Patients' Perioperative Experience of Awake Deep-Brain Stimulation for Parkinson Disease

• Published in: World neurosurgery 2017-09, Vol.105, p.526-528
• Main Authors: Mulroy, Eoin, Robertson, Nigel, Macdonald, Lorraine, Bok, Arnold, Simpson, Mark
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anesthesia; Anesthesia, Local - methods; Anesthesia, Local - psychology; Conscious sedation; Conscious Sedation - methods; Conscious Sedation - psychology; Craniotomy; Craniotomy - methods; Craniotomy - psychology; Deep brain stimulation; Deep Brain Stimulation - methods; Deep Brain Stimulation - psychology; Humans; Local; Parkinson disease; Parkinson Disease - psychology; Parkinson Disease - surgery; Patient Preference - psychology; Perioperative Care - methods; Perioperative Care - psychology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Wakefulness
• ISSN: 1878-8750; 1878-8769
• DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2017.05.132

Awake craniotomy for tumor resection and epilepsy surgery is a well-tolerated procedure. Qualitative data on patients' experience of awake deep-brain stimulation (DBS) are, however, lacking. We collected qualitative data on patients' experience of awake DBS with a view to identifying areas for improvement. Forty-one patients undergoing DBS for Parkinson disease between 2009 and 2015 were surveyed with a structured questionnaire designed to receive patient feedback regarding perioperative management of the awake stage of the procedure. More than 90% of patients felt well-informed. Most remembered the procedure, and almost all were happy that they did. One half of the patients experienced pain, often significant, during the procedure. This mainly occurred during burr-hole drilling and stereotactic frame placement. Although awake DBS is well-tolerated, pain and off-period symptoms are an issue for a significant number of patients. Efforts should be made to minimize these unpleasant aspects of awake DBS.