Surgical Therapies

DBS is a highly effective and reasonably safe treatment for many of the cardinal motor symptoms of Parkinson’s. And with advances in its technology being made every day, there are more avenues for people with Parkinson’s to explore when it comes to systems, leads, batteries, surgeons, and more.

Carbidopa/levodopa is known as the gold–standard medication used to treat Parkinson’s. However, as Parkinson’s progresses, the effectiveness of the medication at the same dose decreases, and many people begin looking for alternatives. One such option is enteral suspension of carbidopa/levodopa (branded under the name Duopa™ in the US), which is delivered through a pump directly into your intestines to improve absorption and has been shown to decrease OFF time. We sat down with Sharon Jung, a nurse practitioner at Puget Sound Neurology in Tacoma, WA, to discuss this surgical therapy.

Focused ultrasound therapy (FUS) is an early-stage, single-procedure, non-invasive technology to manage tremor and dyskinesia. It is FDA-approved and is approved to treat tremor outside the US as well. It treats Parkinson’s symptoms through focused beams of ultrasonic energy that target specific areas deep in the brain, interrupting circuits involved with tremor and dyskinesia.