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In article Liangshiu Lee <[log in to unmask]> writes: >I have been suffering from PD for five years. I knew there was some hot debates >over pallidotomy on the net a couple of months ago. I do not intend to stir up >the controversy again but since I just got the video shipped overseas to me, I >feel like to share my view with you. >1. While Dr. Iacono was doing pre-operation interview with Don, at one point >when he first started to explain the symptoms of PD, he suddenly said he was >teaching students. From the camera angle and judged from the size of examine >room, there was no place for a group of students. Maybe he wanted this do not >look like a commercial, but IT IS A COMMERCIAL. Any Official video should have balance showing successes as well at those which are not successful. Editorial content is that of the producer and not necessarily that of the Dr. or 'actors'. If this was produced by a 'happy success story', naturally the 'testimony' would reflect that viewpoint. Any videotape should be viewed with a critical eye. >2. While Don was performing some task in the hallway, there were some laughter,>the whole thing was insulting and presented in poor tests. Laughter can be caused by many things including exhuberance as opposed to sarcasm. >3. The surgical procedure was not clear to the viewers so as to create a >almost mystical effect to dramatize the miracle of pall. Local anesthesia >must be applied, the procedure to penetrate the probe through skull was >not explained. If you are interested in the "Nuts and Bolts of Pallidotomy", I would suggest that you visit your closest medical library and look for the journal which is called NEUROLOGY. Dr. Dogali's report titled: 'Stereotactic ventral pallidotomy for Parkinson's disease' is in the April 1995 edition on pages 753-761. A synopsis is available in the archives without the technical procedures. It has been posted within the last week. M. Dogali,MD;E. Fazzini,DO,PhD;E. Kolodny,MD;D. Eidelberg,MD; D. Sterio,MD,DSc;O. Devinsky,MD; and A. Beric,MD,DSc >The WSJ article said a solution was used to create lesion was not correct >according to the video. It seemed that electric current was used. You are probably referring to ventriculography, a procedure that is used in lieu of another MRI with the purpose of assisting the placement and verifying the placement of the probe. The Ventriculogram is the placement of a contrasting agent in close proximity of the probe. An xray is then taken and the probes relative coordinates can be determined before lesioning. In the stimulation phase, a voltage of up to 10 volts is applied to the probe and the sensations the patient feels or sees, are used to verify correct placement. Some pallidotomy patients have reported a tingling in the jaw when the probe placement is correct during the stimulation phase. >4. Most offending was Dr. Iacono's last two comments: "It's best time to have >PD." THERE IS NO BEST TIME TO HAVE PD!!! "We have got it beat." NO, THE ONLY >DISEASE GOT BEAT SO FAR IS SMALL POX. THIS CHAUVINISTIC VIEW COULD HINDER >FURTHER RESEARCH ON PD. I wonder when l-dopa was first introduced, somewhere >someone must have said the same thing " We have got it beat." It might be the >precise reason that pall procedure has not been discovered sooner. Dr Laitenin's early patients were in their 80s pretty well beyond their life expectancies and natural causes precluded any long term study. Other studies are coming out regularly and they tend to indicate that the benefits are at least longer than short term. >Liangshiu Lee ([log in to unmask]) John Cottingham [log in to unmask]