My name is Anthony and I am a 43 Year old Male. I was an extremely active Weekend warrior. In 2010 I was diagnosed with a tumor on my spine. I was advised to have it removed. I had the surgery and my entire life changed for the worst. After surgery I was left with blunt nerve trauma scar tissue and severe chronic pain. The pain started at the surgical spot wentdown my spine and radiated to my left abdoman. It was determined that another surgical procedure was not an option. My strong will allowed me to return to work for a few months. Than I could no longer answer the bell and went out sick..From 6 16 2012 I was under the care of pain management..Pain pills..Facet blocked shots. Epidurals..radio frequency ablation..Nothing worked..I than became a candidate for a spinal implant trial.In April 2012 The procedure was scheduled. The doctor attempted to place the leads into my spine and failed...The scar tissue was impenitrable ..I thought I was never going to work or play again..I was so depressed. My doctor knew how badly I missed my life. He referred me to another pain management specialist..Dr.Sue DoOuro of Beth isreal in manhattan NY..She scheduled the same procedure..She was unabsorbed topenitrate the scar tissue but did a work around..she placed 2 leads in my spine one up and one down...She changed my life.The trial was a success..I was still utilizing pain medal but notas much...I was amazed. So was my family..I was no longer hand cuffed to my bed..I am one of the lucky ones...Dr. DoOuro than scheduled me for the perminant implant...The implant went in on 6-1-2012...The stitches were removed on 6-13 and miraculously ...I returned to work on 6-18..I am currently on modified duty but after a year of hopelessness ..I am a productive and extremely happy guy. I don't think I could ever do karate or play softball again..but I can go to work..go fishing and enjoy my family..I cant speak for anyone but myself but medtronics and Dr. DoOuro have given me my life back..I still take some pain medication but not nearly the amount I was taking before the implant..Thank you for reading my life changing story. Feel free to email me with any questions you may have..I must get some sleep now I must wake up for WORK at 5 am..

I may be off the beaten path, but I do think doctors are forcing people to get the SCS pump. For what ever reason I did not quallify. I still got the fusion however C3-7. Pain isn't so good, and I often wonder if this isn't going to come up again as I take pain medications. I don't want the pump in any case, not really. Without the meds however I would be in trouble I think. Not much choice is given it seems. If the doctors want you to have the SCS, then thats what the patient does. My spine is not holding up that good. I wonder indeed, if at some point, this issue will be presented. I hope that your decision with your doctor works out Rrae. This pain is no fun. I will pray that it does relieve your pain. ginnie

Another Friday in the books..That makes four weeks in a row Working. WHAT A LOAD OFF MY MIND. I was staring social security in the face 7 WEEKS AGO..Now I'm working..Playing with my grand kids and going fishing. Im an A type personality and at times I have been pushing my body a bit much..The medtronics people told me that my implants power will only last about 3 MONTHS...THan They will put in a re chargeable device...The last thing I need is another operation..Click my name and read my story..maybe it canhelp guide you with your decision to get a Spinal cord stimulated....Mine has 3 programs and I'm cranking them to 8.50 or better. THATS THE LOWEST SETTING THAT GIVES ME SOME RELIEF. Unfortionatly I still require pain medication at the end of my work day and at night. But without this implant...I was practicly bed ridden..I also lost about 12 pounds of belly just.moving around working...I'm now a stealth 174....I'm learning how to adjust to life with my implant...but its a Life..not a doped up immobile drain on my family...Thank you technology..And thank you Dr. DoOiro....NYC..if anyone has questions feel free to reply..I am AN OPEN BOOK....,GOOD LUCK.

As was posted in the 2nd post in this thread, discussions of SCS & Pain Pumps have their own forum:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum118.html

This thread is basically dead.

Doc

I had a spinal cord stimulator implant where the leads were placed at about the T4 level and the device was in my left hip. I have had numerous cervical and lumbar issues. Obviously where they put the implant it was to help my lumbar region. I had low back pain; peripheral neuropathy of the left leg from the knee down. I kept the device in for 5 years at which point it was removed. In the beginning it seemed to be effective but eventually it became less and less effective, thus they removed the device. It just was doing absolutely nothing for me at one point in time.

I didnt try have a SCS implant in the neck since I have Harrington rods and there was absolutely no room to place the device. They could have removed the rods but I was told it was too dangerous to remove the rods.

If you do have SCS done you will go thru a psych evaluation first, then a trial SCS. If that works then onto a permanent one. Just remember that if you have a SCS implant done you CAN NOT have an MRI done.

