 |
 |
Ivan - The time to decide on a pallidotomy is when your quality of life has deteriorated so much that, while fully informed of the risks, you decide the risks are worth it. The vast majority (90%?) of the people who undergo pallidotomies at a reputable med center by an experienced neurosurgeon have beneficial results. . Most of the people we know who have had pallidotomies wish they had done it sooner, or that it had been available to them sooner. However, it is not a cure, and results vary from person to person - based, I suspect, on the placement of the lesion. Right now, though, once the meds have lost their effectiveness, pallidotomy is the only other option. If your symptoms aren't severe enough yet for you to want to take the risks entailed with pallidotomy, you might want to see if you can hold out for developments in the nerve growth factor research. Only you can say whether it's time for the surgery now or if you prefer to wait. In answer to your question about failed pallidotomies, we know of one man who died five months following his pallidotomy due to complications of surgery. It was thought that he had a stroke on the operating table, although subsequent scans didn't show eveidence of one. In short, doctors were never able to deduce what exactly happened, but he continued to deteriorate over the next few months until he died. So it does happen. His surgeon was the same one who performed my husband's pallidal stimulation. So, Ivan, there are risks, but at your age, you should be an ideal candidate for surgery. I imagine you've read the material on pallidotomies and the symptoms they ameliorate, as well as the symptoms that usually are unaffected or are exacerbated by pallidotomy (in the latter category, the only symptom I'm aware of that is usually worse is speech difficulty). If you and your doctor think you're a good candidate, if and when you're ready, then I say go for it! Margie (cg for Dick, 52/15) [log in to unmask]