Scs cost 57,000??? R u kidding
 

Did some research last night on com and found out thru BCBS that a scs cost about 57,000$ and the $7200 to maintain it annnually ?? I can't believe this.. Does anyone know for sure? No wonder my pm is wanting to install one in my spine?? OMG:mad:

WOW!!

I've heard a LOT of horror stories regarding the SCS (see "lost mary" posts from last year). My PT also saw a few real messed up cases here in RI.

I've never had one, and based on what I've heard, I doubt that I would ever consider one. They are expensive, invasive, often cause infections, and can cause your RSD to spread. Docs recommend them because they make a lot of $$ off of them. Just mu humble opinion - it will be interesting to hear if there are any positive stories out there...

Sandy

as in my last post to from galean,,,,ask your dr if your in SIP pain or SMP pain,,,if blocks in the back make you worse[if youve had them ] chances are you are in sip pain and that inplant will makle your rsd spread,,,SCS and pain blocks while your in sip pain make it spread[as it did for me] but by rule of thumb,,if you are still in smp and the blocks work,,your a canadiate for surgery,to remove the pinched pm nerve or to install the scs,,,ask you dr,as for me,,im not getting one,,,,,,,,,,the blocks and the TENS unit,,make mine inflamed and spread like poison ivey,,,,,procede with caution,,,,and as for the infection,,there are a few ladies on this board who did get a infection from an scs

Hi SunshineGirl,
I've heard too many negative responses to take a chance on getting one and more complications. I'm in 14th year, and full body, haven't even had a Dr. suggest one. Take care, loretta

lORETTA
 

i JUST WONDER WHAT MY PM DOCTORS PROBLEM IS.. She has only treated me less than a year and gave me hydro and now tizanidine and that is the only other option she is giving me right now.. Sounds like it might be a money issue with her.:confused:

SCS didn't work for me. Long story. Lot's of pain, multiple procedures and different units. The worst was the crushed hopes. The docs were fine- they wanted to help me but the darn thing just didn't work for me. I have a pump now.:)

The cost doesn't surprise me, it is the doctor's suggestion to attempt this procedure, after such a short time in consideration of other proposals to ease your pain.
http://i34.tinypic.com/msyvlu.jpg

Hang in there,
Dew

dear dew,
 

Yes that is all she is offering.. Makes me wonder if she thinks I really have rsd or bs----- her.. But according to my body bone scan of my foot. It was all highlighted up for osteoporosis..

Profit
 

I think I posted a comment on a different thread you started on this subject not too long ago. I do feel that it is very soon to consider an SCS. All other possible treatments should be thoroughly tried and tested first. A stimulator is a last resort, in my opinion. (BTW, I have had one since 2003.)

I do want to respond to the cost factor, though. Mine cost over $50,000 back then, but the "maintenance" is very low and is generally covered by my insurance, like any doctor visit. One medium-length visit a year usually does it.

A lot of time when people see big dollar amounts, they will think that the provider (doctor, in this case) is taking all of that money to pay for his Swiss ski chalet or something. Like anything else you buy, there are many people with their fingers in the pot. First, a good portion of the cost goes to malpractice insurance companies, because Americans are quick to sue when they don't like their results, and juries are quick to hand over big piles of money because they think doctors are "loaded."

Another big chunk of the cost is for Research and Development (R+D) which funds the scientists who come up with all sorts of neat medical things for us. Of course, they have malpractice insurance to pay as well.

Another reason for the cost is manufacturing. This is not a $20 clock radio churned out in an Asian factory for pennies. This is a high-quality item that has a huge need to be accurate and reliable. When your radio breaks, toss it out and run to Radio Shack for another. When this breaks, you will need surgery again to replace it. It must be put together very painstakingly.

And, of course, the doctor is not the only one involved in putting this in. You will have a hospital or clinic, several surgical techs, nurses, orderlies, doctors, janitors, laundry personnel, accountants, and so on, plus the cost of supplies, heat and electricity, someone to plow the parking lot in the winter. On and on.

I use to be in a retail business and sold a product for $400, for which I made $7.50 in profit. This was in the 70's, but the idea is the same. I truly do not think that doctors make medical recommendations based on how much money they can make. While there are some very incompetent doctors (as there are in every field) and, I am sure, some who are unscrupulous, I believe that represents a small percentage.

Do not forget you should get a second opinion with a step like this.

