Mayo Clinic's approach
- Teamwork. At Mayo Clinic, an integrated team approach is used to treat people who have deep brain stimulation. The team includes Mayo Clinic doctors with training in brain conditions (neurologists), brain surgeons (neurosurgeons), doctors with training in mental health conditions (psychiatrists), specialized programming nurses and other specialists.
- Research. The Mayo Clinic deep brain stimulation teams have been studying the use of deep brain stimulation for many years. They're currently studying new types of stimulating systems, as well as ways to maximize the effectiveness of the therapy and reduce side effects. Clinical trials may be available to Mayo Clinic patients.
- Advanced surgical technology. Specialists at Mayo Clinic use computer-assisted brain surgery, intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (iMRI) and awake brain surgery during deep brain stimulation. Mayo Clinic surgeons have extensive experience with deep brain stimulation.
The Mayo Clinic experience and patient stories
Our patients tell us that the quality of their interactions, our attention to detail and the efficiency of their visits mean health care like they've never experienced. See the stories of satisfied Mayo Clinic patients.
My DBS experience
By Jan Kary I was 60 at the time. Trying to take a photo. My hand was shaking so much I couldn’t hold my phone still to capture a picture. “I’m just nervous,” I thought to myself. The same experience happened again and again. “It’s just stress; I just need a good night’s sleep, and everything will be fine,” I concluded. Over the years, my hands began shaking so much in handling utensils, a glass…
From 100-plus seizures a month to seizure-free
Successful epilepsy treatment allowed Eric Walthall, left, to resume skiing, a pastime he and friend Craig Wanous had enjoyed previously. Advances in epilepsy diagnostics, treatment return man to quality of life For years, Eric Walthall of Woodville, Wisconsin, experienced more than 100 debilitating epileptic seizures a month. For more than 20 years, he couldn’t drive. He stopped attending many of his sons' activities because he feared a seizure would cause him to lose consciousness. He…
Expertise and rankings
Nationally recognized expertise
Mayo Clinic experts treat more than 1,700 people each year with deep brain stimulation. Mayo Clinic specialists have used deep brain stimulation to treat people who have
essential tremor, Parkinson's disease and dystonia. They also have used deep brain stimulation to treat people who have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), cluster headaches, Tourette syndrome, epilepsy and chronic pain that hasn't responded to other treatments.
Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, Mayo Clinic in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona, and Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, are ranked among the Best Hospitals for neurology and neurosurgery in the U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals rankings.
Learn more about Mayo Clinic's neurology and neurosurgery departments' expertise and rankings.
Locations, travel and lodging
Mayo Clinic has major campuses in Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona; Jacksonville, Florida; and Rochester, Minnesota. The Mayo Clinic Health System has dozens of locations in several states.
For more information on visiting Mayo Clinic, choose your location below:
Costs and insurance
Mayo Clinic works with hundreds of insurance companies and is an in-network provider for millions of people.
In most cases, Mayo Clinic doesn't require a physician referral. Some insurers require referrals or may have additional requirements for certain medical care. All appointments are prioritized on the basis of medical need.
Learn more about appointments at Mayo Clinic.
Please contact your insurance company to verify medical coverage and to obtain any needed authorization prior to your visit. Often, your insurer's customer service number is printed on the back of your insurance card.
Clinical trials
Explore Mayo Clinic studies of tests and procedures to help prevent, detect, treat or manage conditions.
Sept. 19, 2023