Iranian doctor livestreams brain surgery as parkinson’s patient strums guitar

A medical team at California Hospital led by Iranian researcher Dr. Nader Pouratian live-streamed the brain surgery of a Parkinson’s disease patient while he was strumming guitar.
The lucky patient was 39-year-old Brad Carter, strumming a tune on his guitar during his brain surgery in order to demonstrate his renewed motor capability.

To celebrate their 500th pacemaker brain implant surgery, they announced in a statement on Facebook, Dr. Nader Pouratian’s team at the UCLA Health System decided to showcase their surgical techniques for a live online audience.

The purpose of a brain pacemaker is to control neural disturbances, like those involved in Parkson’s disease. Using a technique called deep brain stimulation, the pacemakers deliver pulses that stop the tremors that can be so debilitating for Parkinson’s patients, Medicaldaily reported.

As many as 10 million Americans suffer from tremors, said the team’s statement, and over one million have Parkinson’s disease.

The purpose of UCLA’s first live-tweet surgery was to promote public awareness of brain pacemakers as a treatment for Parkinson’s.