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Deep brain stimulation surgery involves three components:

• A pacemaker-like device called a pulse generator
• Thin wires called leads or electrodes that enter the brain
• Wires called “lead extenders” that connect the electrodes in the brain to the pulse generator in the chest

Your surgeon will implant all three components inside your body. They will also use MRI technology to identify exactly which part or parts of your brain are causing your symptoms. This is where the electrodes will be targeted. You will most likely receive general anesthesia, which means you’ll be asleep throughout DBS surgery. 

In the past, patients stayed awake during the procedure (which is possible because the brain has no pain receptors), but many were understandably too nervous to explain how the electrodes affected their speech and body movement. Now doctors can rely on imaging, rather than patient feedback, to understand what’s happening as they operate and to make sure the electrodes are in the right place.

Deep Brain Stimulation Risks

As with any surgical procedure, there are risks and potential complications:

• Infection (that can occur in four percent of patients implanted with a neuromodulation device)
• Bleeding
• Stroke caused by DBS electrodes

You could also experience temporary pain and swelling in the implantation site, seizure, headache, confusion and difficulty concentrating. The neurotransmitter could also break or malfunction, which would require another surgical operation.

DBS and �ʲ����쾱�Բ��Dz�’s

For �ʲ����쾱�Բ��Dz�’s, your surgeon will make a dime-sized incision in your skull to implant the leads directly into a deep part of your brain. If that makes you nervous, know that this is a highly established procedure that has only improved since the Food and Drug Administration first approved its treatment of movement disorders in 1997. 

DBS and Essential Tremor

For essential tremor, DBS works similarly to DBS for �ʲ����쾱�Բ��Dz�’s. However, your doctor might also recommend focused ultrasound—that is, using ultrasound sound waves to affect the same part of the brain but with no cuts or incisions.

DBS and Epilepsy

For epilepsy, doctors at the University of Utah target a different part of the brain than for �ʲ����쾱�Բ��Dz�’s or essential tremor, called the anterior nucleus of the thalamus. This is effective at reducing the frequency of seizures and improving quality of life.