Posted by Shonda Malone on 12/04/07

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My husband had the Medtronics Spinal implant procedure on
November 29, 2007. It worked great from Nov. 29tgh until
Dec. 2nd. He was feeling great. After 9 years of back and
leg pains from 4 failed back surgeries he was not hurting.
Then on December 2nd, 2007 the machine quit working. He
was on the 5 day trial with the model # 3628. We asked the
Medtronic's rep in the recovery room when he was explaining
the machine if we needed an instruction book and we were
told no. They had only put 1 lead in him (thank God!) and
I asked the Medtronics rep if there was any way that this
thing could shock my husband and was again told no. He
only spent about no more than 10 minutes with us explaining
the machine. (We were also given the Medtronic's reps card
and was told to call him anytime, day or night.) Then on
December 2nd, 2007 the machine quit working. On the front
of the machine there are 4 switches, numbers 0 - 3. My
husband was told to switch around these switches to find
his combination that he liked, where the stimulation felt
best to him. (Between his lumbar region and down the
length of his legs.) So this is what he did, just as he
had done with the Medtronics rep. My husband had the
stimulator on 5.6 and he flipped the switch labeled #3 and
it automatically sent it to 12. (Our son witnessed this.)
The charge threw him about maybe 18 inches back, he hit the
stove with his lower back, shaking him as if being
electrocuted, he dropped the machine and the battery popped
out and he landed with all of his force on his left hip,
breaking his left hip. (We were told that he was
internally electrocuted.) He was hospitalized the same
night, had hip surgery on December 3rd (had to have 3 pins
to put his hip to repair it, and is now going through
physical therapy. He cannot move his left leg on his own,
the physical therapist has to push his foot to make him
take a step. I called the Medtronics rep that night when
this happened and the next morning about 7 am from the
hospital where the implant surgery was performed and told
him that my husband was there and what room he was in. He
called me on my house phone about 10:30am and told me he
was sorry he was sleeping and to call him back. My husband
is only 3 floors up from him, why can't he go and check on
him, after all, it is his device! I am posting this so
people that are in chronic pain, no matter the source of
the pain, will know what to expect. If you have any
information on this or would like to know more,email me.

Shonda Malone
TxPrudy69@aol.com

Medtronics Spinal Implant Model # 3628, 12/04/07, by Shonda Malone.

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