Good luck to you,

Mike

SCS Implanted
 

Hi Sunshine Girl,

I had the SCS implanted in November of last year. Mine did cost about $55,000 and I also have BCBS. My insurance covered 100%.

I would get another opinion. I wouldn't jump to conclusions that she's just trying to get money out of you.

Secondly, I've had no issues because of the stimulator. It's definitely a life-changing decision and it takes about 6-8 months to fully heal. I was back to work in 3 weeks after the implant. My RSD has not spread.

Please remember that it is very individual. I'm thankful that I've had no problems and can say that I'm a success story. I know there are many out there that have had problems. Good luck to you.

I think it's about 10.000 euro (AFAIK) under our health care system, and it's not refunded at all for CRPS type 1. It is completely refunded for CRPS type 2. So unfair! You have to be at a stage where there is no longer a thing that works or it's not even considered.

I agree with Bassman, and dealing w/tos.
Although these things are lots of money, it gets spread around.
And, that IS the way the medical community does it. But, that's our system in this country.
And, it's not gonna change drastically, anytime soon.

So on one hand, you can think the doctor, a "salesman" and looking for extra income.
Or, you can think he just wants to get you to a more normal life, because he's seen this over and over,
and knows the eventual trail it will take.
Stop the pain now.


It was said here and I agree, everyone needs to have a good relationship with their doctor, (My doctor, I could invite to dinner), and do the best for YOU.

RSD/TOS or any of these pain maladies are not cut and dried.

Get tight with your doctor, and make your decision!

Asking here is a good idea too, of course!

Good luck!
And, Good Feelings,

Pete

September 27, 2007

Medtronic, Again Questioned Over Payments to Doctors, Is Subject of Senator’s Inquiry

By REED ABELSON

An influential senator is raising new questions about payments made to spine surgeons by Medtronic, one of the nation’s largest makers of medical devices.

Medtronic, which reached a $40 million settlement last year with the federal government over accusations that the company had paid illegal kickbacks to doctors for using its spinal devices, has continued to pay doctors millions of dollars in consulting fees, according to a lawyer representing a whistle-blower involved in the case.

Senator Charles E. Grassley, Republican of Iowa, has written to Medtronic, asking the company to explain, among other things, any payments made since the period covered by the settlement. The letter is part of a broad inquiry by Mr. Grassley into the financial ties that often exist between doctors and the companies that make medical devices and drugs.

Medtronic defended the continuing payments as legitimate compensation for work the doctors have done. Medtronic said it welcomed the opportunity to speak with Mr. Grassley and his staff. . . .

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/27/bu...onic&st=Search

No comment, other than to acknowledge that this involved a product line separate and apart from its SCS products, although according to its last SEC Quarterly Report (Form 10-Q) the two lines are curently in the same division of the corporation, and Medtronic is, I am informed, at least one of if not the dominant player in the SCS industry. And although the suit was subsequently dismissed on the grounds that the plaintiff was not a ture "whistle blower," where the court found that it had copied the allegations of two other lawsuits filed within the preceding 18 months, which the government subsequently settled with Medtronic, see, also:

January 24, 2006

Whistle-Blower Suit Says Device Maker Generously Rewards Doctors

By REED ABELSON

A prominent surgeon in Wisconsin was paid $400,000 a year by Medtronic for a consulting contract requiring him to work just eight days. Another doctor in Virginia received nearly $700,000 in consulting fees from Medtronic for the first nine months of 2005.

These doctors work in a growing field, complex back surgery, and this makes them particularly valuable to the spinal-implant division of Medtronic. In recent years, the company has spent tens of millions of dollars on consulting contracts and other types of payments to them and numerous other prominent surgeons, according to papers filed as part of a whistle-blower lawsuit. The suit contends that some of these payments were made to attract or retain the doctors' business.

Medtronic, based in Minneapolis, is one of the country's largest medical device makers, with $10 billion in annual sales.

The documents shed new light on a matter that has troubled the medical device industry for years: the assertion that companies employ a variety of financial ruses to pay doctors who use their devices, a practice that medical and legal experts say is unethical and possibly illegal. But despite industry efforts to clean up such practices, the documents and accusations made by former Medtronic employees suggest that the problem persists and may have gotten worse.

In a written response, a spokesman, Rob Clark, said, "We take these allegations very seriously and we do not tolerate conduct that is illegal or unethical." Consulting arrangements with doctors to improve devices, he said, "are critical, in our view, to the delivery of state-of-the-art health care and are perfectly legal."

