Last Sunday even , Greg Grindley , a 49 - year - former lineman from Ohio , undergo the first - ever televised live brain operating theater in the United States at University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland , Ohio . The procedurewent swimmingly , and now physicians say that Grindley is up and walking .
The two - time of day event , Brain Surgery Live with mental_floss , was a partnership betweenmental_flossand the National Geographic Channel . The show documented Grindley ’s deep brain stimulation ( DBS ) surgery , which surgeons desire will turn symptoms of his Parkinson ’s .
DBS is an elected operation that ’s used to treat crucial tremor and Parkinson ’s . Physicians drill a hole into the skull , and then they put electrodes deep into the psyche , which are connected to a battery twist . The twist supply electrical beat , which block unnatural activity in the brain that stimulate symptoms like trembling hands , rigidity , stiffness , and movement trouble . Since doctors need to monitor electrical activeness in the brainpower during the surgery and ensure the electrodes are in the proper place , patients are kept alert throughout the procedure . During the entire televised operating room , Grindley was witting so he could provide the medical squad with feedback .
Doctors say they wo n’t know for several hebdomad or months whether the process was successful . However , Grindley ’s recuperation is reportedly going well . On Monday , the National Geographic Channelwrote on Facebookthat nurse say he " sprint around the floor " and then “ only used a footer because someone temporarily misplaced his cane . ” Grindley was cleared to go home later that day .
The subroutine is n’t a cure , say Dr. Jonathan Miller , the lead brain surgeon on the team that perform DBS on Grindley . In the fall months , doctors will figure out which of the DBS twist ’s 50,000 context is best for Grindley , and they ’ll also have to manage his medication . His tremors might be reduced , but his Parkinson ’s will also likely progress . However , the surgery might improve Grindley ’s quality of life , and allow him to execute simple actions — like walk without a cane — that he was n’t able to before .
