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Bud Leavell, 72, suffered from severe tremors for years after his Parkinson’s diagnosis, making it impossible for him to enjoy his favorite pastime of repairing radios in his garage.
But within minutes of receiving a newly approved ultrasound treatment, his tremor was completely gone.
Leavell, a retired salesman and Air Force veteran in Arlington, Texas, experienced the dramatic before-and-after result at UT Southwestern Medical Center.
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The focused ultrasound targeted precise areas deep in Leavell’s brain. Unlike deep brain stimulation, which requires opening the skull, this new treatment is non-invasive.
At his latest follow-up, Leavell’s tremor remained as well-controlled as it was immediately after the procedure, according to his doctor. When asked how the tremor was doing, Leavell responded with, “What tremor?”
A non-invasive approach
Leavell was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2017, immediately following surgery for thyroid cancer.
“My voice was weak and gravelly, and within a few days, a tremor set into my right hand,” he shared with Fox News Digital. “Before this time, I was experiencing a slow loss of my sense of smell.”
The tremors made it “frustratingly difficult” for Leavell to perform certain functions, especially anything that required fine motor skills in his dominant hand, such as using his binoculars or clicking a computer mouse.
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Dr. Bhavya Shah, a neuroradiologist at UT Southwestern Medical Center, introduced Leavell to the option of a focused ultrasound treatment that was approved by the FDA in January 2026 to treat the primary motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, including stiffness and slowness.
“High-energy ultrasound waves are focused across the skull onto discrete brain targets,” Shah told Fox News Digital. “The ultrasound energy heats up these nuclei, or nerve bundles, and removes them. This stops the pathologic transmission of electrical activity causing tremors or other symptoms.”
Patients who have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease are typically treated with medications, the doctor noted.
“Interventional options are discussed when the medications become less effective or patients develop side effects,” he said. “These options include deep brain stimulation and now, focused ultrasound.”
Parkinson’s disease can affect patients differently, Shah pointed out.
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“The beauty of focused ultrasound is that before we permanently remove the tissue, we can use low-energy ultrasound waves to see if the patient’s symptoms respond to the particular target,” he said. “This is very important, as the optimal target may vary in patients.”
UT Southwestern also uses advanced imaging to map a patient’s brain before the procedure, which gives doctors a clearer picture of the ultrasound’s intended target, according to Shah.
In Leavell’s case, his tremor responded strongly even to the initial low-energy ultrasound, giving the team confidence that they had identified the right target.
“Although the cardinal symptoms of Parkinson’s disease are slowness and stiffness, Bud’s most bothersome symptom was tremor, so getting rid of the shaking was our primary goal,” Shah added, noting that doctors can select different brain targets based on which symptoms are most troublesome.
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Leavell was eager to try the new therapy – but he did have some concerns about what the outcome would be.
“The entire team working this procedure was very professional and demonstrated considerable flexibility in making sure this was an easy process for me,” he told Fox News Digital.
Immediately after receiving the ultrasound therapy on April 13, Leavell said his tremor was gone.
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“I can hold my hand still with or without a tool in my hand or while working on a project,” he said. “I can also get a fork or spoon with food on it into my mouth with ease. But, this may turn into another problem, as I love to eat!”
Leavell has also been able to return to his hobby of repairing antique radios.
Potential risks and tradeoffs
There are some potential risks associated with the treatment, Shah noted. Those include numbness and tingling around the mouth and fingertips, trouble walking, talking or swallowing, sometimes weakness in the upper or lower extremity, balance issues or struggles with episodic memory.
“Side effects occur approximately 20% to 30% of the time and generally improve over time,” the doctor added.
There is also one key tradeoff compared with deep brain stimulation, he noted – DBS can be adjusted if symptoms return or worsen, but with focused ultrasound, there is no device that can be reprogrammed.
That means if symptoms return after the focused ultrasound, the patient could potentially require another treatment.
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Although the therapy has shown short-term effectiveness, because it is a newer technology, there is not yet long-term data available.
“For patients seeking an alternative to an implantable device, focused ultrasound represents a promising alternative,” Shah said. “A patient considering these options should have a thorough discussion with their movement disorder neurologist to really understand the pros and cons of each treatment.”
Shah expressed optimism for the future of Parkinson’s disease therapies, with the potential for other applications of focused ultrasound.
“While this is not a panacea for Parkinson’s, it is a dramatic and life-changing procedure.”
While he expressed appreciation for the procedure, Leavell emphasized that “God is in control of the circumstances in my life and will continue to be.”
“However, anytime an opportunity comes along like this one, I will jump on it to see if I can experience an improvement in my circumstances.”
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To anyone who may be a candidate for the focused ultrasound, Leavell recommends getting an appointment with a specialist.
“Don’t let any grass grow under your feet,” he advised. “While this is not a panacea for Parkinson’s, it is a dramatic and life-changing procedure.”
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