Medical device makers, with billions in sales at stake, have for years actively courted physicians who prescribe their products and recommend them to other doctors. Companies frequently compensate doctors through generous consulting fees and speaking honorariums, or by underwriting their trips to attend medical conferences, former employees and industry consultants say.

The internal Medtronic documents filed as part of the suit offer an unusually detailed glimpse of the intense campaign that device makers wage to win doctors' loyalty. They show that Medtronic spent at least $50 million on payments to doctors over some four years, through June or later in 2005.

* * *

In addition to consulting fees and other payments, the lawsuit said, Medtronic played host at medical conferences where the "principal objective" was to "induce the physician, through any financial means necessary" to use its devices. According to the Medtronic documents, the company closely tracked the use of its devices by the doctors who attended the conferences, choosing some for "special attention."

* * *

Medtronic's overtures to doctors often began when the surgeons were still in training, Ms. Poteet said. The company commonly paid for doctors to attend any of 200 professional meetings a year. If the doctors wanted to go snorkeling or play golf, the sales representatives or Medtronic employees almost invariably paid for the expense, she said.

When the doctors visited Memphis, she said, Medtronic employees would take them to a local strip club, PlatinumPlus, disguising the expenses as an evening at the ballet. . . . [Emphasis added.]

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/24/bu...gewanted=print

Hi SunshineGirl,

I knew that the SCS was a LOT of money after speaking to some of my other online RSD friends as some had had to take out a loan etc to be able to fund it.

I agree with what the others have said about it probably being too soon to consider the SCS. It sounds like your doctor is trying to push you for it rather than try any other treatment options that are less invasive first. I know most doctors get so much money back for implanting an SCS so that is probably why you doctor is wanting to try it so soon.

My mum and I have spoken to my doctor about the SCS before and he said that he wouldn't even consider it unless I was over the age of 16 (i'm only 14 at the moment) as it is far too invasive. He also said that in my case, he didn't think it would work and could possibly make me worse (I had a HORRIBLE time with the nerve blocks so my doctors thinking is that I would probably have a similar reaction to the SCS). Over here in the UK, they will only do an SCS if you have tried every other procedure.

I wish you the best of luck with your decision. Don't let anyone force you into doing something you don't want to - it's YOUR body and only YOU can make the decisions!

Take care!:hug:

my husband and i both have rsd...........mine is in remission so to speak............ my pain is very tolerable.....................

he has an scs which was $64,000.00 but he is very glad to have it........it has only relieved a small amount of the pain, but it has given him the use of his left arm...........he was unable to lift a coffee cup, take a shower, wear his ring, and the color changes were awesome................but with the scs he is able to use his arm................he still has pain, but says he is grateful for the scs..............................he is now going for more leads, to cover the right arm now too......................

do lots of research, and don't allow anyone to talk you into something YOU are not comfortable with............

I had my SCS put in 1 yr. ago this month. I tried everything and was a hair away from a wheelchair. i had bc/BS and it paid most of it. Mine was done by a neurosurgeon,and is not the same type that pain DRs put in. In short-i have had much relief-can put on a shoe and go for short walks now. I still have sensitivity and other issues that still pop up. Hope this helps

Thanks everybody for the advice//

i just came back from my pain med clinic 2day,,They called the surgeons office in albuguequer,,at first they said if i wanted a consultation on a scs,,i was given a date to see them in 1 week,,then they called my dr office back saying im out of net work and the surgeon would need the whole amount of front in cash to do the scs, and wouldnt take my insurance ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,i guess that God just gave me my answer,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

We're all in sad shape.
And, to have these predatory drug/medical equipment/insurance companies, all add their
nickel's worth to our problems, contorts the facts.

We should be able and allowed, to make decisions, based on our own best interests!
Of course, that's in lala land.
But, if our own doctors won't lead us in the correct direction, what hope do we have?


Pete
asb

Pete
Thats why my hope is in God alone,,,,read what he says about trusting in man isaiah 2:22
your friend in Jesus christ our Lord,,,,,bobber,,,,,,,,,,,P.S ,,,,,,, pete do you remember the lyrics to the song "War pigs" [black sabath]

Cost of ANS SCS Stimulator
 

My ANS SCS was installed in 2005 to replace a defective Medtronic SCS at a cost of $27K. The expense of maintenance is reprogramming or battery consults as required at a cost of $380 per office visit, with those averaging two per year. The pain relief provided is well justified by the pain relief provided.