting in focal tissue destruction.
Serious Adverse Effects:
Include intracerebral hemorrhage, infection and inadequate or lack of benefit.
Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)
Invasive: Specific sections of the brain are chronically stimulated by a permanently implanted electrode(s) connected via a wire running beneath the skin to a stimulator and battery pack in the patient's chest.
Serious Adverse Effects: Include intracerebral hemorrhage, hardware breakage or malfunction, infection.
Postoperatively: Extensive follow-up visits required of patient to program the stimulator. Also, the battery must replaced periodically.
Drug Therapies:
Systemic: Given the chronic nature of the disease, increasing dosage of drugs over time increases the chance for serious adverse effects described below.
Serious Adverse Effects : Include risk of depression, hypotension, abnormal movements of the face and limbs, bowel and liver dysfunction, hallucinations and also nausea, dizziness, constipation, blurred vision and dry mouth.
The Resonator™ Device
- Non-Invasive
- Non-Significant risk
- Non-Systemic
- Serious Adverse Effects: None reported
- Is used as an Adjunctive Therapy (ie in addition to patient’s current treatment or “standard of care.”)
