Overview
- Denise Bacon, 65, remained awake during a four‑hour deep brain stimulation procedure at King’s College Hospital, using her clarinet to give surgeons real‑time functional feedback.
- When the electrodes were activated intraoperatively, clinicians observed immediate improvement in her finger and hand movements, which was audible in her playing.
- Surgeons used a stereotactic frame and drilled small openings about half the size of a 5p coin to precisely place electrodes on both sides of the brain.
- The implanted leads were connected to a rechargeable pulse generator in her chest that can last up to about 20 years and deliver continuous, programmable stimulation.
- The hospital says the operation took place on July 16, and Bacon reports early gains in walking, with DBS intended to reduce motor symptoms rather than halt disease progression.