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The Miracle of Advanced Technology and Generosity--A woman's relief from the disability of Parkinson's. Mrs. S is a master seamstress known by her clients for crafting beautiful articles of designer-like clothing. One of her greatest joys was sewing her daughter's elegant wedding dress.However, Mrs. S began experiencing tremors due to Parkingson's disease in her right hand. By 1995 the tremors had become uncontrollable and soon affected her right foot, the foot that pressed the sewing-machine pedal. The violent jerking made it impossible for Mrs. S to sew and, by 1998, unable to drive a car. The family searched for a cure and prayed daily for a miracle. Their search led them to Dr. Lloyd Zucker, a Neurosurgeon in Delray Beach, Florida. He was one of the few physicians in the state trained to perform deep-brain stimulation, a procedure that uses a pacemaker with stimulators in the brain that stops tremors. Placing the stimulators in exactly the correct location is critical and is accomplished with the aid of the MicroGuide™, a product distributed by Nicolet Biomedical. When Dr. Zucker first observed Mrs. S's rhythmic jerking, it was severe, and only on the right side of her body. That meant that only the left side of her brain was involved and that she was a good candidate for deep-brain stimulation. He thought he could help. While this procedure can cost up to $250,000, the family had no insurance. "We have no insurance, but we will sell our houses our businesses, we will do anything it takes to pay for this." Dr. Zucker called a local hospital's chief financial officer. He told the hospital he wanted them to donate the surgery and he said he would do the same. He called an anesthesiologist requesting his service for a morning-long procedure - for free. They all agreed. Mrs. S went through a series of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and a CAT scan, so that the surgical team would have the most precise maps of her brain. The images would be merged via computer software and used to guide Dr. Zucker's hands as he operated. The MicroGuide would help guide an array of electrodes toward the target. With her scalp numbed with anesthesia, the surgery would take place with Mrs. S. fully alert. As Dr. Zucker lowered five electrodes through the holes into the soft tissues of her brain, he listened. The electrodes, picking up the brain's signals, sent a rhythmic signal from the MicroGuide, with the sound changing as he approached his target. When he reached the desired spot, he asked Mrs. S to raise her flailing arm. As she did, the audio signal pulsed at exactly the same rate as the jerking tremor of Mrs. S's hand. He knew he had found the target. With five electrodes in place, Dr. Zucker used a combination of a small amount of current to stimulate the target. Each time, he asked Mrs. S to hold up her arm to watch her shake. When he hit on the right combination, it was apparent. "Hold up your arm," he said. She did. He turned on the current. Her arm fell absolutely still, and a quiet gasp escaped from all in the room. For Mrs. S, it was the first time in six years that her arm had stopped jerking. "There was a sensation of happiness so strong, so strong, words cannot describe it," she said afterward. Two weeks later, Mrs. S moved with ease to a follow-up visit. As she left, Mrs. S, 61 was still absorbing what it meant to be able to use both hands again, to walk without assistance, to go out in public without drawing stares. She had not sewed in years. Perhaps, she thought she might teach dressmaking, so that others could create the same beautiful articles she had. "I am so grateful," she whispered. "So grateful." Return to Home |
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