Overview
Parkinson's disease causes tremor, stiffness, slowness of movement and balance problems. It is managed, not cured β but the right medication plan, and for suitable patients deep brain stimulation (DBS), can restore years of quality of life.
Why patients come to Beijing
Xuanwu Hospital (Capital Medical University) is one of Asia's highest-volume centers for movement disorders and functional neurosurgery, including DBS implantation and programming. Beijing Tiantan Hospital's neurology and neurosurgery teams are also nationally leading. High volumes matter for DBS: patient selection and electrode placement drive outcomes.
Evaluation
A movement-disorder evaluation includes a specialist neurological exam, medication (levodopa) response testing, and brain MRI to rule out other causes. We arrange this as a compact visit, typically over 2β4 days.
DBS in Beijing
DBS involves implanting thin electrodes into precise brain targets, connected to a pacemaker-like device. Beijing centers offer both imported and Chinese-made (PINS, SceneRay) DBS systems β the domestic systems are clinically established and significantly cheaper.
Typical costs
- Specialist evaluation + brain MRI: from about $320β500
- DBS surgery including device: commonly quoted in the $20,000β$35,000 range depending on the system chosen β individual quote after evaluation
- Written second opinion on suitability for DBS: from $400