The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved a new deep brain stimulation (DBS) therapy for people with epilepsy, and Brian J. Snyder, M.D., FAANS, applauds the decision.
Premarket approval for Medtronic’s Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) therapy was granted by the FDA as adjunctive treatment for partial-onset seizures and is a significant development for patients whose seizures have proven to be drug-resistant.
“Many patients with severe epilepsy are not able to control their seizures with currently available drugs and are not candidates for curative surgery, may be helped by this new DBS therapy,” said Snyder.
As Director of Functional and Restorative Neurosurgery at NYU Winthrop Hospital in Mineola, Snyder has performed hundreds of DBS procedures and is the most experienced surgeon on Long Island performing this procedure.
“DBS therapy for epilepsy delivers controlled electrical pulses to target in the brain called the anterior nucleus of the thalamus (ANT), which is part of a network involved in seizures,” he said. “Few therapies are as versatile as DBS, which is also approved for Parkinson’s Disease (PD), dystonia, essential tremor, and obsessive compulsive disorder.”
To schedule an appointment with Dr. Snyder to determine if you might benefit from DBS, call 516-442-2250.