Hello,I am new to this site,but not new to the insane pain that I have endured since 2005. I was injured in a industrial accident in Missouri and was denied surgery for over three years .When I finally received surgery in 08 much of the pain was relieved,they removed two discs and put in rods and plates and screws and bridged my spine...ever since i have had major nerve damage and just insane pain in my lower back as well as numbness in my legs and this huge knot at the top of my right buttocks about the size of a softball that is excruciatingly painful and the pain goes down my leg to my foot..cant sit to long cant stand to long cant bend over or lift......what a pain in the ***..lol..but my drs cant seem to do anything for me ....tried every drug known from hydrocodone to morophine,nurontin,percocet,the patches,multiple spinal injections,spinal stimulator which failed in the trial...and i am at my ropes end ,,,,the drugs just made me loopy and I would still hurt just couldnt drive or havemuch of a life,so i took myself off of the drugs,,,now that the pain has increased and i considered drugs again the damn drs. wont give em to me...something about new policy got to go thru the pain clinic....so i went,the dr. there wouldnt give me pain meds either but suggested the pain pump and was recommending it to be scheduled when the only Dr that did these in there system resigned and flew back to Austria....REALLY...So they left me hanging to do my own research and find my own help....Damn what a world of help...Any one know about pain pumps or someone I can talk to?

im here re implant too

Wayne:

I saw that you are having the pain pump on Jan. 7. I go in Jan. 11 for mine. But mine is the Medtronic unit.

I know Medtronic has what is called an Ambassador Program I believe is what it is called. If I understood it correctly you can hook up with people that have already been the route and can give feed back on their experiences.

After my trial was done, I hooked up with someone that had the permanent implant, not sure how long before, but she swore by it. She was at the end of her rope as to the pain and if the pump didn't work I don't know what she would have done. But in here case she swore by.

In the other posts it seems there are some that have concerns specifically in posts about St. Jude. What are your concerns? Can you clarify what you are concerned about?

I have been thru the SCS and now the trial end of the Intrathecal Pain pump. Would be glad to address any concerns. My SCS was a Medtronic as will be the Pain Pump. I dont know much about St Jude Medical outside of the fact that the manufacture the devices.

Hello, I'm new to here. I have had 7 surgeries with Reconstruction to many parts of my body since 2003. I was in a OIF (Operation Iraqi Freedom) IED Humvee acident on 5/13/2003. I ended up having 2 broken wrist, Rt broken hand, Crushed Rt lower extremity(had 8 pins in foot/2 srews in each side of ankle/steel rod lower leg), Shattered left knee from shrpnl, Rt elbow very hyber extented broken (pinkie touched back of rt shoulder), both shoulders dislocated, broken rt collar bone, broken nose, broken ribs, and finally multiple crushed disc. Also Military lost all of my entire military career file (June 1985 to when I got hurt 2003). I guess that it. I've had almost every pain medications availible. Dilaudid and morphine is just like taking a tylonel for me.
Anyways, well I just had a Spinal Stimulator implant surgery last month Feb 2013. It was the worst pain I every felt the next day. I'm very tolerant to pain. But this surgery hurted me the most. I could'nt caugh nor move my upper and lower extremities. Just before I left the post op to come home. I had turned on the Implant. I only had felt it working in my left back rib area. I had asked is that is normal. The assured me that I will feel more as time goes on. I had a post 2 weeks appt where I had an Hematoma where the implant was installed. The dr took 17 cc's of fluid out of the hematoma. Then 3 days later I had to go into my local ER and have them check on the hematome. Which came back. The ER dr took 22 cc's out. Now a few days ago I went in to my Spine Doc to checked out my hematoma and get my implant programmed. When I went in for this appt I had went to my medical dr ahead of time for some Xrays. I brought the Xrays in to the spine doc and they did try to program the implant. A half hour went by without them trying to program thi thing. They finally looked at my xrays and it turned out that the Electrodes had moved of the spine. So now after all this I have to get a redo surgery. Ast the old sying "No pain no gain". Yeah right! I'm just o tired of the pain. Not to mention I have liver disease due to meds and also Diabetes. Sucks! Sorry so long I just had to vent! Plus still fighting the govt for my military benifits, retirement, disbility. They owe me almost 10yr of backpay.

WOW to say you have been through it would be an understatement !! I am grateful for your response and for giving me so much personal detail and want to thank you for giving me an insight as to what can happen. I have been researching for a while now and I am really un-sure as to wether or not to go ahead with itwhilst I have been waiting I have had a breakdown. I have had so much going on lately that I just couldn't take it anymore and I just snapped. I feel that now is not the right time to go ahead with it, also I don't think I would be allowed to. I have been through all the trials and tests and passed with flying colours but now things are a different story. I believe that things happen for a reason and possibly that my breakdown has meant me putting the implant of the SCS on hold or maybe even "off" for good reason. Some of the "horror" stories I have been reading about are quite scary!! But I am glad that I have had the opportunity to research. So once again thank you and I do hope things improve for you very soon.