A procedure called deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a procedure where brain surgery is performed to insert electrical leads directly into a patient’s brain tissue. These electrical leads are threaded out into a generator in the front chest area. Dubbed the “brain pacemaker,” the generator discharges bursts of electricity (controlled by a remote) to prevent tremors, which can impair a patient’s ability to speak and walk. These tremors are a side effect of Parkinson’s disease and can be visibly reduced or eliminated using this procedure. DBS surgery has been around since the 90’s, however it has significantly improved with the leads ability to target specific parts of the brain and the size of the generator decreasing and its capabilities increasing.
