Kansas City, KS- Rita Sevart lived with essential tremors for 60 years. Focused ultrasound gave her relief. During the minimally invasive procedure, Dr. Jennifer Cheng targeted the area of Rita’s brain causing the tremors, reducing them by 95%. Rita was able to resume activities, like writing her name or using a spoon, that once felt impossible. The discussion also highlighted the importance of accuratediagnosis.
Rita Sevart: Patient
Rita describes the embarrassment she felt, which affected her daily life.
Doctors diagnosed her with essential tremor, a condition affecting the nervous system.
Dr. Jennifer Cheng, Neurosurgeon, The University of Kansas Health System
Dr. Cheng explains the area of the brain where essential tremors originate.
She describes the focused ultrasound procedure, including the use of a helmet with more than 1000 sources of ultrasound energy to target the thalamus.
Dr. Rajesh Pahwa, Medical Director, Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorder Center
Dr. Pahwa differentiates essential tremors from Parkinson's disease.
He emphasizes the importance of making smaller lesions at first, to avoid complications.