MARSHFIELD, Wis. – Marshfield Clinic now offers focused ultrasound treatment for patients living with Essential Tremor or Parkinson’s Disease using the Insightec Exablate Neuro platform.
The Exablate Neuro platform uses sound waves to accurately target specific spots deep inside the brain by removing or destroying tiny amounts of tissue with no surgical incisions or burr holes. Each treatment is performed in a single session under Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) guidance for highly detailed images of the brain permitting precise targeting, real-time temperature monitoring and immediate confirmation of treatment outcomes.
The result for many patients is immediate improvement of tremor with minimal complications.
“Treatment can restore a patient’s ability to perform everyday tasks such as eating, writing and using a phone,” said Neurosurgeon Dr. John Neal, who will perform the procedure at Marshfield Medical Center in Marshfield. “By reducing hand tremor, treatment can help people return to activities they enjoy and make everyday tasks easier and more manageable. “This helps patients regain independence and confidence.”
As many as 10 million people in the United States have essential tremor, but an exact number is unknown because many cases are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. Essential tremor is a common neurological brain disorder causing involuntary, rhythmic shaking most commonly in the hands, but also the head, voice, and other body parts. Tremor-dominant Parkinson’s disease is a specific type of Parkinson’s with shaking as the main symptom.
Exablate Neuro was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2022 to treat both sides of the body in Essential Tremor patients as the disease commonly affects more than one side of the body. Appropriate patients can have their second side treated at least nine months after treatment of the first side.
Potential patients and caregivers can visit marshfieldclinic.org for more information about Focused Ultrasound treatment. A referral from a primary care provider or neurologist is required before scheduling an appointment.
About Sanford Health
Sanford Health, the largest rural health system in the United States, is dedicated to transforming the health care experience and providing access to world-class health care in America’s heartland. Headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the organization has 55,000 employees and serves more than 2 million patients and nearly 415,000 health plan members across the upper Midwest including South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wyoming, Iowa, Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The integrated nonprofit health system includes a network of 58 hospitals, 289 clinic locations, 145 senior care communities, 4,500 physicians and advanced practice providers and 1,100 active clinical trials and studies. The organization’s transformational virtual care initiative brings patients closer to care with access to nearly 80 specialties. More than 400 residents and fellows are trained each year through graduate medical education with Sanford Health fully funding and supporting 29 of the 40 available programs. Sanford Health also includes Lewis Drug, a pharmacy and retail chain with 60 locations in three states and nearly 190 pharmacists. Learn more about Sanford Health’s commitment to shaping the future of rural health care across the lifespan at sanfordhealth.org or Sanford Health News.
