title: Simultaneous thalamic deep brain stimulation and implantable cardioverter-defibrillator.
abstract: Thalamic deep brain stimulation is becoming increasingly popular for the control of drug-refractory tremor. Implantable cardiac pacemakers and defibrillators are commonly used therapeutic modalities. Concerns exist about the potential interactions between these 2 devices in the same patient, but no experience has been reported previously. We describe a patient with essential tremor who had a deep brain stimulator implanted into the left ventral intermediate nucleus of thalamus, who subsequently needed an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator. Despite concerns about possible interactions between the 2 types of implanted electrical devices (i.e., a situation similar to drug-drug interactions), the deep brain stimulator and the implanted pacemaker-defibrillator functioned appropriately, and no interaction occurred in our patient.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Fla. 32224, USA.
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Obwegeser
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Uitti
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Turk
authors.forename: U M
authors.initials: UM
authors.lastname: Wszolek
authors.forename: T R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Flipse
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Smallridge
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Witte
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Wharen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D017147:Defibrillators, Implantable; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy; D004567:Electrodes, Implanted; D004869:Equipment Safety; D020329:Essential Tremor / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017180:Tachycardia, Ventricular / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*