Achieve Relief from Symptoms
Deep Brain Stimulation Successfully Helps with Symptoms from Parkinson’s
St. Petersburg, FL – If you could step in to the shoes of a person affected by Parkinson’s disease, what would you expect to see?
According to the National Parkinson Foundation (NPF), the symptoms of Parkinson’s include shaking, slowness of movement, stiffness, difficulty with balance, changes in handwriting and speech, stiff facial expression and shuffling walk. And, for more than the 1.5 million Americans diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, these symptoms greatly affect their lives, work, independence and more.
This was the case for local St. Petersburg resident, Pierre Cooley.
Diagnosed with the brain disorder 15 years ago, Cooley’s life has been drastically changed by its symptoms. A witty character, Cooley was a stage actor in his early career, later becoming an art director for the New York Times. The changes in him have been so drastic that he has not seen his grandchildren in a couple of years because they were fearful of the change in him. Cooley’s wife, Barbara calls these symptoms a series of losses.
The couple, who attend a monthly support group run by local neurologist Dr. Carol Pappas, learned of the little known treatment option, Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) at one of the meetings. DBS is a surgical procedure that can help the symptoms of Parkinson’s when medication is no longer affective.
“Deep Brain Stimulation is a procedure in which a stimulator delivers a tiny electrical current to specific points in the brain to help relieve symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. This is especially relevant for those who are having side effects from medications or no longer find relief with them.” explains local neurosurgeon David McKalip, M.D. “Patients who are properly selected for surgery can expect a remarkable improvement in function. Watching a tremor disappear before my eyes in the operating room is one of the most miraculous things I do in neurosurgery.”
Dr. McKalip performed the successful procedure on Cooley after determining through a series of tests that he fit the criteria for DBS.
The Cooleys realize they will never have their lives fully back, but thanks to DBS they are now making plans to visit their grandchildren this summer.
