Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)

The Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) program at Selkirk Neurology is one of the higher-volume programs in the western US.  The first deep brain stimulator in Washington state was placed implanted in Spokane, WA in October of 1997 making the Spokane DBS program the longest-running program in the state.  

Selkirk Neurology is the home of the Spokane DBS program which is a multi-disciplinary collaboration between Selkirk Neurology and Sacred Heart Hospital.  Our patients are referred from western Montana, north Idaho, and central and eastern Washington and come to Spokane to receive evaluation and treatment using DBS Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor, and dystonia.  Our work runs the gamut from routine cases to incredibly complex work requiring the full resources of our DBS team.

Our program stands out among others due to the great depth of clinical staff involved in every DBS case we take.  We convene regular meetings to review the candidacy for patients to receive DBS at our program to anticipate problems that may arise and solve these before surgery and work together to trouble shoot any challenges with our current DBS patients.  Our standardized approach results in very successful outcomes that achieve patient expectations after surgery and long into the future. 

Clinical services involved with DBS include formal motor testing with videotaping, neuropsychological testing by a provider who specializes in movement disorder neuropsychology, and movement disorders neurologists’ evaluation and treatment as well as post-operative medical and DBS management.  We rely on a team of neurosurgical and neurological movement disorder-trained physician assistants as well as psychiatric nurse practitioners to ensure our patients meet their best outcomes.

The Spokane DBS team has been involved in research on DBS for decades and continues to engage in clinical research through our local site Inland Northwest Research as well as Sacred Heart Medical Center.