Welcome aboard this ship full of buzzing buddies!

So, you've made it thru the trial and now comes the big decision. Sounds like you were only able to get a good test run for half of your trial, no back pain relief, and 40-50% relief in legs. This seems a bit discouraging, however, this isn't the end-all. Even though your trial didn't go the greatest, there is still a good chance you'll have success with the permanent.
If you feel confident in your Dr's experience and you have good communication with him, that's a big deal. It is vitally important that he listens to YOU and that he is clear and concise when he explains the procedure to you. Like Mark says, take a notebook and take notes and ask alot of questions. Afterall, this is a very very important decision you are making.

From what you describe, your Dr is explaining to you about the Laminectomy, which is a more involved surgery than the simple "percutaneous" (under the skin) method. If you lead an active life or have a physically demanding job, you'd be doing yourself a favor by going with the laminectomy, which requires removing a small piece of bone so that the paddle leads can be secured very well and there would be aLOT less risk of your leads migrating.

I've seen too many times when a revision becomes necessary for the patient if they opt for the percutaneous method....they end up needing to do the laminectomy afterall. So, in my humble opinion, why not just do the laminectomy in the first place? Mark did a great job of explaining this procedure and the recovery time.

The SCS is notorious for helping cover the pain in the legs, due to peripheral neuropathy/CRPS, radiculopathy, and other conditions. Sometimes it can be a bit more difficult to get relief in the lower back, but it certainly is possible. I'm very happy with my unit. It covers about 75% of my bilateral leg pain (CRPS) and I do get coverage in my lumbar area as well. I had the simple procedure (percutaneously placed leads) and I'm another case-in-point of having to get a revision due to lead migration.

Anyway, it's great to have you with us and I hope you stick around so we can see how it goes for you. The support here is wonderful and it's great to be able to hear others' testimonies. We are constantly learning from one another.

Glad you're here!
Rae