A Rush team of neurological and neurosurgical clinicians is the first in Illinois and among the first in the United States to offer an innovative, noninvasive treatment for medication-refractory tremor: MR-guided focused ultrasound.
MR-guided focused ultrasound is the latest treatment option for patients with essential and parkinsonian tremor. Many are calling it 鈥渓ife changing,鈥 with far fewer risks than traditional treatments. MR-guided focused ultrasound is a safe, incisionless treatment designed to reduce hand tremor. It targets a specific area of the brain with high-intensity focused ultrasound, guided by magnetic resonance imaging.
鈥淚 took that drink in my left hand 鈥 the hand that was treated 鈥 and was able to move it steadily to my mouth and drink,鈥 Ken Lemerman, an essential tremor sufferer, said following the procedure. 鈥淚t was amazing. Literally within minutes after getting off the table, I鈥檓 holding a drink in my hand without spilling a single drop. It had been years since I could do that.鈥 Read Ken's remarkable story.
鈥淚 would have said to you that I think I probably had 10 years of life,鈥 said . 鈥淎nd I could have 50 years left now.鈥
脱衣直播 is the only center in Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa and Missouri offering this innovative procedure, which has been FDA-approved for unilateral (one side of the body) treatment of essential tremor and parkinsonian tremor.
Rush's Movement Disorders Program serves patients who benefit from collaboration between neurologists and neurosurgeons, and is led by neurologist , and neurosurgeon . These specialists have the expertise to evaluate each person and determine whether MR-guided focused ultrasound is the best approach.
Essential tremor is the most common movement disorder that typically involves tremor of the hands during activities such as eating and writing. It can severely affect patients' quality of life.
The MR-guided focused ultrasound treatment is a single-session, outpatient, incisionless procedure that reduces the risk of complications and side effects compared to surgical intervention.
The treatment focuses ultrasound energy to target and destroy the ventral intermediate nucleus of the thalamus, which results in tremor improvement. Physicians monitor the procedure using MRI, gaining real-time thermal feedback to verify the target tissue is destroyed, while preserving healthy tissue simultaneously. The treatment is intended for essential tremor patients at least 22 years of age who have not responded to medication. Patients with Parkinson鈥檚 disease must be more than 30 years old.
鈥淲e're excited to offer the MR-guided focused ultrasound treatment at Rush," Sani says. 鈥淭his gives patients another incredibly effective treatment option, one that can greatly improve their quality of life."
Physicians can now schedule patients for the procedure. To refer a patient for evaluation, please email neurofus@rush.edu or call (312) 563-2032.
