Medical first lets man live pain-free
A SCOTTISH patient with two devastating neurological conditions has had groundbreaking surgery to deal with his agonising symptoms. 
• Sandick Hanson with, from left, daughter Courtney, wife Carol and daughter Kelly is now enjoying living without constant pain following the surgery on his brain. Photograph: Ian Georgeson
Sandick Hanson has spent the last 15 years living with both multiple sclerosis (MS) and dystonia, leaving him in almost constant pain.
But the 49-year-old has just had complex surgery known as deep brain stimulation (DBS) to tackle the symptoms of his dystonia, which he says has transformed his life.
His doctors believe he is the first in the world to have the surgery while suffering from both disabling conditions.
The surgery was made more complicated due to scarring in the brain caused by MS.
Hanson, who lives in South Gyle, Edinburgh, said his life had been radically improved by the operation, which took place at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh earlier this month. Before the surgery, he was left in severe pain caused by the dystonia affecting his neck.
The condition causes muscle contractions and spasms, making movements difficult and painful.
Hanson said: “Over the years it just became horrendous. My neck was in agony. I could not turn my head to the left.
“The pain became more or less 24/7. The only time it was not painful was when I was lying in bed, because my head was being supported by the pillows. But as soon as I rose I was in agony within seconds.”
The former call centre worker was previously treated with Botox injections, but became immune to the effects. His own research led him to the possibility of using DBS to tackle the dystonia symptoms after reading about other patients who had undergone the procedure.
Hanson raised the issue with his neurologist, and asked to be referred to Professor Ian Whittle to investigate the possibility of having DBS himself. “I had tried everything else because prior to the Botox I had tried muscle relaxants and nothing was working,” he said.
“I was full of tablets. Painkillers just did not work at all.
“The amazing thing is that on the Monday I was taken in and given the operation, and by the Wednesday the pain had gone.
“The movement is not 100 per cent, but at least I can turn my head, whereas before I just couldn’t. It makes life a lot easier.”
DBS involves placing electrodes into the brain to deliver electrical pulses to block the signals that cause dystonia symptoms. It has also been used for other conditions, including Parkinson’s disease.
The electrodes are placed in the part of the brain called the Globus Pallidus Interna (GPi), and linked to a surgically implanted pulse generator, similar to a pacemaker.
During Hanson’s surgery, which took almost nine hours, the generator was placed near his collar bone. The battery will be changed every three years.
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