Gamma knife surgery can assuage the uncontrollable tremors experienced with Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s disease is progressive disorder of the nervous system that is more common in the elderly – most cases occur after the age of 50. A characteristic side effect of Parkinson’s disease is an uncontrollable shaking and/or tremors in the arms and hands.
Although Parkinson’s disease can’t be cured, several procedures are available to lessen the severity and aggravation of its symptoms. When a patient cannot undergo traditional surgery or take the suggested medicine, gamma knife surgery provides another option for treatment.
When a person has Parkinson’s disease, their brain cells send electrical impulses to the motor cortex in repetitive bursts that cannot be silenced. These bursts match the frequency of the shaking and tremors. By immobilizing the patient in a head frame, the gamma knife non-invasive surgical treatment accurately and precisely aims gamma radiation at these specific brain cells. A 2012 study published in the journal Neurosurgery found that 81.1 percent of patients treated with gamma knife surgery had excellent or good results.
Other benefits of gamma knife non-invasive surgical treatment include:
- Fewer complications with comparable or better outcomes than with traditional surgery.
- No incisions or shaving, and only minimal discomfort for the patient.
- Completion of the treatment in a one-time visit, and most patients are able to return to normal activities the following day
