The Sydney DBS team have just returned from their annual trip to Noumea, New Caledonia, where they run a Parkinson’s Disease and movement disorder review clinic with local neurologists Drs Molko, Simon and Guyon.
The team have been making this trip since 2013. Neurosurgeon Dr Raymond Cook, Neurologist Dr Paul Silberstein and Neuropsychiatrist Dr Linton Meagher have longstanding relationships with local Neurologists who then work together in assessing patients for deep brain stimulation surgery, a procedure for patients with Parkinson’s Disease, tremor and other movement disorders such as Dystonia.
New Caledonian patients who elect to undergo deep brain stimulation surgery travel to North Shore Private Hospital in Sydney where the procedure is performed. DBS helps many patients to achieve substantial improvements in neurologic symptoms including tremor, stiffness, slowness of movement and walking difficulty.
Whilst in Noumea, Dr Cook and French speaking Dr Silberstein and Dr Meagher also follow up with patients who have travelled to Sydney for deep brain stimulation in the past. These patients are at different stages in their follow up and by continuing to see these patients with the local team of professionals, ensures strong efficacy and a low complication rate for these patients.