Hi folks! I've been lurking on this site for some time now and feel like I know many of you from reading your posts. It's been a13 month - long! - journey for me since asking my doctor to refer me for an SCS but it looks like I'm going to get to schedule my surgery. Yeah! We tried to do the trial as a procedure but were unable to insert the leads through the arthritis in my back so I will have a laminectomy (implanting the paddle leads) then be sent home for a week as my trial. I'll come back a week later for a second surgery (hopefully - if the trial works) to implant the battery/generator. Not too fond of having two surgeries but that's the way it is. I have a multitude of allergies so it as taken some time for my surgeon to figure out how to do the surgery around them but I got a call that he had done so. Hopefully Monday I'll get my surgery date!

I have a question for you all: how many of you used a TLSO brace during your recovery to prevent or assure that your leads would not migrate? I found that my surgeon does not prescribe these for his SCS patients. I am wondering if this was something necessary. I don't know what the revision rates are for paddle leads - do they migrate often? I know mine can't be stitched in, as I am allergic to that type of suture but I don't know yet if there is a glue that I can tolerate. It's really a big deal doing surgery with all my allergies, and I don't want to need a revision if at all possible. Is a TLSO brace worth insisting on, even if I pay for it myself? I would appreciate your thoughts. Thanks!