[California_Help]

Hi I wanted to do a non scientific poll on success and failure rates for Spinal cord stimulators:

Did your SCS make you better, worse or the same? Did you have permanent or rechargeable battery?Did you have pain relief with the trial but not with the permanent? Did you have paddles or leads? What was the specialty of the doctor who implanted it?


From what I have researched, it appears spinal cord stimulator injuries started to increase steadily since around 2005. Around this time they started selling rechargeable devices. They also appear to have been marketing SCS devices more and implanting them more, so unsure injuries rates are due to that or the changes in the devices.

It also appears that ortho surgeons, neurologist surgeon and pain management doctors are implanting these devices. I wonder if the higher injury rate may be due to pain management doctors doing these surgeries (unknown)?

I have come across patients who had good results and also a lot of patients who had really bad results. The complication rate of these devices is between 30% to 40%, with lead migration being number one.

[tbear6410]

Let's see...

1. Made it worse
2. Rechargeable Battery..
3. Relief with trial.... worse pain with permanent
4. Had Leads
5. Trial was with Pain Management Specialty Doctor (he reported there was hardly no room to place leads and suggested not to get the other)
   Permanent was with Ortho Surgeon (didn't listen to other)....
   had it removed in 6 months and permanent nerve damage now.

[California_Help]

What you wrote other patients state similar. Many are stating that trial helps but permanent does not and makes them worse.

They have to do laminectomy with paddles but not with leads. I don't understand why they would need to do it with leads.

Some patients are claiming being burned at battery location and also shocked by these devices.

The older models were not rechargeable.

[California_Help]

Thank you for responding.

[tbear6410]

(01-27-2020, 12:22 AM)California_Help Wrote: What you wrote other patients state similar. Many are stating that trial helps but permanent does not and makes them worse.

They have to do laminectomy with paddles but not with leads. I don't understand why they would need to do it with leads.

Some patients are claiming being burned at battery location and also shocked by these devices.

The older models were not rechargeable.

I think the reason the trial worked is because the wires were placed in my lower back near tailbone. Right where the problem was... Dr. T even said there wasn't much room and was careful placing the wires so there wasn't any damage.
When I had the permanent one and it was placed in mid back pointing down, the Medtronics Rep was there through the whole thing.  She even said she read the notes and commented on the narrow space.  She then watched Dr. W force the wires and leads in.  When I was waking up, all I knew at that moment was I was in serious pain.  They had to put me under again just to get pain meds pumping in me and slowly woke me up.   From that point on, I kept telling the surgeon and his PA about the pain and it went in one ear and out the other...   I had to see a second surgeon for a checkup and he pointed out that I shouldn't be in this much pain and it needed to come out and HE agreed with me and hubby.
They really need to place the trial where the perm. one will be placed.  It's totally different...