It IS Brain Surgery

Greg Grindley, a vet with Parkinson's, is the patient                                                    screen shot

October 25 is a day for the non-squeamish. National Geographic and Mental Floss (two of my favorite resources) will be presenting a two-hour special whose straightforward title says it all: Brain Surgery Live. This will be the first time that such surgery has been performed live on U.S. television. The patient has Parkinson's disease, a disorder of the central nervous system that affects movement. It is chronic and progressive. In an effort to reduce his tremors and the amount of medication he has to take, surgeons will place four electrodes deep in his brain to provide deep brain stimulation. The kicker is that the patient will be awake throughout the procedure. His reactions will help the surgeons know if they're on the right path, so to speak (story, video): http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/10/151022-brain-surgery-live-deep-brain-stimulation-parkinsons/
   National Geographic has put together a page of links to related and fascinating information: http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/brain-surgery-live-with-mental-floss/