Akin undergoes successful surgery Brain implant alleviates chronic pain

PUEBLO, Colo. (July 27, 2009) - As part of his continued efforts to recover from a traumatic brain injury, former PBR rider Lee Akin underwent a procedure last week in Los Angeles to relieve chronic pain in his legs.

The operation was performed Tuesday morning by Dr. Michel Levesque at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

According Dr. J. Patrick Johnson, a neurosurgeon who assisted with the surgery, it is uncommon for patients with severe brain injuries to have problems that produce pain.

Although Akin suffered partial paralysis and speech issues, Dr. Johnson said it’s “really rare” for someone with his type of injury have pain issues.

Consultations with Levesque indicated that Akin was a candidate for a procedure, in which electrodes are placed directly on the surface of the brain.

The electrodes are similar to a pacemaker, and act to stimulate the brain “in a way that it gets rid of pain.”

“The device is just below his collarbone,” Dr. Johnson explained, “and they ran the wires up under his skin and actually open up the skull, and right on the surface of the brain you put these little electrodes.

“These things are adjustable, and with a little radio sensor that you hold – just like a pacemaker – it can be adjusted up and down. … It can be really magical for somebody that has a pain problem.”

Dr. Johnson said the operation lasted approximately two hours and that Akin experienced almost immediate relief in his legs.

The two electrodes on the side of the brain will alleviate the pain in his legs while the electrode on the top of his brain will help with the pain he felt in his arms.

He added that in some respect it was a “pretty simple operation,” but that it was only made possible after years of developing the technology. Dr. Johnson noted that, like Dr. Levesque, most surgeons who perform this procedure specialize in epilepsy.

The surgery was “relatively painless,” and Akin didn’t take more than two Tylenol tablets afterward.

“Most brain surgery operations, even cutting the skin and the scalp, don’t hurt that much,” Dr. Johnson said.

Akin’s pain was similar to the unpleasant tingle or numbness felt after a hit to the funny bone. As result, the pain was more bothersome at night when Akin tried to sleep.

Essentially, the electrodes will create the same kind of symptom Akin was already feeling, and the two “cancel each other out … in some mysterious way.”

Akin will remain in Los Angeles for observation, but he was released from the hospital over the weekend.  The Akin family is enjoying themselves at a trendy Marina del Rey condo that Dr. Johnson made available to them while they’re in Southern California.

Dr. Johnson, who was initially contacted by PBR CEO Randy Bernard, has consulted with the Akin family ever since Lee was injured in 2007 at an event in Alabama.

—by Keith Ryan Cartwright

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