Baustian said the tremor control therapy is similar to a heart pacemaker. "A pacemaker sends wires to the heart; this one has wires to my brain," she said.
The pacemaker-like generator implanted near the collarbone supplies electrical current through a wire connected to an electrode implanted deep in the brain.
The current interferes with overactive nerve cells that cause tremors.
According to the International Tremor Foundation, an estimated 4 to 6 million people suffer from essential tremor in the United States.
The condition is often confused with Parkinson's disease. The difference is that essential tremor does not affect limbs at rest - they shake only when they're used. Parkinson's is a progressive neurological disorder caused by loss of nerve cells and causes impaired movement and often dementia, in addition to shaking.
Prior to three years ago, some patients have found relief by thalomotomy - destroying the part of the brain that causes the shaking.
Both essential tremor and Parkinson's patients have been helped by the deep-brain stimulation procedure, and it's becoming the preferred treatment because it's reversible and adjustable.
According to Medtronic, the Minnesota-based company that makes the Activa Tremor Control Therapy devices, about 4,000 have been implanted since the procedure was FDA-approved three years ago.
In June, Baustian allowed a reporter and photographer from the Detroit News to follow her before and during the surgery. The result was a detailed, front-page spread illustrating the benefits of the procedure.
"There are a lot of people in need of tremor surgery and don't even know it's available," Baustian said. "Yet they go through a tremendous amount of stress because of their inability to do things. We wanted people to know about this."