39
Battery Replacement
At some point, the DBS battery will need to be replaced. This could be anywhere from three to five years to a decade or more, depending on the device, whether the battery is rechargeable and how high your settings are. Your programmer checks the battery at each visit so you can plan for replacement.
During replacement, the old battery is removed, a new battery— sometimes updated based on the latest technology— is placed in the same spot, and the existing brain leads are connected to the new battery.
This is usually done under IV sedation, which means you are asleep but breathing on your own. People who are sensitive to anesthesia or otherwise wish to avoid it may be able to have the battery replaced without going to sleep, using numbing medication around the incision. Discuss potential options with your surgeon and anesthesiologist and ask why they recommend what they do.
The whole procedure takes about 30 minutes. If additional steps are needed, like repositioning, rather than just replacing, the battery, it may take a little longer. You go home the same day. Battery replacement should be done by the same neurosurgeon who placed your first battery or another neurosurgeon who is familiar with DBS and battery changes. Ask for a referral, if needed, and ask the surgeon about their experience and complication rates.
For many, battery replacement is quick and easy. The same settings are programmed and there’ s not much recovery or adjustment time. But, any surgery, hospital stay or stress can temporarily worsen Parkinson’ s symptoms. And any procedure when living with Parkinson’ s should be taken seriously.
Complications with battery replacement don’ t happen often. But possible risks include:
+ Lead swap When existing brain leads are attached to the new battery, they can, inadvertently, be plugged into the wrong channel. This can happen because the leads look the same and they travel closely together.
If this happens, the left brain lead settings are delivered through the right side and vice versa. This can cause increased symptoms. The key is for doctors to catch the mix-up immediately, note it in your medical chart, and communicate it to you and your DBS providers and programmers. It’ s easy to work around this by simply swapping settings so that each side is programmed as it was before battery replacement.
+ Lead movement Rarely, a wire can move within the brain. During battery replacement, the surgeon gently disconnects leads from the old battery and attaches them to the new one. If this movement is a little too strong, because of scar tissue or other challenges, the wire could move from its target in the brain. Lead location is very precise, so even slight movement can cause less benefit and more symptoms. If lead movement is a concern, your doctor will order a brain scan to check placement. They’ ll also adjust settings to see if they can still control symptoms, even though a lead may be a little off target. If this is not successful, you may need surgery to reposition or replace the lead.
+ Overstimulation When nearing the need for replacement, a battery gradually loses power. When this happens, your programmer might need to increase settings to get the right amount of stimulation to ease symptoms. When a new battery, with full power, is put in, you may experience too much stimulation. This could
Life with DBS