Questions and Answers about
Activa Therapy

The following questions and answers are written in a style that patients may find easy to understand, and form a good starting point for patients who are beginning to think about Activa Therapy.

General questions about Activa Therapy:

1. What is Activa Therapy?

2. How does the therapy work?

3. Will Activa Therapy help my Parkinson’s disease?

4. Will Activa Therapy help my Essential Tremor?

5. Will Activa Dystonia Therapy help my Dystonia?

6. Does Activa Therapy cure my movement disorder?

7. How many people have used this therapy?

8. Where would I go to have the surgery?

9. Is Activa Therapy new? What is its history?

10. How much does Activa Therapy cost?

    Questions about the Activa Therapy System:

11. What are the parts that make up an Activa Therapy System?

12. How does the Activa Therapy System work?

13. Will any parts of the system show?

14. What does stimulation feel like?

15. Does the Activa Therapy System make any noise?

16. How long does the neurostimulator battery last?

17. Can the battery be recharged?

    Questions about the surgical procedure:

18. How are the parts of the system implanted?

19. How long will I stay in the hospital for tests, the surgery, and recovery?

    Questions about living with Activa Therapy:

20. What happens after the surgery?

21. How is the stimulation adjusted?

22. How soon after surgery can I get back to my normal routine?

23. Is the Activa System magnet safe near credit or debit cards?

24. Will the magnet affect computers, compact discs (CDs) and other electronic hardware?

25. Is there an effect on the Activa System when a patient is near electronics?

26. Will an Activa System interact with other medical tests I might have?

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