I spoke with the research manager for both the Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) and Focused Ultrasound Surgery (FUS) studies at Sunnybrook Hospital today. She updated me on what I can expect over the next few months and the timelines for each of the possible surgeries.
My next appointment is on October 1, when I meet with the psychiatrist Dr. Anthony Levitt. He will decide if I qualify for either or both research studies. I am a little bit anxious about this appointment because there is a lot riding on it. Dr. Levitt holds my future in his hands as he decides which of these procedures, if any, I will get. However, he is a well-known psychiatrist and well-respected, so I will have to trust that he will make a reasonable decision and approve me for at least one of the procedures.
Assuming that I am approved, after that I will have an appointment with the neurosurgeon for both procedures, Dr. Nir Lipsman. He will decide if I qualify for the surgeries from a neurological perspective.
After meeting with Dr. Lipsman, if I still qualify for both surgeries, I will have to decide which one I want to do. As I mentioned in an earlier blog post, I am willing to do either surgery, but am definitely leaning towards DBS as the less risky option.
Next comes the surgery. If I decide to go with FUS we are looking at a potential timeline of sometime in November for the surgery. Otherwise, if I decide to go with DBS, we are looking at having it done possibly in December or January. The reason that DBS will take longer is they are still in the approval stages of the study and they don't think that they will be approved before then. Both of these options seem like a long way off right now, but they aren't really that far away, I guess. If I wanted to go sooner I could just get the FUS procedure done. However, I can't just think about that. Both of these procedures could take months or years for the full results to be felt, so I shouldn't just go for FUS because it will be done a month or two sooner.
I'm still leaning towards DBS, but I will listen to what Dr, Levitt and Dr. Lipsman have to say about the pros and cons of each before making my final decision.
For another report on FUS and interviews with Dr. Levitt and Dr. Lipsman, see the video below:
