After years of tremors, one Tampa man gets his life back- no surgery required

How "CyberKnife" is Changing Lives Without Surgery

TAMPA, Fla. - At Tampa General Hospital, doctors are using a system called CyberKnife to treat patients without a single incision. There’s no need to fast, no anesthesia, no hospital stays, and no recovery time. Patients can go about their day immediately after treatment.

For one Tampa Bay man, it meant getting his life back.

A Career Nearly Lost to Tremors

For more than 50 years, Vernon Horne has worked as a land surveyor, helping shape parts of the Tampa Bay area.

"I’ve surveyed for 53 years, and that’s all I know to do," Horne said.

His work has helped build countless communities and landmarks across the region from Harbor Island to the Skyway Bridge. 

After losing his job during the 2009 downturn, Horne helped found his own company, GeoPoint Surveying, which has grown into one of the largest land surveyors in the Southeast. The company's portfolio includes just about every major modern project in Tampa: from Armature Works to Water Street. 

But over the last decade, a neurological condition called "essential tremor" began taking that work away from him.

"I got where I couldn’t actually hold a glass of water without shaking and spilling it everywhere," Horne said. "I couldn't even write my name."

The condition caused uncontrollable shaking in his hands—making even basic tasks difficult.

"Putting toothpaste on a toothbrush… next thing you know the toothpaste is on the floor," he said.

Eventually, it impacted his ability to do his job.

"If I can’t write, I can’t keep notes," he said.

Horne said his condition was aging him. He loathed needing to ask others to do simple tasks, like buttoning a shirt, for him. He felt the tremors were starting to rob him of his independence. 

A Non-Invasive Alternative to Brain Surgery

Last fall, Horne learned about CyberKnife, a robotic radiation therapy system.

Dr. Mohamed Khattab, a radiation oncologist at Tampa General, explains how it works:

"We use this robotic arm to direct x-rays that come from many different angles around the patient. It focuses in on the area in the brain that has the circuit that we want to ablate."

Using advanced imaging, artificial intelligence, and mapping software, doctors can target a precise area of the brain responsible for tremors.

"We are now able to deliver very precise radiation tailored to the patient’s own neuroanatomy," Khattab said.

The system is incredibly accurate—down to less than a millimeter.

"Like the width of a hair, we are more accurate than that," Khattab said. "This is the most precise machine that we have."

And because there are no incisions, there's no risk of infection or bleeding.  

Horne says he couldn't believe how easy the 45-minute procedure was for him. 

"You feel nothing. You just lay there. I nearly fell asleep," Horne said.

Patients can select music or a favorite podcast to play over speakers in the room while Khattab and his team work. Horne chose AC/DC. 

When it was over, he went right back to his normal routine.

Procedure Results

His doctors explained it would likely take several months for him to start to see results. 

"I saw results within about a month to a month and a half. And I was just floored."

Now, six months later, the tremors in his writing hand have stopped.

"I can write my name now. I couldn’t even write my own name."

Doctors track his progress by asking him to draw a spiral, comparing before and after. When we met, Horne beamed while a smooth line of ink flowed effortlessly from his pen. 

"I never dreamed that I would be able to do that again," he said.

What's next:

The improvement didn’t just restore his handwriting, it allowed him to keep working.

"I was going to have to retire, and now they’ll have to put up with me probably for a couple more years anyway," he said with a laugh.

"It’s been life changing. Life changing," Horne said.

What Can CyberKnife Treat?

Doctors at Tampa General said CyberKnife is being used beyond tremors, including for:

• A wide range of cancers
• Chronic nerve pain
• Seizure disorders
• Severe depression
• Obsessive compulsive disorder

CyberKnife is offering patients a new option that avoids the risks and recovery of traditional surgery.

For Vernon Horne, it meant something simple but powerful:

Getting his hands and his independence back.