Sutter Health clinicians are delivering depression relief in as little as five days through accelerated TMS depression treatment transcranial magnetic stimulation, a condensed treatment protocol now offered at Sutter Center for Psychiatry using the SAINT neuromodulation system.
New Protocol Shows Fast Relief for Hard-to-Treat Depression
For years, twenty-five-year-old patient Jessica Anne struggled with severe depression despite multiple therapies, medications and hospital stays. Her turning point came during an inpatient stay at Sutter Center for Psychiatry, where psychiatrist Dr. Hammad Khan recommended accelerated transcranial magnetic stimulation, or TMS depression treatment.
“I told him I’d already tried everything,” Anne said. “But Dr. Khan sat with me, explained the research and said, ‘let’s see if we can help you feel better even a little.’ That compassion meant everything.”
Traditional TMS depression treatment typically requires daily sessions for several weeks. The accelerated version condenses treatment into ten short sessions a day over five days, using magnetic pulses to stimulate brain regions involved in mood control. Sutter Center for Psychiatry is the first inpatient hospital in the Sacramento region to offer the accelerated protocol with the SAINT system, developed by Magnus Medical.
Sutter Team Reports Rapid Gains Using SAINT Neuromodulation
Clinical studies, including research from Stanford University, show that accelerated TMS depression treatment can reduce depression symptoms in three to five days. Building on this evidence, Sutter clinicians recently published a case study in Psychiatry Research Case Reports, co-authored by Dr. Khan.
“We’re able to do in a few days what previously took weeks or months,” Khan said. “By adjusting both the frequency and type of stimulation, we often see meaningful improvements by day three or four.”
Anne said she began to feel emotional relief almost immediately. “Around day three I suddenly thought, why have I been so sad? I felt like myself again,” she said. “The team checked on me after every session. I felt like they truly cared.”
During her stay, she completed forty-six sessions in five days, supported by nurses and technicians who monitored her progress. By the end of the week, she was stable enough to leave the hospital and attend a family wedding something she said had felt impossible days earlier.
“Her transformation that week was remarkable,” Khan said. “She went from withdrawn and hopeless to engaged and smiling. It reminded all of us why we do this work.”
Technology Advances Boost Access and Personalization of Care
Nearly two years after treatment, Anne reports no hospitalizations or setbacks and is now working at Oakland Zoo, married and living independently. “Before TMS depression treatment, I couldn’t imagine life beyond the hospital,” she said. “I’m happy and hopeful again.”
Khan and his colleagues are preparing to expand their work using new neuro-navigation tools that more precisely target brain regions tied to mood regulation.
“The science continues to advance,” Khan said. “With data-driven mapping, we’ll be able to personalize treatment even further, helping more patients get better, faster.”
The condensed schedule is also widening access. Unlike traditional six-week programs, accelerated TMS depression treatment allows patients from outside the region to complete treatment within a single week.
“Someone could come to Sacramento, stay for five days and return home with noticeable improvement,” Khan said. “That kind of efficiency can change lives.”
Anne hopes her experience encourages others to seek help. “I went from thinking nothing would work to finally feeling alive again,” she said. “If my story helps even one person believe recovery is possible, it’s worth it.”
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