DBS for Mom who is 85

My Mom was initially not ready for DBS. Now she would like to go that direction. I contacted her Neuro and they said she is not a candidate for DBS and mentioned her age of 85.

Now what? Do I push for another opinion from another Neuro? Or is there typically a cutoff for this type of surgery due to age. I did read a ‘study’ that was done looking a results based on groups of people split by age - under 66 and over 66 to 77 showed more problems with the older group of patients. But isn’t this my Mom’s choice to make?

Any thoughts appreciated.

Karen - daughter of patient with PD and Essential tremors.

[Xenos]

Hello Karen, for all I have read , in your case I would consider FUS (focused ultra sound), preferably MRI guided. It'd far less invasive that DBS surgery, efficient on ET. It's FDA approved.

Just my two cents : this is only my impression from reading this forum and talking with my neuro.

[Hikoi]

I guess somebody might be willing to do the operation on an 85yr old and she might even survive the gruelling surgery. I would wonder about their motivation - money??

[MerckK]

DBS is still a hit and trial method with no guarantee of cure or improvement. I have attended few seminars for Parkinson's patients organised by heads and professors of neurology where DBS done patients also present. Believe me , they are not happy.. Pl ask her to walk and do some stretching . Physiotherapy is strongly recommended for her movement without pain.

[HersheysMom]

The thought of undergoing any major surgery at that age seems trouble-prone to me. If she were my mother, I'd certainly advise her against it.

[jackedmonston]

General anesthesia is very hard on older bodies. I lost two people in the previous generation who had surgery in their 80s and never recovered from the anesthesia. Focused Ultrasound is a much safer bet, and equally effective. Check it out.

[Hidden]

I asked Nero doc about Focused Ultrasound and their response was “that is only for essential tremor and the results are irreversible. “. Should I ask for 2nd opinion ?

[ion_ion in reply to Hidden]

Your neuro is lost in space. The FUS is irreversible but it may work while DBS it may work but looks impossible for your mom. Plus FUS is used for PD also.

[bepo]

Look into high dose thiamine, B1. therapy. There are many posts on this site.

[Hidden]

It looks like MerkK already answered this question I had above. It sounds too hit or miss for results. Thank you all for your input. I always gain knowledge from this forum. I will pass info on to Mom and Dad.