Longevity analysis of currently available deep brain stimulation devices.

OBJECTIVE

There continues to be debate about the surgical technique, electrophysiology, and hardware used in deep brain stimulation (DBS), despite its widespread use in medically intractable Parkinson's disease and essential tremor. This article is the first, to our knowledge, to compare the longevity of the available internal pulse generators (IPGs) of DBS (Kinetra and Soletra, Medtronics).

METHODS

We compared the elapsed time from the initial surgery to the first replacement of IPGs in patients with bilateral Soletra IPGs to those with the unilateral Kinetra IPG and analyzed the various stimulation parameters of each device.

RESULTS

The battery life of the Soletra system was significantly longer than that of the Kinetra and also allowed for higher voltages, longer use of monopolar mode, and a greater number of electrode contacts.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings support superior battery life and a greater capacity for titration to symptom control with bilateral Soletra IPGs.