The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Patient hails ‘miracle’ brain op that cured him of tremor
Apioneering brain operation has given essential tremor sufferer Ian Sharp the miracle for which he has waited 30 years.
Mr Sharp has gone from being unable to use his hand to having no tremor in it in the space of a few hours, thanks to the transformational surgery.
He is the first patient in Scotland to undergo the new ultrasound treatment, offered by Dundee University at Ninewells, which has stopped the tremor in his left hand.
Mr Sharp says: “I couldn’t do anything with my left hand before.
“It is a miracle and very emotional – I was welling up at the time and I still get emotional now.
“It’s 30 years I’ve had this and now there’s no shake.”
Mr Sharp was this week reunited with Dr Tom Gilbertson, consultant neurologist and honorary senior lecturer with the university’s school of medicine, who led the team that carried out the procedure.
And although Mr Sharp has had side effects, including numbness in his tongue and chin along with some walking issues, he remains hopeful.
“For me, the benefits outweighed the risks. I’ve spoken to a man in England who went through it and his side effects have gone. I am optimistic.”
In the past, invasive surgery was required to mitigate severe tremors.
But the new treatment makes use of high-intensity focused ultrasound to disrupt the faulty electrical circuits in the brain that lead to the tremors.
Dr Gilbertson said: “It’s exciting and we are very lucky to have our own system so patients in Scotland have the potential to have treatment fairly quickly.
“Many patients who have lived with this condition have normalised living with their tremor.
“They become reclusive, retire early or lose employment – it’s often a hidden disability and not something people are aware of.”
Dr Gilbertson added: “This is much less invasive and great for the right patient.
“It looks like a walk in the park, but it’s a serious procedure.”
During the surgery, carried out in a MRI scanner, the patient’s hair is shaved and a local anaesthetic is given before metal pins are fixed to locations on their head.
Short bursts of ultrasound, increasing in intensity, are monitored by the team.
Although there is a standardised starting point for each patient, the location of each ultrasound is modified based on clinical assessment during the procedure. Every millimetre can be of utmost importance.
But the revolutionary aspect is the immediacy of results. During monitoring, patients’ writing is tested between ultrasounds which by the end shows the amazing results of suppressing the tremor.
Dr Gilbertson added: “It’s fantastic – neurology can be quite a depressing subject and we often have to give out diagnoses which can be very upsetting for the patient.
“Seeing real joy for the patients is exciting for me.”