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> Unilateral pallidotomy highly effective in select patients with > Parkinson's disease > > WESTPORT, Oct 04, 1999 (Reuters Health) - The "dramatic" benefits of > unilateral pallidotomy in patients with Parkinson's disease persist for > at least 1 year, according to British investigators who report their > experience with the procedure in the October issue of the Journal of > Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry. > Dear Judith, This report coincides very well with my personal experience of 37 young asymmetric PD patients (mean age 56), who underwent unilateral pallidal stimulation at the center I worked. Indeed did the one year result demonstrated a significant benefit from the unilateral pallidal stimulation. However, about one and a half to two years after surgery many patients started to experience worsening of the other side with dyskinesias on the non-operated side and gait disturbances with start-hesitation and freezing. Thusfar, we operated 9 patients, who underwent previous pallidal stimulation with bilateral STN stimulation. They do not freeze anymore and their gait has significantly improved. Another five previous pallidal patients are lined up to have bilateral STN, because of worsening of gait etc. Again a study like the one you posted on the net demonstrates in my view that long term results should extend beyond one year. This is off course also true for the STN stimulation, and I am awaiting anxiously the three to five year results from Grenoble (Prof. Benabid and Prof. Pollack). I personally hope to present the two year follow up on STN in about 20 patients next year. Prof. Benabid has told me that his first patients from four years ago do still benefit from their STN surgery. So it appears that te effect holds for STN stim., but objective data need to be reported. greetings, Chris