Frequently asked questions

A Turkish stereotactic and functional neurosurgeon based in İstanbul, Head of the Neuromodulation Center at Medicana Ataşehir International Hospital and Chairman of Neurosurgery at Istanbul Health and Technology University. He specialises in deep brain stimulation and has performed more than 800 DBS procedures for patients from more than 60 countries.

At the Neuromodulation Center of Medicana Ataşehir International Hospital, Küçükbakkalköy Mah., Vedat Günyol Cad. No:24, Ataşehir, İstanbul, Türkiye. His university post is academic only.

A surgical treatment in which thin electrodes are placed in precisely defined deep brain structures and connected to a pulse generator under the skin below the collarbone. Continuous electrical stimulation changes the activity of malfunctioning circuits, reducing tremor, rigidity, slowness or abnormal postures. No tissue is destroyed and the treatment is adjustable and reversible.

Parkinson's disease, essential tremor, head tremor, dystonia, Holmes tremor and other rare tremor syndromes; and, in carefully selected refractory cases, obsessive-compulsive disorder, major depression and Tourette syndrome.

That depends mainly on your diagnosis and, in Parkinson's disease, on how well your symptoms respond to medication on a good day. Candidacy can be assessed remotely from your neurologist's report, your imaging and medication-ON / medication-OFF videos.

It is brain surgery. The most serious risk is bleeding inside the brain, reported at approximately 1–2% in large published series, which can cause permanent deficit. Infection of the implanted system occurs in a few per cent. Most stimulation side effects are adjustable by reprogramming.

Possibly for part of it. Awake electrode placement allows direct testing of benefit and side effects, which helps accuracy. The generator is implanted under general anaesthesia. Fully asleep surgery is used where appropriate.

Typically three to five days for the surgery itself. International patients usually remain in İstanbul somewhat longer for wound review and initial programming.

Many patients notice temporary improvement immediately after electrode placement, which fades. Real benefit begins when stimulation is programmed, days to a few weeks after surgery, and is refined over the following months. In dystonia, improvement takes weeks to months.

By video call, in coordination with your own neurologist, with in-person review when travel is possible. Programming is the part of treatment that determines the result, so it continues for as long as it is needed.

Yes. No tissue is destroyed, so stimulation can be reduced or switched off and the system can be explanted if necessary.

Usually yes. Modern systems are MRI-conditional — scanning is permitted under specified conditions that depend on the device. You are given documentation to present to any radiology department.

Non-rechargeable generators typically last several years depending on settings; dystonia settings drain them faster. Rechargeable generators last considerably longer but must be charged regularly.

No. DBS controls symptoms. It does not slow or stop the underlying disease, and symptoms that stimulation does not address continue to progress.

Prof. YILMAZ speaks Turkish, English and Arabic. The international patient team also supports Russian, Serbian, Spanish and French.

Send your neurologist's report, medication list, recent brain MRI and medication-ON / OFF videos to info@atillayilmaz.com. See the candidacy review page for exactly what to record.