Surgery can ease the symptoms of Parkinson's, but it cannot cure the illness. It is usually considered for those who have had Parkinson’s for some considerable time. It is generally not recommended for anyone with psychiatric problems, dementia, cerebrovascular disease, uncontrolled high blood pressure or for people over 75 years old.
When considering surgery you must, of course, discuss this with your doctor first. He or she will then refer you to see both a neurologist and a neurosurgeon who specialise in the treatment of Parkinson's. Each form of surgery carries its own risks, for example cognitive changes, speech problems and increased chance of stroke, and you should discuss the risks as well as the likely benefits thoroughly with these experts.
Your neurosurgeon will be happy to answer all your questions and will explain what the surgery entails and what happens afterwards. You may also want to discuss the statistics of how many operations the surgeon has performed and the results that have been achieved.
