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Houston Physicians’ Hospital Begins Cutting-Edge Incisionless MR-Guided Focused Ultrasound Program for Essential Tremor and Tremor-Dominant Parkinson’s Disease Patients

HOUSTON (June 21, 2021) – Today, Houston Physicians’ Hospital announced it is the first hospital in the Houston area to offer an incisionless treatment for medication resistant essential tremor and tremor-dominant Parkinson’s disease. The new advanced technology – called MR-guided focused ultra sound – utilizes sound waves to treat brain tissue that is the source of the tremor. No scalpel, incision or even anesthesia are necessary for this treatment and many patients experience immediate and noteworthy reduction in hand tremors, which can make even the easiest of daily activities a challenge.

Houston Physicians’ Hospital (HPH) has teamed up with Insightec, a worldwide innovator in brand new medical technology to bring this breakthrough advancement to the Houston area. HPH will be one of only two hospitals in Texas that currently offer this state-of-the-art incisionless treatment of tremor. The treatment is performed on one side, usually the dominant hand.

“With MR-guided focused ultrasound, we are able to perform a procedure on the brain without a scalpel or making a single incision,” said Dr. Greg Bonnen, neurosurgeon and board executive at Houston Physicians’ Hospital. “This provides access to life altering treatment for patients who previously would have continued to suffer.”

Two technologies are combined with MR- guided focused ultrasound: magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, which drives the vision and the planning identifying the exact location of the brain responsible for the tremor, and high-intensity ultrasound, which precisely delivers over 1,000 highly focused beams of acoustic energy at the exact location in the brain without damaging any surrounding tissue.

Benefits of MR-guided focused ultrasound for treatment of tremor:

  • No surgical incision or electrode insertion into the brain
  • Reduced risk of infection and damage to non-targeted areas of the brain
  • Quick recovery time allowing you to return to daily activities within days of the procedure
  • Immediate and significant reduction in hand tremors with minimal complications
  • Performed as an outpatient procedure – most patients go home within 23 hours

Launching in June, this advanced technology will be available to patients at HPH, a community hospital dedicated to providing personal, individualized healthcare with a concierge approach.  The treatment will be led by Neurosurgeon, Greg Bonnen, M.D., and a team of highly trained staff members dedicated to the safety and success of their patients.

“Many tremor patients have suffered for years or even decades with this debilitating and progressive condition and helping them regain the ability to dress and feed themselves and live a more active and independent lifestyle is extremely rewarding,” said Bonnen.

About essential tremor

Essential tremor (ET) is a neurologic disorder characterized by an involuntary shaking movement that may start with relatively mild symptoms, but often progresses to be severe, greatly impacting one’s quality of life. ET most often affects the hands but has been known to affect other parts of the body such as head, voice and legs, interfering with daily activities like getting dressed, eating, drinking and writing. Most people with essential tremor are otherwise rather healthy.

About Tremor-dominant Parkinson’s disease

Tremors are the primary symptom that has the most critical impact on daily activities in an estimated 10% of all Parkinson’s patients. As the Parkinson’s disease progresses, patients may face the onset of additional symptoms, but the tremors continue to have the most significant impact on daily living.

A wide variety of treatments for Parkinson’s disease tremor are currently available including oral medications, injections and deep brain stimulation where electrodes are inserted into the brain. However, MR-guided focused ultrasound offers a new wave of technology providing an incision-free treatment option for individuals who do not respond to medications.

About Houston Physicians’ Hospital

Houston Physicians’ Hospital provides award-winning, personalized care with highly skilled and compassionate professionals in 17 specialty areas. As a result, Houston Physicians’ Hospital has been awarded Houston Chronicles Top Workplace and has been the recipient of Healthgrades Outstanding Patient Experience Award three years in a row. With more than 200 practicing physicians, HPH‘s vision is to be the healthcare provider where physicians choose to practice, patients want to receive care and employees prefer to work.

For more information, visit www.houstonphysicianshospital.com.