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Patient Care

Hope Through Deep Brain Stimulation After Parkinson’s Diagnosis

After Christian Villarose was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease at an early age, he later received treatment with deep brain stimulation, a procedure to implant a device in the brain that sends electrical impulses to areas that control movement. DBS helps manage Parkinson’s symptoms when medications are no longer effective. Call 904.383.1022 or visit UFHealthJax.org/DBS for more information.

Battling a spinal tumor

Juan Sanchez is a restaurant manager who works long, busy hours. In late 2019, while at work, Sanchez began to experience weakness, tingling and numbness in his left foot. He initially put off seeing his primary care physician, but as the symptoms began spreading to his left arm and hand, Sanchez made the choice to seek medical care at UF Health.

Podcast: Treating Movement Disorders with Deep Brain Stimulation

Daryoush Tavanaiepour, MD, chair of the department of neurosurgery and medical director of movement disorders, discussed how deep brain stimulation, an innovative type of therapy, can benefit patients and caregivers of those with Parkinson’s and other movement disorders during the virtual Prime of Your Life event held via Zoom on Dec. 7, 2020.

A complicated procedure gone right

Lauren Fells vividly recalls the angst from April 27, 2019, the date a life-threatening tumor started its wrath. She was sick at work that day and had been battling migraine headaches for weeks. A month or so later, Fells learned from the UF Health Skull Base Center that she had a brain tumor, requiring expert removal to help her survive.

A Remarkable Recovery

Aaron “Melvin” Turner knew of the battle raging in his head between his brain and a growing tumor. He and his wife, Joan, had been working toward surgery for more than a year. Neither one of them was thrilled about it.