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Covenant Health Announces New Treatment Option for Patients with Parkinson's and Epilepsy

Published Date
Author Meredith Cunningham

Patients with movement disorders, like Parkinson’s disease or epilepsy, have a new treatment option, giving them more independence and a better quality of life.

Covenant Health is proud to offer patients deep brain stimulation (DBS). Deep brain stimulation is a surgical procedure that involves implanting wires, or electrodes, in the brain and using safe and mild electrical impulses to stimulate them. This stimulation eases irregular body movements that can interfere with how a patient moves naturally and what they do in everyday life.

The program is led by Neurologist Dr. Katie Hendley and Neurosurgeon Dr. Robert Scranton. Covenant Medical Center is the only hospital in West Texas and eastern New Mexico offering this treatment for patients.

Our first DBS procedure was performed on Clyde Patterson, a 71-year-old male suffering from Parkinson’s disease. Patterson underwent his first procedure to implant the stimulator on June 30 and his second procedure to implant the battery to keep his stimulator working on July 14. Since receiving DBS, Patterson says he has seen much improvement with his tremors which are no longer as severe.

“Thankfully we are part of an organization that supports expanding the services we can offer our patients and bring back their quality of life,” said Dr. Katie Hendley, Covenant Health neurologist. “Any time that we can improve tremors, the way people move and the way they live, giving them more time with family, more time to travel, it improves their overall health and wellness. We’re grateful to be able to provide new therapies and new techniques to our toolbox.”  

For many people, DBS can be the difference between declining and regaining control of their lives. DBS allows many patients to resume some of the most routine aspects of daily life, such as feeding themselves, and enjoying hobbies and social activities again. Some patients have even been able to reduce their medications enough to ease side effects like nausea. 

Our team uses DBS to treat patients with conditions including:

  • Dystonia

  • Epilepsy

  • Essential tremor

  • Parkinson’s disease

  • Seizures