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Re Dr. Simpson's report that "although the procedure has been used in Europe for several years, `. . . we don't have data to show how long the effects will last.'" For most patients, effects have lasted since the original operation--and some of those operations were done ten years ago. The stimulators have to be "reprogrammed" as it were, usually annually, because PD is a progressive disease. Even with the stimulators, the disease progresses. "Tune ups" involve tradeoffs. If you want the tremor entirely suppressed, you might have to give up some speech clarity. At his last "tune up", Don chose to live with a little tremor so his speech would be clearer. We don't know what tradeoffs the next reprogramming will bring. BTW, someone mentioned not being able to go through airport security with these stimulators. That's true--you can't go through the general metal detector gate. You have to be patted down with a hand-held metal detector (just like a pacemaker patient). Don keeps hoping for an attractive young woman with a metal detector, but he only gets the men. Joanne Sandstrom [log in to unmask] CG for Don, 59, 22 yrs., sinemet, DBS 6/94