Can patients control the DBS device themselves?
Following surgery, the patient is given the Medtronic Access Review unit, a hand-held battery-operated unit that can be used to determine whether the device is on or off, to turn it on or off, and to check battery life. The device does not at this time allow the patient to alter the intensity of stimulation. This is done in the physician’s office. Normally, in DBS for Parkinson’s disease, the device is left on all the time. The next generation of DBS devices may allow some patient control over the intensity of stimulation Is DBS surgery covered by health insurance? Medicare now covers DBS for Parkinson’s disease. Insurance approval should be sought prior to hospital admission. There may be variation on private insurance coverage. The above information was contributed by Mariann Di Minno, RN, MA, and Michael J. Aminoff, MD, DSc, of the Parkinson’s Disease Clinic and Research Center at the University of California, San Francisco.
Following surgery, the patient is given the Medtronic Access Review unit, a hand-held battery-operated unit that can be used to determine if the device is on or off, to turn it on or off, and to check battery life. In addition, the newer pulse generator (the Medtronic Kinetra) allows some patient control over the stimulation level. Normally, in DBS for Parkinson’s disease, the device is left on all the time.
