Has anyone out there had DBS surgery at John Radcliffe Oxford?

Just interested to hear your experiences. My husband had DBS surgery a year ago there but I am not altogether confident with the nurse programmer there and am wondering whether we can ask to see someone else. I cannot complain about the surgery but as I said, not sure we are getting the best use from the device.
Hi i only know off a lady that has been done there and its helped her alot and she had no complaints apart from she had to go back several times to be tweaked but she seems to be ok now .i am currently under mr ashkam at kings and now on waiting list for DBS as i am so desperate now for my life to improve now at 37 time is running out , just a bit worried about op obviusly how was it for your husband as the first op is done with a local which worries me a bit but just need reassurance from someone thanks. leaky
Hi, sorry for the delay in replying, the Christmas panic is on! Try not too worry too much leaky. Husband said he felt no pain during the op. There was a bit of discomfort when they fitted the head brace before the op but he was given local anaesthetic for this. Are you having it done on one side or both?
Hi i too am waiting for DBS and due too go in for a assessment this means a 2 night stay over .I am very doubtful if i will though due to the outbreak of viruses at this hospital as infection is very much 1 of the main risks (also @ JR ). I have heard of a couple nasty tails about infections .Remember it is not a cure and you will be only as good as your best day and if that is bad then whats the point of risking it going wrong they cannot replace your brain like they can with other organs .Its not the actual op that worries me its the after care . im only 44 so i may wait until im in my 50s before i take this drastic action .As it is the last resort .They also didnt tell me how long this is effective for it might only give 5 or 10 yrs to which i understand is it is the last resort after which theres nothing else they can do for you .Please let me know if im wrong anywhere here.
We were told that the procedure is reversible if for any reason it needs to be removed and will not have lasting damage. One of the problems with the after care for us is that neither of us drive and it is a 2 hour journey to Oxford for each programming session for which we have to rely on lifts from friends. Plus if we have any difficulties with the programming, we can't just 'nip' along, so it has to be done on the phone. In my husbands case, he often has a delayed response to the programming, maybe up to 3 days by which time we are already home again.
Still we were grateful to get the funding for it in these times and will battle on until we get the programming right. We now have a second nurse involved so when we go back in February, there will be more people involved.
As my husband is now 61 and medications were causing bad side effects, we decided to give this a go with the hope that we can get out and enjoy life a bit whilst he is relatively young. Also, as his medications have been reduced since the op, it means he will be able to stay on a lower dose for longer and therefore they will not lose their effectiveness so quickly (if that makes sense!).