Perhaps of interest. A state senator in Vermont was scheduled for focused ultrasound surgery in Boston but a week before, docs found his skull to be literally too thick. So instead of that very new procedure, he underwent a pallidotomy, rarely done now, but not so new - dates back to pre-Sinemet, pre-DBS days.
vtdigger.org/2017/01/16/dig...
Audio about operation is about 7 minutes in to this interview w/ reporter.
I understand that the reason the pallidotomy was superceded by DBS is that, unlike DBS, it is irreversible. So yes, Pollina has "no hardware in his head" (and no battery pack in his chest), but the surgeon has to get it right the first time. That seems like a big risk to take. And no option, as in DBS, to change the settings whenever it is deemed desirable. Fortunately, in this case, everything went well and the story had a happy outcome. Best wishes for Mr. Pollina to enjoy many more years of improved functioning!
I am glad all went well. Wondering what reasoning led to Palledotomy over DBS? When shopping for cars do you not want power steering, air or automatic transmission even though they cost the same??
And my skull was not dense enough. They are supposedly working on a new machine.
Don't you know, we only accept average, garden-variety skulls around here. HA HA!
There's no cutting involved. Just look it up for yourself. I believe it's the way of future surgeries
Which procedure does not involve cutting?
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