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Stan, You're one of the relatively few people I know of who--like myself--had consecutive bilateral pal's. Both of mine were done in '96 and brought about significant improvements that still hold today. BUT I also had signifgvicant complications and I'm wondering if you experienced anything similar. Some of the complications were things I was told were common in bilateral pal. (v. unilateral)--such as excessive drooling and speech volume problems--and they were temporary, as I was told they would be, although I still have minor problems with both of these sx. The other developments which I am suggesting were complications of the surgery can be described as a major disruption of my overall health and physical shape. Within a year and a half of the 2nd pal, I was hospitalized for pneumonia and had seizures while in the hospital and highly feverish, I had back surgery for a deteriorated disc and severe spinal stenosis, and shoulder surgery (replacement) for severe arthritis. I still have major pain and problems with both my back and my shoulder--the latter due to dystonia. My point is tar I was always pretty healthy and in pretty good shape,, even with PD, prior to the second pal. I had problems before with both my back and my shoulder but they were minor, manageable problems. What made them become so severe and acute at the same time. I've talked about this with a nurse for whom I have the utmost respect and she says it's not uncommon for people to experience unrelated medical problems following major brain surgery. The idea is that those tiny lesions in our brains--especially when they're on both sides, eliminating the possibility of one side compensating for the other for any impaired functions--are just enough too upset the overall gestalt of brain function to shake loose a couple of problem areas that had lied dormant before. I say all of this despite, or in addition to the fact that the 2 pal's helped me tremendously. This may sound crazy but I need to know if you or anybody else who had bilateral pal's can relate to my experience. Marry Polonsky