If you’re suffering from a movement disorder like Parkinson’s disease, deep brain stimulation may offer relief through a pacemaker-like device that regulates brain activity.
Depending on the specific symptoms, your surgeon will place electrodes in specific areas of the brain. The electrodes are delivered through small holes made in the top of the skull. They will then be connected by wires set below the skin to a battery-powered stimulator in your chest. From there, when the stimulator is turned on, electrical pulses can stop the nerve signals that cause the unwanted symptoms, including tremors, rigidity, impaired posture, and others.
In addition to helping treat Parkinson’s Disease, the deep brain stimulation procedure can be effective in treating movement disorders such as:
Deep brain stimulation has also shown that it can be effective in helping with conditions including obesity and drug addition, offering patients more options and support.
At the AHN Cahouet Center for Comprehensive Parkinson's Care, we bring together expert treatment, whole-person support, and a community that helps you live fully at every stage of Parkinson’s progression.
A Parkinson's diagnosis can raise a lot of questions. What happens next? What treatments are available, including advanced options like deep brain stimulation (DBS)? How will this affect your daily life?At the AHN Cahouet Center for Comprehensive Parkinson's Care, we're here to help you navigate it all with clarity, compassion, and a plan built around you. We understand that for some, deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's can be a consideration, and our team can discuss the deep brain stimulation procedure and its potential deep brain stimulation success rate with you.
You'll have access to a dedicated team of specialists — including neurologists, therapists, and other professionals who specialize in Parkinson's care and Parkinson’s recovery — all working together, not just to manage your symptoms, but to support your quality of life. This includes evaluating whether a deep brain stimulator might be a suitable option for your treatment plan.
The AHN Movement Disorders Program is dedicated to treating the broad range of conditions that encompass movement disorders. Using specialized, comprehensive care that is focused on the unique needs that functional movement disorder, stereotypic movement disorders and the other health conditions associated with these conditions, we provide our patients the options they need to live full lives.
We deliver truly multidisciplinary care, bringing together movement disorder neurologists, neurosurgeons, physical and occupational therapists, and other specialists who collaborate closely to address every aspect of your condition and improve your quality of life.
We offer a complete team of experts who are working together to deliver personalized care for your movement disorder. Our multidisciplinary DBS team includes neurologists, neurosurgeons, psychiatrists, psychologists, physical therapists, speech language pathologists, and advanced practice providers, and we meet regularly to discuss our patients so that we can be sure we are choosing the best candidates for deep brain stimulation.
AHN neurosurgeons are skilled and experienced in treating Parkinson’s disease with deep brain stimulation. Donald Whiting, MD, was the first neurosurgeon in Allegheny County to perform the procedure and has provided relief to more than 900 patients so far. To understand how DBS works, this video* shows Dr. Whiting and his team explaining and performing the procedure.
We’re also active in clinical trials to identify new ways to use DBS.
For patients with movement disorders that are not deemed good candidates for DBS, our center also offers gamma knife radiosurgery for movement disorders and is studying the application of non-invasive transcranial magnetic stimulation for movement disorders.
If you, your neurologist and multidisciplinary care team have determined that DBS is the right course of treatment, they will provide you with a thorough overview of what you can expect during the procedure. Prior to DBS, you will likely have tests that include brain scans like an MIR and other assessments to plan for surgery and understand your condition.
Your comfort, confidence in the treatment, and health outcome are our priorities, so your team will go over everything with you and answer any questions you have. In general, patients who undergo DBS often can expect a similar course of treatment.
DBS surgery is often performed in two stages, though sometimes it can be a single procedure.
Many patients experience significant relief in symptoms like slowness, rigidity, and tremor, which often leads to a reduction in medication and long-term side effects like dyskinesias (involuntary and abnormal movements). Deep brain stimulation has consistently been proven to deliver better long-term results for symptom management than medication alone for eligible patients.
When considering deep brain stimulation treatment, it's important to understand the details of the deep brain stimulation procedure. Our team will thoroughly explain each step, from initial evaluation to the implantation of the deep brain stimulator, ensuring you feel informed and comfortable. We'll also discuss the success deep brain stimulation treatment offers for many patients and improvements in quality of life.
Of course, like any medical procedure, there are potential deep brain stimulator risks, which we will openly review with you, along with strategies to reduce them, so you can make the most informed decision about your care.
The battery life of your DBS device has an endpoint, which varies depending on your individual programming settings. When the battery nears its end of life, a quick, follow-up surgery is required to replace it. Alternatively, some patients may be candidates for rechargeable systems. Your care team can discuss options from manufacturers such as Medtronic DBS products, Boston Scientific, and Abbott DBS products.
