gms | German Medical Science

72. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie (DGNC)
Joint Meeting mit der Polnischen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie (DGNC) e. V.

06.06. - 09.06.2021

Knowledge about DBS surgery of referring physicians – results of the DBSurvey

Was wissen „Nicht Neurochirurgen“ über DBS? Ergebnisse des DBSurvey

Meeting Abstract

  • presenting/speaker Philipp Krauss - Klinikum rechts der Isar, Klinik und Poliklinik für Neurochirurgie, München, Deutschland
  • Pierre Scheffler - Universitätsspital Zürich, Department of Neurosurgery, Zürich, Schweiz
  • Lennart H. Stieglitz - Universitätsspital Zürich, Department of Neurosurgery, Zürich, Schweiz
  • Christian R. Baumann - Universitätsspital Zürich, Department of Neurology, Zürich, Schweiz
  • Luca Regli - Universitätsspital Zürich, Department of Neurosurgery, Zürich, Schweiz
  • Markus F. Oertel - Universitätsspital Zürich, Department of Neurosurgery, Zürich, Schweiz

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie. 72. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie (DGNC), Joint Meeting mit der Polnischen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie. sine loco [digital], 06.-09.06.2021. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2021. DocP096

doi: 10.3205/21dgnc384, urn:nbn:de:0183-21dgnc3849

Published: June 4, 2021

© 2021 Krauss et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. See license information at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.


Outline

Text

Objective: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has become an accepted therapeutic alternative for a multitude of neuropsychiatric disorders. Nevertheless, many more patients could be potentially treated with DBS. This raises the question, if clinicians are too reserved regarding DBS treatment and what could be underlying reasons. Therefore, the Swiss physicians and medical students current state of knowledge, experience with and expectations from DBS was evaluated.

Methods: A comprehensive nationwide online survey among referring physicians including general practitioners (GP), neurologists and psychiatrists as well as among students from all medical schools in Switzerland was conducted. The survey web forms consisted of multiple choice and open questions and were available in German, French and Italian language.

Results: Data from 401 responses was analyzed. General knowledge regarding DBS principles was high (“good knowledge” n=140, “heard of it” n=228, “never heard of it” n=32) with mainly positive (34%) and only few negative (4%) experiences reported. The risk of permanent neurological deficit (6%±9%), surgical site infection (6%±8%) and hemorrhage (6%±7%) associated with DBS was estimated as comparable and increased. Expected motor symptoms relief due to stimulation was estimated to be 20-80%, whereas non-motor symptoms were presumed as responding not sufficiently by the majority of participants (90% and 49%, respectively). Parkinson’s disease and tremor were considered as validated indications by most respondents (79% and 55%, respectively). Up to 40% of patients were estimated possible candidates for surgery. For epilepsy patients, most physicians preferred DBS over a classic lesionectomy (n=209 vs. n=71, “don’t know” n=109).

Conclusion: For the majority of physicians and doctors-to-be in Switzerland, the results of this survey revealed a gratifying solid basic knowledge of DBS and its potential, a mainly positive acceptance and relatively realistic expectancies regarding clinical results, response rates and associated risks of DBS therapy.