An Australian man has been able to pick up and drink a glass of water without difficulty for the first time after undergoing ultrasound surgery to stop the tremors associated with Parkinson’s disease.
- In Australia, a 74-year-old man with Parkinson’s disease has become the first person in Queensland to receive ultrasound treatment.
- In this procedure, which requires no incision and general anesthesia, “more than 1,000 ultrasound beams intersect at a single point and create tiny lesions on the brain, disrupting abnormal brain activity and significantly reducing tremors.”
- After this procedure, using MRI, the patient was able to drink without shaking, although he had not been able to do so for 30 years.
“I have suffered from essential tremor for 30 years. It was incredibly difficult for me to do simple tasks like feeding myself, and drinking from a glass was simply not possible.” That’s according to Neville Waterstrom, a 74-year-old man with Parkinson’s disease. Recently, his life has completely changed thanks to an ultrasound treatment he received at Gold Coast University Hospital. It’s about “Australia’s first public hospital to offer innovative incision-free surgery for people with disabling neurological conditions such as essential tremor.”
Parkinson’s: “More than 1,000 ultrasound beams create tiny lesions on the brain”
This procedure uses MRI to locate and treat areas of the brain that trigger symptoms of movement disorders. In detail, “More than 1,000 ultrasound beams intersect at a single point and create tiny lesions on the brain, disrupting abnormal brain activity and dramatically reducing tremors.” Each patient needs a “halo” during the procedure, to keep their head still and their scalp “cool”. According to the Australian health facility, patients do not need general anesthesia and improvements can often be demonstrated in real time, as they are awake throughout the procedure. “As it is a non-invasive surgery, there are no incisions, which improves recovery time and allows patients to be discharged the next day.”
The tremors disappeared after ultrasound treatment
In Neville Waterstrom’s case, the results were seen directly after the procedure. “After the MRI I put a glass of water in front of me that I had never been able to pick up and bring to my mouth without shaking. Now, thanks to the procedure, I was able to drink it without making intense jerky movements. It was incredible and the changes this procedure has made to my life since then are so many. I am so grateful. The joy and privilege I feel is immeasurable as the first person in Queensland to receive this treatment. I just want to thank everyone involved, thank you from the bottom of my heart,” did he declare.
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