When you receive care at AHN, you’re working with board-certified neurologists, neurosurgeons, and experts in Parkinson’s and movement disorder care. You can also see pain management physicians who can deliver highly specialized treatments using the latest, most advanced technologies.
We recommend that you bring a trusted friend or family member to attend any appointment, but we do not recommend taking young children who cannot be left unattended in the waiting rooms.
We encourage you to sign up for AHN MyChart access where you can complete some new patient paperwork and questionnaires through MyChart web portal or MyChart smartphone app.
Plan to arrive at the check in desk about 30 minutes prior to the start of your appointment. That provide enough time for the necessary intake information. Even if you use the e-Check in through MyChart, we ask that you arrive at a check in desk 15 minutes before the start of your appointment to make sure we have your appropriate information.
We recommend that you bring a trusted friend or family member to attend any appointment, but we do not recommend taking young children who cannot be left unattended in the waiting rooms. There are also certain items and paperwork you’ll want to have with you, so our office staff and healthcare team have your necessary information.
In order to process your information and start your appointment on time, please bring:
Please bring copies of previous medical records, including office visit notes, lab work, hospital stay summaries, and radiology reports from outside health organizations. You’ll also want to have a complete list of medications and supplements, including dosing amounts.
For worker’s compensation or auto claim purposes, please have: date of injury, claim number, billing address, name and phone number of claims adjuster.
If you have had imaging studies done at outside of Allegheny Health Network imaging locations, you will need to:
If you will require any personal items or medical equipment — walker, cane, wheelchair, oxygen — that will make your post-procedure care easier, please bring that with.
Deep brain stimulation can offer significant improvement for many movement disorders. AHN is here to help you understand the procedure through conversations with your care team and educational resources.
The success rate of deep brain stimulation isn't a single number, as success can mean different things for different people. However, many studies show that a large majority of patients experience significant improvement in their symptoms, especially tremors, rigidity, and slowness of movement in Parkinson's disease, dystonia, and essential tremor.
For many, this means a better quality of life, reduced need for medication, and improved ability to perform daily activities. Your individual success will depend on your specific condition, symptoms, and how well you respond to the stimulation, which is carefully adjusted by your doctor after the surgery.
Immediately after deep brain stimulation surgery, you'll need to follow specific instructions from your care team regarding incision care, activity restrictions, and avoiding certain movements to help with healing. In the long term, once your device is fully settled and activated, most patients can return to many of their normal activities. However, there are a few general things to be mindful of:
Your medical team will provide you with a comprehensive list of precautions and a patient identification card to carry.
A deep brain stimulator is a small, pacemaker-like device that sends continuous, mild electrical signals to specific areas in the brain. It acts like a reset for brain activity that has become overactive or out of sync due to conditions like Parkinson's disease or essential tremor.
By delivering these precise electrical pulses, the stimulator helps to normalize the irregular brain signals that cause symptoms such as tremors, rigidity, and slowness. It doesn't cure the underlying disease, but it can significantly reduce these symptoms, often allowing for better control over movements and a better quality of life. The device consists of thin wires (leads) implanted in the brain, connected to a small battery-powered neurostimulator placed under the skin, usually in the chest.
Life after deep brain stimulation surgery typically involves an initial recovery period, followed by a process of adjusting and optimizing your therapy. You won't feel the effects of DBS right after surgery; the device is usually activated a few weeks later. This activation and adjustments, called programming, are done by your neurologist or a specialized therapist. They will fine-tune the electrical settings to find the optimal balance that reduces your symptoms with minimal side effects.
Many patients experience a significant improvement in their symptoms, which can lead to:
It's important to remember that DBS is a process. It requires ongoing follow-ups with your care team to ensure the settings remain optimal for your needs.
The effects of deep brain stimulation therapy can last for many years, significantly improving symptoms for the long term. The actual stimulator device, specifically the battery, will need to be replaced periodically.
While DBS therapy provides long-lasting relief, it's not a cure, and the underlying condition may still progress. However, DBS continues to help manage symptoms effectively for the duration the device is active.
To schedule an appointment or learn more about Deep Brain Stimulation at AHN neuroscience services, call 412-359-8850 for Pittsburgh and surrounding areas and 814-452-7575 for Erie.
To see the contact information for all of AHN Neuroscience services, please visit https://www.ahn.org/services/neuroscience/appointments.
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