UMC has two neurosurgeons, Dr. Harold Smith and Dr. June Guillet, who are trained to perform this treatment for patients with movement disorders and Essential Tremor (ET).

 

Using sophisticated technology and state-of-the-art equipment, UMC neurosurgeons implant electrodes in specific areas of the brain to regulate abnormal signals. The patient is awake during the first part of the procedure while the neurosurgeon stimulates the brain with small electric pulses to test the electrode placement. The patient is then asked to perform certain movements to ensure proper positioning.

 

“Typically, we will do this in two stages,” explained Dr. Harold Smith, UMC Neurosurgeon. “We will do the more complex part, which is placing the small electrodes in the proper target using this sophisticated technology, and then we come back about a week later and put the patient under general anesthesia while we slip the little electrode connectors into the battery, which is placed in a pocket on the chest wall.”

 

After the surgery, the pulse generator is programmed by the neurologist to deliver specific impulses to control the patient’s symptoms of stiffness, slowness and tremor, significantly improving their quality of life.

 

“We are extremely proud to be able to offer this service to so many patients who suffer from mobility issues or tremors they cannot control,” said Jacob Cintron, President & CEO of the El Paso County Hospital District. “We continue to work toward providing our region with a wide range of advanced medical services that our community has often had to travel out of town to obtain. Under the leadership of Dr. J.D. Day, UMC’s Medical Director of Neurosurgery, our neurosurgeons are bringing some of the most advanced techniques for treatment of neurological conditions to our Borderland.”

 

For information about UMC’s Neurosurgery and Spine Center, visit nexuselpaso.com.