For MallardMark

Bump

Hi Mark, glad you responded but sorry that you have to wait until March 13 to have the unit replaced. Hopefully you will not have the spinal headache, but in the event it happens again you can get help for it immediately. Both times that I have had pumps put in it was done as an out patient, I am betting they are keeping you over night since you got the horrible headache.

Take care.....Susie

My first pump was a Medtronics which has a battery and those batteries will stop working after x amount of years. My first one was implanted June 2005 & I had to have it replaced Feb 2013, so I had a pretty good long life with mine. They claim they last an average of 7 years. But, some do not last that long especially if the flow rate is really jacked up high which normally they are not. They cannot just replace the battery or at that time they were not doing that, they replaced the entire unit.

I now have a Codman which runs on gasses within the unit, no battery to mess with. It is an old style pump & most drs do not like them because everything has to be done manually, it is not computerized like Medtronics. Codmans are generally used on patients that are stable with their medication in the pump.

Why is the surgeon wanting to replace your pump? Normally if there is a kink in the catheter they just replace the catheter only. Does your dr think your pump is defective? Are you sure your insurance will pay for another pump?

Take care......

Mark, for whatever reason my PM dr she hated Medtronics pumps & I am only assuming this, but I have often wondered if she got into it with a Medtronics rep.. December she retired and the new PM dr I have, hates these Codmans because his practice is set up for Medtronics all the way. He told me the first time I met him that he use to be employed by Medtronics as a spokesperson to drs about their pain pumps. He said he did this for 2 yrs but his practice grew & he just did not have the time to go out & speak so he gave that up.

I get what he is saying about the difference in the pumps, for instance with Medtronics you can make changes with the pump using the magnet & the hand held computer. Say to increase a dose they run the magnet over the pump, calculate the increase, plus the numbers into the computer & its done. With a Codman they have to take all of the medication out of the pump, then make the medication change & put new meds in the pump. He has several good points as to why the Medtronics is so much better & I agree with him But, its like I told him I had no choice, she had already told me when it was time for a new pump it would be a Codman. So, its a Codman that I have. If my pump ever stops working I will have no way of knowing its not working until withdrawals hit.

Mark, if this were me I would be asking why he is replacing the pump too. The reason I say this is if I remember right you are on Medicare. Medicare is not going to want to pay for another pump unless there is a good cause. I am not sure a kinked catheter would be good cause because the usual thing to do is replace the catheter only. You have a new pump as it is that they just paid for. Sure do not want to se you get hung out to dry & get billed for one of these pumps, they are not cheap by a long shot.

I am with you, why is it taking them nearly 2 months to schedule you for surgery.

Take care.....

Im going to pitch my 2 cents worth in here, I don't have a pump but darn sure had enough patients over the years with them!

I'm kinda with Susie here the old manual pumps more trouble for the Dr but the Medtronics pumps darn sure proven to be more trouble for the patients!

Too trusting? You are if your not asking why they're replacing the whole pump! I would want to know what he knows that he's not obviously telling me thats going to warrant Medicare paying to replace a 2 month old pump with supposedly a kink in the catheter? It's not done for a kink, they fix the kink and your back up and running!!

Did they specifically say the catheter was kinked? Seems to me there's more going on since you've gotten zero use outta that new pump, one thing after another since they put it in! I would want to know why we're waiting so long to do anything about this too! Thats an unusually long time to just leave a kinked catheter with who knows how much meds lying in it in me!!

There's my pennie or twos worth of advice and always remember Mark your the best patient advocate money can buy!!