face . “ The patient actually gets to see the physician and talk to a stroke expert , enhancing the patient ’ s care at a critical point in the disease process ,” Dr . Rasmussen says .
Another requirement for the Comprehensive Stroke Center certification is that the center participates in stroke research . Dr . Benardete says a research program will start soon and calls the effort exciting . Dr . Rasmussen shares his enthusiasm . “ We ’ re actually starting to be part of different clinical trials , and that ’ s where we bring really cutting-edge treatments to our facility ,” she says .
DBS for movement disorders An important advancement in surgical expertise has evolved at the Neuroscience Institute as well . A hightech treatment program called deep brain stimulation ( DBS ) that began years before has been resurrected under the leadership of Michael Soileau , MD , a neurologist who joined Baylor Scott & White Health - Central Texas as director of the Plummer Movement Disorders Center in 2014 . A partnership with neurosurgeon Dhruve Jeevan , MD , to deliver DBS is making an important difference for patients with Parkinson ’ s disease , essential tremor , and other movement disorders with debilitating symptoms that affect their quality of life , such as muscle stiffness and immobility .
DBS is a minimally invasive brain surgery that places an electrode deep within the brain structures that influence movement . The procedure
Deep brain stimulation ( DBS )
uses electric stimulus to control unwanted movement in patients with such conditions as moderate to advanced Parkinson ’ s disease , essential tremor , or dystonia ( a less common condition where opposing muscles contract at the same time ). DBS patient candidates are often unable to perform simple tasks such as brushing their teeth or buttoning a shirt . “ Most of them are at their wits ’ end ,” Dr . Soileau says . “ To say that the surgery is life-changing is an understatement .”
DBS does not cure Parkinson ’ s disease , he says , but it can greatly improve the tremor , slowness , and muscle stiffness associated with it , easing patients ’ symptoms and giving them a better quality of life . “ We can basically jam the signal that produces symptoms of Parkinson ’ s disease and essential tremor ,” he says .
In the operating room , neurosurgeons Drs . Jeevan and Soileau work together to find the appropriate placement of the electrode using advanced imaging equipment . Once placement is confirmed , stimulation is turned on , allowing the awake patient and physicians to see the effects in real time . Drs . Jeevan and Soileau performed their first deep brain stimulation procedure together in May , with great success . They average about one to two procedures per week .
Patients experience no pain whatsoever during the surgery . “ With essential tremor , for example , we can watch their tremor effectively melt away ,” says Dr . Soileau . “ That ’ s the exciting part for everyone in the operating room , including the patient .” He recalls the reaction of one patient , a 61-year-old woman who had been
8 THE CATALYST Fall 16 | sw . org