Miracle treatment at Gold Coast University Hospital brings instant relief to patient Neville Waterstrom

A Qld man who has been suffering from severe uncontrollable tremors for the past 30 years, but just an hour after an innovative brain procedure he can now live a normal life. SEE THE VIDEO

A Queensland hospital is the first public facility in the country to provide innovative brain “surgery” for conditions like Parkinson’s disease that requires no invasive incision or anaesthetic and drastically improves symptoms within hours.

The procedure uses ultrasound energy to target and ablate areas of the brain that trigger symptoms of movement disorders such as uncontrollable tremors.

Neville Waterstrom has had tremors for 30 years and the procedure at the GCUH has changed his life.

The Gold Coast University Hospital has already successfully treated three patients with the magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound treatment which uses an MRI to locate areas of the brain that trigger symptoms of movement disorders.

Patients are awake as more than 1000 ultrasound beams intersect at a single point and create a tiny lesion on the brain, disrupting the abnormal brain activity.

As this surgery requires no incisions or drill holes, recovery is fast and patients can be discharged the following day.

Each patient requires a “halo” to be fitted during the procedure, to keep the head still and their scalp cool.

Patient Neville Waterstrom said the procedure had an amazing impact on his quality of life.

“I’ve been experiencing Essential Tremors for the last 30 years. It’s been incredibly difficult to do even simple tasks like feed myself and drinking out of a glass was just not a possibility,” Mr Waterstrom said.

“This procedure has completely changed my life. I haven’t been able to write properly for at least 20 years and now – it’s just amazing. I can drink a glass of water again, and this is just one hour after the procedure”

The government has invested $3.5m into the treatment in addition to the $28.9bn health budget for the year.

Health Minister Shannon Fentiman said the treatment at the GCUH is proving to be life-changing.

“It’s incredible to see the immediate and significant reductions in tremors thanks to this new procedure and our highly skilled health workers. This surgery is helping Queenslanders to regain the ability and dignity to perform daily tasks,” she said.

Gold Coast Health Medical Director Neurology Sam Heshmat said it was heartwarming to see drastic changes in patients in just a few hours after the procedure.

“At Gold Coast Health, we are proud to launch this innovative service to help patients

with certain movement disorders, including tremors,” Dr Heshmat said.

“To see a significant change in a patient’s functional capacity within a few hours, to

see them gain back some independence after so many years, it’s just priceless.

“This service is unique as it involves a group of clinicians from different specialties,” he said.

Neurologists, neurosurgeons and radiology staff all play a role within each patient’s journey. A new nurse navigator position has been created for this service.”