MR-Guided Focused Ultrasound
Advanced Neuravive treatment for tremors
Boulder Community Health’s Foothills Hospital is the only medical
facility in Colorado and the surrounding multi-state region performing
a revolutionary Neuravive treatment for essential tremor -- MR-guided
focused ultrasound treatment.
Focused ultrasound is a safe, incisionless and minimally-invasive treatment
that uses focused beams of acoustic energy—to heat and destroy a
small, targeted area of tissue in the brain where tremor cells are located
without harming adjacent tissues. The focused ultrasound leads to precise
destruction of the cells, thereby reducing your hand tremor.
For more information about MR-guided focused ultrasound for tremor treatment,
please call (800) 720-0692 or email BCHTremorTreatment@insightec.com.
Ultrasound is a form of energy that can pass through skin, muscle and bone
without the need for incisions. When ultrasound energy is tightly focused,
it can destroy tissue by rapidly heating it. This carefully-planned procedure
focuses ultrasound waves on a small spot in the brain considered to be
responsible for causing tremors. There is no damage to surrounding tissue
and no exposure to radiation.
The incision-free procedure is performed while you are awake inside an
MRI scanner. The scanner allows the physician to precisely plan the procedure
and treat only the intended area.
Patients who have undergone this procedure have shown an immediate and
significant reduction in tremor, resulting in improvement in performing
daily activities such as eating, drinking and writing, with minimal complications.
MR-guided focused ultrasound treatments are covered by most health insurance
plans, including Medicare. Contact your insurance carrier to confirm coverage.
Essential tremor (ET). ET is a neurological condition that causes involuntary and rhythmic shaking
of almost any part of the body. It most commonly affects the hands, but
can also affect the head, voice, legs and torso. ET typically worsens
over time and can make simple everyday tasks difficult, such as drinking
from a glass or tying shoelaces.
Often confused with Parkinson’s disease, ET is eight times more common,
affecting an estimated 10 million people in the US.
Symptoms of ET generally:
- Begin gradually, usually more prominently on one side of the body
- Worsen with movement
- Occur in the hands first, affecting one hand or both hands
- Can include a "yes-yes" or "no-no" motion of the head
- May be aggravated by emotional stress, fatigue, caffeine or temperature extremes
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Incisionless Treatment: No general anesthesia required; minimal to no risk of infection; performed
on outpatient basis in a single treatment
-
Tremor improvement: Immediate improvement following the procedure; improved quality of life
-
Safe & Effective: Reduced risk of infection and damage to the non-targeted areas of the brain;
ultrasound energy does not expose patients to radiation
-
Rapid Recovery: Quick recovery; patients return to daily activities within several days
of the procedure
Dr. Kara Beasley is an experienced and board-certified neurosurgeon who is also a credentialed
bioethicist. Her extensive medical education includes a fellowship in
functional and restorative neurosurgery at the renowned Cleveland Clinic.
She has extensive expertise in treating Parkinson’s disease, essential
tremor and epilepsy. She is fully trained as a general neurosurgeon in
cranial and spinal trauma, endoscopic and open tumor surgery, radiosurgery,
complex disorders of the spine including tumor and degenerative spinal
disease, epilepsy surgery and neuromodulation.
For more information about MR-guided focused ultrasound for essential tremor,
please call (800) 720-0692 or email BCHTremorTreatment@insightec.com.
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