Re: Failed Medtronics Spinal Stimulator

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On 3/15/09, KARIE wrote:
> I HAVE HAD MY BATTERY REPLACED AND THEN THEY WENT IN AND
> REPLACED THE BATTERY AGAIN AND THE CONNECTOR IN MY BACK. IT
> WAS NO BIG DEAL. THEY CAN GO IN AND REPLACE THE LEADS,
> CONNECTORS, AND PADDLES THAT SIT ON THE SPINAL CORD
>
> On 2/03/09, Susan Cox wrote:
>> I had my stimulator implanted in Sept of 08. One lead for
>> facial pain and the other for left arm pain. Within 3 wks.
>> the arm stimulation quit. After several appointments with
>> the Medtronics tech, X Rays, and Dr. appointments they
>> decided that the leads were in the right position but not
>> all the leads were "responding". The Dr. doesn't want to
>> do surgery again as to not disturb the connectors so close
>> to the spinal cord. At my last visit the Medtronics tech
>> tried again and some of the leads were responding except
>> to get any relief to my arm I have to put up with rapid
>> movement that I can not control of my left hand and leg.
>> If I don't do this I have to depend on my pain patches and
>> morphine pills. Not something I want to do and it does
>> not help that much unless I put myself into a fog. I went
>> through all that surgery and risk for nothing. I gave up
>> ever having an MRI and was ok with that to be out of pain.
>> Now I am back to square one. What can anyone do about
>> this? I know that I am not alone after reading all of the
>> posts but, its just not right. I for one feel that I have
>> been injured by this company's product............

JUST AN FYI:
This is my first time on any site about the scs.
I had my scs implanted in Jan 08, and things seemed fine at
first. I never really got the pain relief that I was hoping for.
It helped about 50% for the pain in my legs but actually made my
back pain worse and caused me to have pain in areas of my back
which I had never had before. With in weeks the battery pack
(which was implanted in the upper right buttocks area) had moved
and then was constantly pushing against my skin from inside out.
I was in pain, I could not sit, and the area was black & blue
all the time. After much complaining I was told that I must
have popped stitches and that was why the battery pack was
protruding out so far. I was offered to have the battery taken
out and replaced with a smaller & newer battery unit in March
09. After that surgery (on March 17) I was received a phone
call from my doctor a day later and told I had an infection
(they did not know what kind) but they had scraped the area out
on 3/17 and I was put on antibiotics. My incision site
continued to spread the redness out further, so I was told to go
to the ER on March 21st, I was admitted and was informed of two
options. One was they would remove the battery pack, scrap the
site again, put in a drain, they would disconnect the lead
wires and tuck then up out of place (so the infection would not
spread up the wires) and then in 6-8 weeks I could have another
battery pack implanted. Second option was to remove the scs
completely. I chose to have the scs removed completely that day.
It has only been two days since the scs was removed. The
doctors office called and informed me that the infection I have
is a Staph infection.
I have to stay on antibiotics for 3 more weeks and have a follow
up appointment with my doctor on April 4th. At that time they
will determine if I will need any additional surgery or what the
next steps will be.