‘The tremors are just gone’: Patient finds relief through pioneering brain procedure at AdventHealth Celebration

CELEBRATION, Fla. – For James Pitner, everyday moments most people take for granted had become nearly impossible.

“I try to dial a number on my phone or send a text, and the numbers are just all over,” he said. “If I want to carry a plate and a glass from the kitchen only about half of it makes it.”

For more than seven years, Pitner had been living with severe tremors that affected nearly every part of his day. He turned to AdventHealth Celebration where Dr. Chandan Reddy, neurosurgeon and medical director of AdventHealth Neuroscience Institute’s Deep Brain Stimulation and Movement Disorders Program, leads one of the nation’s most experienced teams in MR-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) therapy.

“I’ve seen it already. The difference is amazing because it’s so instantaneous,” Pitner shared. “I mean, it’s just steady. The tremors are just gone.”

MR-guided focused ultrasound is a noninvasive procedure that uses focused sound waves, guided by MRI technology, to precisely target and treat the area of the brain responsible for tremors. There is no incision, no radiation and no need for general anesthesia. Most patients go home the same day.

He said he’s eager to get back to hobbies he once avoided.

“A lot of my projects around the house, I had trouble getting a screwdriver into a screw. I’d just be chasing it around,” he said. “Now I’m looking forward to getting there and being able to just put a screw up, put the screwdriver in it and be done.”

Recently, Dr. Reddy and his team reached a national milestone, completing their 600th MRgFUS procedure, among the most by any physician in the United States.

“Today we hit our 603,” Dr. Reddy said. “It’s really rewarding to see patients walk in with tremor and then a few hours later walk out with their hands still. If you’ve ever seen a grown man cry, it’s something to watch. It a perfect example of whole-person care.”

He credits the team’s consistency and shared mission for their success.

“We’re really lucky,” he said. “We have the same team we’ve had since the beginning. We started in July 2021, and we’ve been treating for more than four years now. We all get to experience these moments together.”

For the team at AdventHealth Celebration, the transformations they witness every day are deeply moving.

“It is like seeing a miracle happen right in front of your eyes,” said Deanna Mongello, MRI supervisor. “Especially for these patients who all they want to do is stop their tremor, have an ice cream cone, drink a glass of water without it dribbling down the front of them. We actually have people from all over the country come here and have this specific procedure done with Dr. Reddy.”

“Some of these people can’t get the marker to the paper (when they come in), then they’re drawing better lines than I can,” said April Garmon, MRI technologist.

“It’s jaw-dropping to see the change happen that drastically, that quickly,” said Willie Pallares, program navigator. “There’s nothing close to it, and we’re blessed to have this program.”

AdventHealth, recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the nation’s top 50 programs for neurology and neurosurgery, has built its minimally invasive brain surgery program over the past 20 years to treat a wide range of brain tumors and other neurological disorders.

That legacy of innovation continues today at AdventHealth Celebration, where patients like James Pitner are rediscovering the simple joys of daily life like steady hands, renewed confidence and peace of mind.