Life after DBS surgery.
Recovery from surgery.
Most patients spend one night in the hospital and go home the next day. Expect a headache for a few days after surgery and mild pain at the incision sites. Patients with Parkinson's disease have a somewhat higher chance of postoperative confusion lasting one or a few days, sometimes as part of a hospital-acquired delirium.
All incisions are closed with absorbable sutures and skin glue. Shower daily once you are home. Normal activity is unlikely to disrupt the incisions, and it cannot damage the device. We recommend avoiding high-intensity exercise until the incisions have healed, about two weeks after the last surgery. Walking, riding a stationary bike, and using a treadmill are all encouraged.
DBS programming.
Surgery is half of the process of starting DBS therapy. Programming is the other key element. Your neurologists usually perform programming, although in some cases our neurosurgery team does. Fine-tuning DBS for optimal symptom control typically takes a few visits over several months, but many patients experience a significant benefit after their first programming visit. Dystonia is the exception: dystonia symptoms can take several months to improve. Programming visits are in person, unless you have a DBS system approved for remote programming.
DBS maintenance.
Non-rechargeable pulse generators need to be replaced every 2 to 5 years. Patients with dystonia tend to need replacement at the shorter end of that range, because their settings are typically higher. Rechargeable pulse generators last at least 15 years, but require a total of 45 minutes of charging per week.