Originally Posted by Skooz

Mark
I live in Orange County, CA, and was also a hard-charging exec until a fateful second in 2003 when my life changed forever and I was no longer an exec, mom, or musician. I have had an ANS SCS successfully installed since 2005. It replaced a Medtronix SCS, implanted in 2004, which proved to have failed due to a defect at the point of manufacture. I cannot speak highly enough about the ANS device or the support I have received from ANS. In October, 2009, I had a new, smaller battery installed and relocated to a new pocket from my hip to below my belt because my battery had shifted and it had become difficult for me to sit. The new battery has the benefit of being easier to recharge and holding its charge for an extended period. The ANS device has several advantages compared to the Medtronix device. First, it has enough leads to cover all four extremities. At the time of implantation, my RSD was only active on two extremities. However, we implanted leads for all four anticipating migration. Sure enough, my RSD did migrate to a third extremity one year later and my ANS device automatically handled the pain without any intervention on my part. The ANS device has the ability to be pre-programmed to store multiple programs, with a great range of sensitivity within each. Programming them is easy, done by their capable reps. In my physician's case, he has two full-time ANS reps dedicated to his office. They know every patient from the pre-surgery consultations, to the surgery suite, to being on-site during office visits. Every phone call is returned promptly. In the five years I have had my ANS device, I have required two replacement parts for my recharging equipment. The first time, the reps gave me their own equipment. The second time, I was leaving for my one and only trip since become ill with RSD and they FEDX'd the part to my hotel in Hawaii with a room service order of chocolate strawberries with a card to "feel better soon".

I was fortunate to have a specialist who is considered among the best in the world for SCS. I had consulted with others and ruled them out before finding him. I have sadly seen many with failed SCS's from other doctors. Here is what my doctor says is key to having a successful SCS. I pass his wisdom along to you. He says that the single most important factor is your choice of surgeon - that you must select the top SCS surgeon who performs the highest number of SCS implantations with the highest success rate with the selected vendor (i.e. ANS or Medtronix) He says that too many patients make the mistake of letting their pain management doctor implant their SCS, not realizing that their pain management doctor may only implant 10 SCS systems a year. Also avoid any doctor who requires you to sign up for other bundled services such as 30 days of PT, OT, stellate blocks, and pain management counseling as a package deal for their SCS implementation.

The trial itself will tell you if the SCS will or will not work. You will know instantly on the operating table. The downside is that the trial device is cumbersome and the stimulation from the trial device is more intense than the stimulation from the actual SCS. You will feel and look like Frankenstein, yet a thankful Frankenstein knowing that relief is available for your pain.

There is a minimum time period required by medical protocol between the trial and the SCS surgery to ensure that there is no possibility for infection in the trial incision sites. Your surgery will be scheduled once this period has passed. You will be awake for most of the surgery to be able to communicate to the doctor the successful placement of the leads. He will put you gently back under only when he needs to make incisions. The ANS rep will meet you prior to surgery, will be present during the surgery, and will meet with you post-op to review the basics about how to use your programmer and call your rep for assistance.

You will also be met post-op with a home healthcare nurse who will follow you home and set up your morphine drip to enable you to manage your pain for the first four days. He/she will visit you daily to monitor your incisions and the IV until it is discontinued.

The recovery from surgery requires six weeks and is more significant than expected. It is, however, the best investment you can make. You need to make accommodations during this time that for which the doctor does not prepare you, such as wearing only button down shirts, and no driving for at least three weeks, and sleeping only on your side, and no lifting of even the lightest things, and no showering for two weeks. But it is all worth it.

Before my stimulator, I was bedridden and only able to crawl within my own home. My neurologist had told me I would be wheelchair bound within one month.

I never needed to order that wheelchair once my stimulator was implanted! It changed my life. I cannot encourage you enough to proceed with your surgery.

There is research to indicate that RSD in patients who have an SCS implanted can go into remission or "disappear", SCS can be that significant. Doctors also know that SCS implemented within the first six months of the onset of RSD can have a significant impact.

SCS is fantastic, and ANS has a quality product with quality support. The key to success, however, is that your SCS is implemented by only the best of the best surgeons. And that is spoken by my doctor, who is one of the best in the world. I was just blessed to have found him. I hope you will be blessed in your journey. You have so many people behind you.