Surgery for Parkinson's Disease Health Article

If your symptoms of Parkinson’s disease are severe and medications don’t help, surgery may be suggested. Surgery is not a cure. It may help relieve some of the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, mainly tremor and rigidity.

Types of Surgery for Parkinson’s Disease

There are three basic kinds of surgery to treat Parkinson’s disease:

• Lesioning: This includes pallidotomy and thalamotomy. The goal of these surgeries is to block the pathways of messages that can lead to symptoms. During the surgery, a very small lesion is made in a specific area of the brain. Pallidotomy may help lessen tremor, stiffness, and slowness of movement. Thalamotomy is generally chosen if tremor is the main symptom.

• Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS): This is a method in which an electrode is implanted in the brain. The specific area of the brain depends on the symptoms. The electrode is connected to an external control that allows stimulation of that part of the brain when needed.

• Restorative surgery: During this surgery, new brain tissue is transplanted into the brain. There, the new tissue takes over the function of damaged cells. This treatment is considered experimental.

Many procedures for Parkinson’s disease have been researched. Some show promise, but more research is needed. Your doctor can answer questions on other surgical procedures you may have heard about.