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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2004 >> Deep Brain Stimulation
        
(Message started by: KevinD on Sep 22^nd, 2004, 11:25am)

Title: Deep Brain Stimulation
Post by KevinD on Sep 22^nd, 2004, 11:25am

I know there is a Dude on this board who is the expert on procedures. I just want to bring up a conversation with my Neorsurgeon who I just saw for the first time. Though I am chronic, I have been pain free since March due to Lithium. However, I wanted to explore all options and be prepared for the future. So I brought up the deep brain stimulation to him along with other procedures. I even brought in some literature on it. he claims he is doing this for Parkinson's already and if I needed, he would do it for my clusters.

Now, I am pretty certain that I heard here and other places that this procudeure, for clusters at least was illegal in the US. I mentioned this to him and he said that it wasn't true. Now is there some miscommunication here? Or am I misinformed as I have been most of my life?

Title: Re: Deep Brain Stimulation
Post by floridian on Sep 22^nd, 2004, 11:42am

Never heard that it was illegal. It is experimental. Others here know more about it than I do.

Quote:

Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2004 Oct;8(5):347-52.

Chronic cluster headache: new and emerging treatment options.

Leone M.

Centro Cefalee, Istituto Nazionale Neurologico, Carlo Besta, via Caloria 11, 20133 Milano, Italy. leone@istituto-besta.it

Cluster headache (CH) is a primary headache syndrome characterized by short-lasting unilateral head pain attacks accompanied by ipsilateral oculofacial autonomic phenomena. Approximately 20% of CH patients have the chronic form and need continuous medical care. In the chronic form, attacks continue unabated for years, often on a daily basis, resulting in severe debilitation. It is a common experience that drug treatments are able to control or prevent the attacks in approximately 80% of chronic CH patients. In the remaining 20% of chronic cases, drugs are ineffective. Until recently, the etiology of CH was poorly understood and this hampered the development of new therapies. However, we have now gained a much improved understanding of the peripheral and central mechanisms giving rise to the pain in CH and this has inspired the development of new treatment approaches, which, although still in the initial phases of validation, appear to be very promising. Among these, the novel approach based on hypothalamic deep brain stimulation is one of the most promising.

Title: Re: Deep Brain Stimulation
Post by Bob_Johnson on Sep 22^nd, 2004, 3:59pm

Look down this page to my posting: "brain stimulation".

Title: Re: Deep Brain Stimulation
Post by pubgirl on Sep 22^nd, 2004, 5:31pm

Suggest you research and discuss the ONSI procedure before ever considering the Deep Brain Operation. Both are experimental, both have some record of success, but the Deep Brain can kill

Wendy

Title: Re: Deep Brain Stimulation
Post by unsolved1 on Sep 22^nd, 2004, 6:08pm

They are wanting to mess around with placing electrodes 'on top of the brain' to stimulate certain nerve areas at the Cleveland Clinic....but as far as the actual "Deep Brain Stimulation" procedure, it is NOT available in the US. It has NOT been okayed by the FDA even as experimental. It looks like another 2 years or so.
ONSI is available now at various places including MHNI.
Dr. Todd Rozen from MHNI knows all the doctors doing surgeries like the Deep Brain Stimulation and others. If you or your doc wants more information on these subjects, maybe you could contact him directly.

See the things I've done ... so far (http://www.chhelp.org/michaelsprocedures.html)

Histamine Drip Therapy at the Diamond Headache Clinic is next step.

UNsolved