St. Jude Medical 3875, User Manual

Page: 31 / 96

27
Patient Expectations
You and your doctor should discuss the benefits and
risks of deep brain stimulation. The primary goal of
deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's disease is to
increase the amount of time that you are not bothered
by dyskinesias, i.e. involuntary movements. The
primary goal of deep brain stimulation for essential
tremor (ET) is to reduce your tremor. In patients with
Parkinson's disease or ET who achieve these
improvements, deep brain stimulation may improve
their quality of life and reduce the need for
medications.
As with any surgery or therapy, deep brain stimulation
has risks and complications. See the "Adverse Effects"
(page 22) for a list of complications associated with
deep brain stimulation. Most side effects of deep
brain stimulation surgery are temporary and are
resolved within the first few months. However, some
complications can be more serious or permanent. In
the event that side effects are intolerable or you are
not satisfied with the therapy, the deep brain
stimulation system can be turned off or usually it can
be surgically removed. You also need to be aware that
you cannot undergo diathermy procedures,
electroshock therapy, transcranial magnetic
stimulation or MRIs as discussed in
“Contraindications” (page 7). Talk to your doctor