Complications

As with any neurosurgery, brain surgery for Parkinson’s disease (PD) can be associated with complications. There are risks associated with the operation itself, including a small risk of bleeding into the brain, or causing other problems with speech or balance, for example.

It is generally considered that the likelihood of these complications is less with deep brain stimulation (DBS) than with lesioning. However, there are some risks associated with DBS and its stimulator system, for example, infection or hardware failure. Side effects of DBS can occur. Specifically, subthalamic DBS is associated with memory difficulties and other thought-related problems, and pallidal DBS is associated with emotional disorders (e.g., depression, anxiety). These complications are mostly reversible over time, and may be avoided by careful programming of the stimulator, although some people can experience permanent complications.

Because of the risks, surgery is only considered for people whose symptoms are not controlled adequately by medication and, aside from their PD, are in a generally good state of health.