Brain Surgery Puts Handyman Back To Work

Bernard Schafrath eats life. The 68-year-old Wooster, Ohio, resident thoroughly relishes his role as handyman, woodworker and gardener in his retirement years. “I go from daylight ‘til dark,” he says. “As long as I keep busy, I can just go and go and go.”

That wasn’t always the case. Like some of his family members, Bernard suffered from a condition known as essential tremor. The neurological disorder is characterized by uncontrollable shaking in different parts of the body. About a decade ago, symptoms emerged in his right hand, becoming severe a couple of years ago. “I never thought I was ever going to have that problem because I’m so active,” he says. “I always think positive.”

However, his erratic hand movement — initially only manifesting when he missed a meal — eventually turned his labors of love into laborious chores. “I was getting depressed at times, because I couldn't do what I wanted to do,” he recalls.

When his primary care physician’s attempts at controlling the tremors through medications and other methods failed, he turned to Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Neurological Restoration. The Center is part of the Neurological Institute and is known for its experience in Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) to improve quality of life and function in patients with disabling movement disorders.

“It’s just fabulous to be able to use my right hand with no side effects at all... it's well worth it to get the quality of life back.”

DBS involves surgical implantation of electrical leads inside the brain, believed to be affected in essential tremor or Parkinson’s disease. Electrodes deliver energy impulses to modulate the abnormal activity causing symptoms. A pacemaker-type device is implanted in the chest and connected to the brain leads, providing the energy needed to activate the electrodes in the brain. The power is adjusted based on the amount needed to address the tremors of each patient.

Bernard underwent the surgery in November 2012 and, within a couple of months, he was well on his way to working with both hands again. Andre Machado, MD, PhD, Director of the Center for Neurological Restoration, performed the surgery. “It resulted in good tremor control,” Dr. Machado says.

Bernard reports a significant increase in his energy level as well as a lack of tremors. “It’s just fabulous to be able to use my right hand with no side effects at all,” he says. “I would highly recommend it. You’ve got to go through a little to go through the operation and get it set up, but it's well worth it to get the quality of life back.”