Delray Beach, Fla. (September 14, 2015) — Delray Medical Center now offers patients suffering from neurological disorders a chance to change their lives for the better with the deep brain stimulation procedure.

There are a number of patients living with movement disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor, who are unable to obtain sufficient relief through medications or physical therapy alone. While not a cure, the deep brain stimulation procedure can help reduce the severity of the disease and improve a patient’s quality of life.

“The deep brain stimulation procedure serves as an avenue of hope for those who were previously unable to obtain symptom relief,” said Dr. Lloyd Zucker, a neurosurgeon on the medical staff at Delray Medical Center. “Tremors, involuntary movements, also called dyskinesias, or muscle rigidity, are the symptoms that generally improve the most. The surgery can also help reduce the fluctuating response to medications that is seen in later stages of Parkinson’s disease.”

The deep brain stimulation procedure involves placing a small electrode into specific targets within a patient’s brain. These targets are specific to each disease and are identified on special MRIs a few weeks prior to the procedure. The electrode is then connected to a neurostimulator (similar to a pacemaker), which is implanted under the skin below the collarbone. Electric pulses from the neurostimulator are carried by the electrode to the target in the brain. Many Patients will stay in the hospital for one or two nights after the initial procedure before going home. Following the procedure, some patients can reduce their medication doses, thereby reducing side effects.

“The procedure provides our neurological patients with the opportunity to set the clock back on their disease and live a more active life,” said Dr. Arif Dalvi, a neurologist, fellowship trained in movement disorders.

Delray Medical Center uses a multidimensional approach when working with neurological patients. The hospital’s highly skilled medical staff tailors each patient’s treatment plan to help meet his or her individual needs. Ancillary measures, such as physical and occupational therapy, are also available as needed. To learn more about the deep brain stimulation procedure, call Beth Glynn, the coordinator of Delray’s movement disorder program, at (561) 637-5608, or visit www.delraymedicalctr.com/our-services/neurological-surgery/deep-brain-stimulation.