Thalamotomy

Thalamotomy is a procedure in which a small lesion about the size of a pea is created in a part of the brain called the thalamus. It is used most commonly to treat patients with essential tremor and tremor-dominant Parkinson’s Disease. Thalamotomy is an alternative to deep brain stimulation (DBS) and offers the advantage of not requiring a permanent device implant.

There are several techniques for performing thalamotomy, ranging from open surgery (radiofrequency) to Gamma Knife radiosurgery and focused ultrasound, which are two methods that do not require an incision or anesthesia.

Focused ultrasound is the most common form of thalamotomy performed at high-volume movement disorder centers in the US today - including HCA HealthONE Swedish; there is only one other such device in the state of Colorado. I tend to use radiofrequency and Gamma Knife for patients who cannot have focused ultrasound for one reason or another. Thalamotomy can be dramatically effective at reducing tremor in carefully chosen patients.

I have a particular interest and specialized training in thalamotomy, and I am the director of functional neurosurgery at HCA HealthONE Swedish. Between thalamotomy and deep brain stimulation, I perform 200+ movement disorder surgeries per year.

Click here to read my patient guide for patients considering surgery for essential tremor.

If you live near Denver and have essential tremor or Parkinson’s Disease, please consider meeting me in consultation to learn about your treatment options.