Same-day asleep deep brain stimulation with single-session lead and pulse generator implantation: a high-efficiency...

Asleep deep brain stimulation (DBS) has gained acceptance as an alternative to traditional awake microelectrode recording-guided surgery. However, true same-day bilateral DBS with simultaneous implantable pulse generator (IPG) placement remains sparsely reported. This study presents a large single-center experience of same-day asleep DBS, evaluating feasibility, accuracy, safety, and perioperative outcomes in comparison with a traditional inpatient DBS workflow.

A retrospective data analysis was performed for 125 consecutive patients evaluated for DBS between August 2024 and June 2025. Eighty-three patients met predefined eligibility criteria and underwent bilateral asleep DBS with same-day discharge, while 42 patients were managed under a traditional inpatient pathway based on medical, anatomical, anesthetic, or social factors. High-resolution MRI-CT fusion was used for stereotactic targeting without microelectrode recording. Demographics, comorbidities, operative duration, lead placement accuracy, perioperative complications, hospital utilization, and 30-day readmissions were analyzed.

The same-day cohort had a mean age of 55.8 years (range 4-76 years), and the majority underwent globus pallidus internus DBS (92.8%). The mean operative duration for same-day DBS with single-session lead and IPG implantation was 2 hours 35 minutes. The mean hospital utilization time was 8.48 ± 1.14 hours. Postoperative imaging demonstrated high targeting precision, with a mean lead deviation of 0.7 ± 0.14 mm and all electrodes positioned within 1 mm of the intended target. No intracranial hemorrhage, surgical site infection, hardware-related complication, or new neurological deficit occurred. One patient (1.2%) was readmitted on postoperative day 3 for atrial fibrillation, which was medically managed and unrelated to DBS. Patients managed under the traditional inpatient pathway had a higher comorbidity burden and a longer mean hospital length of stay of 51.0 ± 9.7 hours.

Same-day asleep DBS with single-session bilateral lead and IPG implantation can be performed safely and accurately within a structured workflow and appropriate patient selection framework. This approach substantially reduces hospital utilization while maintaining a low perioperative complication rate, supporting the feasibility and scalability of same-day DBS in high-volume functional neurosurgery programs.