Incisionless treatment for essential tremor available for first time in upstate NY

Imagine not being able to hold your hot cup of coffee in the morning. Your hands shake so much, you can’t hold a spoon well enough to eat ice cream. It’s your loved one's birthday, and you want to bake them a birthday cake but can’t measure the ingredients without spilling.

These scenarios are the daily realities for approximately 200,000 people in New York State and nearly 10 million Americans, including Carol Klein. Klein was diagnosed with essential tremor, a neurological disorder that causes uncontrollable shaking in the hands on one or both sides of the body. Essential tremor is one of the most common movement disorders and is 10 times more common than Parkinson’s disease.

What is essential tremor?

Most people may not even know they have essential tremor and about one third of those with essential tremor do not receive treatment. Symptoms include uncontrollable shaking that occurs for brief periods of time on one or both sides of the body. Symptoms may worsen during purposeful movement, such as cooking, writing or driving, according to experts at UHS, one of Upstate New York’s largest and most comprehensive integrated health care systems.

After her diagnosis, Klein worked with her health care team to try different medications to help manage her symptoms. Unfortunately, as is the case for many patients, medications were not effective. She also knew she didn’t want to pursue more invasive treatments like deep brain stimulation. After evaluating options with her doctor, they aligned on a minimally invasive option that provided hope for immediate tremor relief with just one treatment: focused ultrasound (FUS) treatment for essential tremor.

Minimally invasive treatment for essential tremor

The state-of-the-art, incisionless and minimally invasive focused ultrasound treatment uses ultrasound energy guided by MRI to target and treat the area of the brain that is the source of tremor. For many patients, the result is immediate tremor relief in the treated hand. This procedure can be used to treat tremor in the hands on both sides of the body.

As an incisionless outpatient procedure, focused ultrasound takes an average of 2 hours and 30 minutes and allows for quick recovery, with patients returning home the same day. Klein understood that every procedure has risks, and the most common risks of focused ultrasound include mild to moderate, and usually temporary numbness, tingling, gait disturbances and headaches.

On the day of her focused ultrasound treatment, Klein drew lines on a piece of paper before, during and after the treatment. By the final drawing test, she could draw straight and steady lines. The results were obvious and immediate.

Today, Klein is happy to report she’s baking again and can now easily measure and pour ingredients.

FUS treatment in upstate New York

UHS is the first and only medical center providing FUS treatment in upstate New York. UHS is now scheduling in-person and virtual appointments to screen individuals for essential tremor and discuss treatment options. Learn more at NYUHS.org.

“As the first and only provider of focused ultrasound treatment for essential tremor in Upstate New York, UHS is bringing advanced care closer to home for our patients,” said Chief of Neurosciences and attending neurosurgeon at UHS Simone Betchen, MD, MBA, FACS, FAANS. “This minimally invasive procedure offers immediate tremor relief, allowing individuals to regain control over daily tasks. For individuals affected by essential tremor, this treatment has the potential to transform lives.”

If you or someone you love is experiencing symptoms of essential tremor that are impacting quality of life, or who have a tremor that is not responding to medication, contact UHS at tremortreatment@nyuhs.org, call 607-763-5404 or visit NYUHS.org/Focused-Ultrasound to discuss options.

Disclaimer: Focused Ultrasound treatment has only recently become available at UHS. Carol Klein received treatment outside of UHS.