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Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) surgeries are not new, although they were only granted approval in the U.S. by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2002 for advanced Parkinson’s Disease (PD). In 2016, DBS surgery was approved for earlier stages of PD. This does not mean that DBS surgery, generally considered minimally invasive, does not come without commensurate risks. The Mayo Clinic identifies DBS as a serious and potential risky procedure, whereby those eligible must carefully weigh pros and cons. The aim of this paper is to provide a general overview of deep brain stimulation surgery and to present the findings of available informational resources on 14 hospital and medical center web sites that were reviewed, pertaining to surgical procedures and policies: pre-operative to post-operative. The article focuses on critiquing available educational DBS materials and their adequacy in addressing potential risks of DBS surgery. The findings indicate that hospital informational resources on the DBS surgical technique reaffirm each other’s educational materials and that they positively inform patient decision-making. These factors can be linked to better post-operative recovery. However, the materials provided by the hospitals overemphasize the positive aspects of DBS with relatively little detail about potential side effects. This article also outlines the potential short-term and long-term side effects of DBS surgery as identified by the DBS educational literature found on the hospital web sites reviewed. 

This paper comprehensively defines three forms of body modifications: tattoos, piercings and implants. Some body modifications are functional while others are aesthetic, each serving the needs of its bearer or wearer. The paper describes the motivations behind different forms of body modifications. A document analysis was conducted, inclusive of a public image repository search, to ensure the depth required to reach saturation in the literature and content. A comparison of body modification techniques is assessed across cultural uses, modern applications and risks. Additionally, the health implications of these body modifications are considered and the findings clustered into the themes: physical, psychological and privacy implications. The contribution of this paper is in starting a serious discussion around the potential for health issues to arise from body modification and the impact they may have on the end-user.