Epworth Geelong has become the first hospital outside Melbourne to offer deep brain stimulation, giving Western Victorians with Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders a treatment option closer to home.
In a significant innovation, Mr Girish Nair and team pioneered Australian-first 'frameless' deep brain stimulation technology at Epworth in 2018 using a custom-made 3D printed model tailored to each patient to guide the placement of the incisions and wires.
"Deep brain stimulation is a very advanced neurosurgical technique which is mostly offered only in major metro hospitals due to the advanced technological requirements, including the expensive conventional frames." Mr Nair said.
"As we no longer require a conventional frame, we can now take this procedure outside of Melbourne for the first time. The 3D printed guide model we use is easy to transport and does not need to remain at the hospital. In fact, many patients take it home as a keepsake."
Mr Nair said that most patients selected for this procedure, after a rigorous multi-disciplinary selection process through the Epworth movement disorder team, experience significant, lifestyle changing improvement in their symptoms following the procedure.
How deep brain stimulation works
After comprehensive testing and assessments, the procedure involves two 50 cent sized incisions on the patient's skull and the placement of wires into specific areas of the brain using the guide model. Unlike the conventional technique, patients are asleep during the entire procedure.
Using the non-metallic frame allows for accuracy verification by intraoperative scans, which helps to confirm lead positioning which is critical for good outcomes.
The wires are connected to a battery under the patient's chest which provides continuous stimulation. It is controlled via Bluetooth, which means the stimulation can be switched off or adjusted by neurologists remotely.
The innovative technique attracts patients even from interstate to Epworth to undergo this procedure, after which they can be monitored and treated without having to travel to Melbourne.
Neurologist Dr Mina Ghaly said this made the treatment accessible to those living outside the city.
"Once patients have undergone the procedure at Epworth Geelong, we are able to see them in their home environment make adjustments to the device remotely through an online consultation," Dr Ghaly said.
"This is a huge benefit for regional patients – the treatment is tailored to the patient's specific needs with no need for travel."
Regional Victoria's only neurosurgery service
Epworth Geelong Executive General Manager, Scott Norman, said the arrival of a $2.4 million intraoperative CT scanner in 2022 had enabled more complex neurosurgery cases to be treated in Geelong.
"Epworth Geelong is regional Victoria's only hospital with a neurosurgery service, and we are committed to ensuring patients from Geelong and the entire region receive the best treatment, close to home," Mr Norman said.
'Happy to get back to some normality'
Mark Geddes, from Bannockburn, was the first to undergo the procedure at Epworth Geelong on 24 May 2025 with Epworth neurosurgeon Mr Nair.
The first patient to undergo deep brain stimulation treatment at Epworth Geelong, Mark Geddes said he was looking forward to getting back to doing the things he loves – including fishing with his mates, sons and grandchildren.
Mark has Parkinson's disease, and his tremors had been getting more severe over the past six months.
"It only fixes the symptoms, not the outcome of Parkinson's disease, but I am really happy to be getting back to some sort of normality in my life where I can get back to doing what I like to do," Mark said.
"When the device was first turned on, it felt like a bit of a tingle or rush through your body, but now I just feel the calm that comes over you. It's quite gentle and quite a unique feeling."
He said being able to have the treatment in Geelong – a first for the region – instead of travelling to Melbourne meant his wife Jill and family were nearby and could visit often while he was in hospital.
"The biggest selling point was that I am a lot more accessible to my family if I'm here at Epworth Geelong," Mark said.
"Everyone at Epworth Geelong has looked after me exceptionally well. Mr Nair and Dr Ghaly are a very good team – I got two of the best doctors you could possibly get."
