Keith Leavell Recovers Steady Hands After Incisionless Treatment
After living with a right-hand tremor for nine years, 72-year-old Keith “Bud” Leavell experienced immediate relief following an incisionless brain procedure known as transcranial MR-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (MRgHIFU). Leavell, a retired Air Force veteran with a passion for repairing ham radios, developed the tremor in 2017 just hours after undergoing thyroid cancer surgery. While initial voice changes were mistakenly attributed to the surgery, doctors later diagnosed him with Parkinson’s disease after he also developed bradykinesia, rigidity, and an earlier loss of sense of smell.
Targeting Brain Circuits Without Surgery
The Parkinson’s disease symptoms stem from disruptions in the thalamus and basal ganglia, brain regions responsible for managing motor functions. Traditional medication like levodopa helped manage some of Leavell’s symptoms, but his persistent hand tremor prevented him from working on complex radio equipment. To address this, a local neurologist referred Leavell to Bhavya R. Shah, M.D., Associate Professor of Radiology and a member of UTSW’s Neuroradiology Division at UT Southwestern Medical Center’s Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute.
During the April 2026 procedure, Dr. Shah and his team used advanced imaging to map Leavell’s brain circuit anatomy. The MRgHIFU technology focuses ultrasound beams on a single point in the brain, utilizing real-time MR thermal imaging for precise targeting. Clinicians first delivered low-energy ultrasound waves to confirm the patient’s symptoms responded to the specific target before applying high-energy waves to permanently ablate the tissue. Leavell remained awake throughout the procedure, which lasted less than two hours, and reported that his tremors vanished minutes afterward.
Evaluating Advanced Tremor Therapies
UT Southwestern specialists emphasize that MRgHIFU provides an incisionless alternative that recently gained FDA approval to target the pallidothalamic tract for stiffness and slowness. Patients undergoing MRgHIFU face potential temporary side effects in 20% to 30% of cases due to normal post-procedural brain swelling. These effects can include balance issues, numbness and tingling around the mouth and fingertips, trouble walking, talking, or swallowing, and weakness in the upper or lower extremities. To minimize these risks, Dr. Shah and colleagues utilize four-tract tractography, an advanced imaging method developed in 2022 to enhance targeting precision.
Restoring Daily Life and Hobbies
Following his successful procedure at UT Southwestern, Leavell continues to take medications to help manage Parkinson’s symptoms beyond what is treatable by MRgHIFU. He also participates in physical therapy to help improve his strength, balance, and coordination. With his hand tremor gone, Leavell has returned to repairing ham radios.
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