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I wnt for Nerve cauterization and the Dr did a bait and switch

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Posted 9/13/2012 7:26 PM (GMT 0)
I am in too much pain to type,but I will say that the Neurosurgeon
whom I went to see yesterday was the most pompous,condescending
little twit of all time.He was the 25th and last..he pushed the pump so
much that I could just see Medrad kickback money floating into his pockets.



I have been thu hell,as most of you have 4 failed spine fusions throw eveything in with it.
I researched THE PUMP and it is not the answer...they say %50% relief if,if.
These clowns{doctors}are businessmen,as I was..but I have a heart.Medrad gives them cash
trips,cash and if it does not work they take it out and insurance gets hit again $150,000 round trip.
This little doctor kept insulting me about the way I was dressed and being a former Olympic athlete
I felt like throwing him out in the hall.Too bad I can barely walk.
Be careful out there....hope you all wake up pain free. bear [img]/community/emoticons/redface.gif[/img]

I had to edit your post somewhat, we are not allowed to list drs names here at the forum. Thanks

Post Edited By Moderator (straydog) : 9/14/2012 9:19:31 AM (GMT-6)
Posted 9/13/2012 9:12 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Cloud, I am sorry to read that you are having such a bad time right now. I am assuming that you did a trial for a pain pump yesterday and it failed. Well, I am sorry that happened, but that is the purpose of doing a trial, is to see if your pain is reduced. There is no guarantee that the pumps will work for everyone.

The pumps can be a wonderful tool in reducing a persons pain level. I have had my pump since 2005 and when its time for a replacement pump I will be there. It's not fair for you to say they do not work at all in reducing pain when they actually do, otherwise they would not be implanting them.

The pump is only as good as the dr taking care of it. If the dr does not know about the pumps and have the experience with them that is needed well, then it will be a disaster, but thats the drs fault not the pump.

Hopefully you will start feeling better, sure hope so, you sound really miserable right now. Take care...Susie
Posted 9/14/2012 12:10 AM (GMT 0)
The pumps are being implanted at an atrociously high level,which is being investigated and there are many patients permanently maimed by these surgeons putting them in so that they can make alot of money as Medrad charges a fortune to put them in and take them out.I have 12 to 15 friends across the country who are Neurosurgeons..friends from Harvard and the GOAL is 52% relief.
The pump is a machine and machines breakdown..leads,granulomas.
Posted 9/14/2012 1:52 AM (GMT 0)
I think that anyone who expects 100% pain relief from anything...from surgery, from an SCS unit or a pain pump, or even medication is obviously going to be disappointed...

But that is not what most Drs. who implant the pump tell their patients. Just like Straydog and others on the implanted pump, they still take oral medications.

It's just like when someone is new to chronic pain and they start taking opiates orally....they are never meant to take away all the pain...and 50% is actually quite great when adding in all the other modalities used to treat someone's pain. Medication is just one small piece of the puzzle. There are plent of other modalities used in conjunction with it.

I'm sorry that you have had a bad experience...but there are those that have had very good results so it's all about finding a great Dr. who is realistic with you (collective you) and isn't promising the world. Thankfully I don't think this is the majority of the Drs. out there.

Neurosurgeons are not usually the ones who deal with the pain pump so I'm not sure why you mentioned them. It's usually a Pain Management Dr. who is the most knowledgeable on these.

And just like anything that is "mechanical"...of course they only last for a period of time. Just like I have titanium in my neck from fusions....that will only last for so long. So again, there shouldn't be any Drs. out there promising that once the pump goes in....then that is it for life.

I'm not sure where you live but if you have actually been to 25 different Drs. who specialize in the pain pumps and every single one of them was as terrible as you describe and only after "money"....then you are someone I won't stand next to in a lightening storm! LOL (Trying to add a bit of levity here::)

I haven't heard of this company Medrad..but I don't know all the makers. I know Medtronics is one of the more popular ones.

Again..sorry for your experience but it truly doesn't mean that "all" Drs. or pain pumps are bad..
Posted 9/14/2012 4:23 AM (GMT 0)
I have even known of MedRad even making a pump as they typically are in the CT, MRI and Ultrasound business. As Snowbunny stated neurosurgeons are not typically the physician specailty that puts these pumps in.

Around my part of the country (Southeast USA) you would be referred to a Pain Management clinic and PM Anesthiologist would would install the pump and I would expect it would be Xray guided (I know the Elecrtrical Stim Devices when placing pobes are xray guided).
Posted 9/14/2012 6:19 AM (GMT 0)
We were talking pump before I left my pm guy and life behind in AZ. PM wanted to do it but spine doc said no way that my stenosis was to severe so they focused on injections, nerve burnings, medications and surgery. But did say that once stenosis was cleared to a level 'i forget the number' they would revisit the pump. It sound exciting to me, not to have the side effects from the meds, not popping a pill every couple hours, not making sure you have your meds before you go on a trip all these things that tie us to our pain, and loose us our ability to have a quality of life. I am new here so sorry for butting in, but sounds like a lil'bit of heaven if it works and if it don't well like you say they win again, but for true chronic painers even the hope of 50% relief sounds so nice.
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