SPINAL CORD STIMULATOR IMPLANT

Indications

Indications for spinal cord stimulation include the following:

•  Failed Back Surgery Syndrome (FBBS)
•  Adhesive Arachnoiditis
•  Peripheral Causalgia / Neuropathy
•  Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD)
•  Phantom Limb / Stump Pain
•  Ischemic Pain of a Vascular origin

Observing careful patient selection criteria ensures successful outcomes. Patients typically do best when most of their pain involves the limbs or lower back area. The patient will be required to have a psychological evaluation before approval for a trial to ensure that there are no contraindications for a trial or permanent implant.

What to expect

The injection site is numbed using a local anesthetic. One or more insulated wire leads are inserted through an epidural needle or a needle into the space surrounding the spinal cord, called the epidural space. Electrodes at the end of the lead produce electrical pulses that stimulate the nerves, blocking pain signals to the brain. The patient gives feedback to help the physician determine where to place to place the stimulators to best block the patient’s pain. The lead is connected to an external trial stimulator, which will be used for three to seven days to determine if Spinal Cord Stimulation will help the patient. If the patient and physician determine that the amount of pain relief is acceptable, the system may be permanently implanted. At the end of the trial implantation, the lead is removed.