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Spinal Implant Stimulator

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Posted 1/31/2015 8:52 PM (GMT 0)
I had my implant put in last June. Worked great. Then I got an infection....emergency surgery in August. Implant was moved to my left side and placed in my left buttock. Pain relief was minimal at best. Now the implant has moved - a lot. It is no longer a round disc on my butt, it has just one small edge showing. Lots of pain when I walk or twist and turn. I am guessing it happened during a FIT test last Thursday. Any suggestions?
Posted 2/1/2015 3:54 AM (GMT 0)
What about your pain relief now? I don't know why or where your pain was to begin with so are you experiencing just movement pain or has it not helped at all?
Sorry, just trying to understand if your pain is still minimal at best.
Posted 2/1/2015 8:45 AM (GMT 0)
Welcome Soar to the CP forum and I believe I would be seeing a Dr to find out where and why the thing keeps moving. Some amount of shifting will naturally occur but if you were seeing it flat against the skin surface and now your just seeing a edge it sounds like more than a shift. Placement is always a factor in the amount of pain relief they offer so I certainly can see why your having problems.

Wanted to welcome you and sorry I don't have better advice.
Posted 2/1/2015 4:00 PM (GMT 0)
Hi, and welcome aboard.

I have read about many experiences with an SCS that are similar to yours, unfortunately :( My pain management doc wants me to do a trial, and I'm really reluctant to do it because of all the experiences I've read about. Most are NOT positive, in the long run.

I suggest searching this forum for SCS or spinal cord stimulator, you'll find lots of information.
Posted 2/1/2015 4:57 PM (GMT 0)
Hello Soar & welcome to the chronic pain forum. Very sorry to read about your troubles with the SCS unit. We mostly see lots of people with these units have leads that migrate & have to be replaced repeatedly, infections with the units, poor coverage problems to the units just stop working. Since your unit has shifted like it has I urge you to consult with the surgeon as soon as you can get an appt. I have a pain pump implanted & over time they like will shift a bit but nothing like what you are speaking about.

Recently a member had to have everything removed because of a persistent infection on the unit itself. Her unit had been implanted for something like 5 years I believe. Another member named Skeye has written a very accurate detailed post about how this infection can form like a film on the actual unit & when that happens most likely everything has to be removed. You can use the search feature above & pull those old posts up to read. We do ask that you not post on those older threads. Any questions you should have it is better to post them here & ask & you will get better coverage in getting answers.

Please let us know what the surgeon thinks about your unit. Take care.
Posted 2/1/2015 5:26 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you for everyone's responses. I plan to call boston scientific today (Sunday) to see what they say. The leads are still working but NO pain relief. Can someone discuss alternatives like pain pumps that might be more effective?
Posted 2/1/2015 5:50 PM (GMT 0)
I have a pump & there are lots of old threads here at the forum about them to read. One of the best sources of information is going to Medtronics.com & read up about them. They have a wonderful informative user friendly website with lots of info. I am guessing your SCS unit is for back pain & yes pumps are used for that. I have had a pump since 2005 for pain mgt..
Posted 2/1/2015 8:33 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks, stray dog! Have to laugh at your name - I am an animal rescue person! SOAR stands for Save Our Animal Rescues, my non profit. Anyway, I am perusing stuff and am guessing pain pump is about the only other option for back pain? I have had 5 surgeries and this remaining pain does not seem to be able to be fixed surgically. 10 years and no problems with your pump?
Posted 2/1/2015 11:34 PM (GMT 0)
Hi SOAR, and welcome (btw...I'm former animal welfare/rescue too!)

Just picking up on your comment that "the leads are working but you have no pain relief" ... If the leads have been tested as functional (or do you just mean you're feeling the stim sensation, but it's not relieving your pain?) - that, combined with your unit having shifted under the skin - would strongly suggest to me that your leads have shifted slightly from where they were originally placed. I'm not sure if your rep can order xrays or a scan to check the lead position (here they wouldn't - would have to refer you to your GP or PM to get the slip written) but my guess is that's going to be where you need to look... I've had my stim almost 9 years and had several lead revisions due to migration in that time.

As far as pumps go - I have both (pump & SCS) - though in my case is for CRPS in my legs, rather than back issues as I think most here have had them for. Both help - but also hit completely different elements of my pain in different ways.
Posted 2/2/2015 3:22 AM (GMT 0)
If this SCS situation cannot be resolved perhaps a pump would be the next thing in line for you. I would check into it & seriously go to Medtronics website & read up o them.

My first pump was implanted June 2005. It was a Medtronics pump & my battery finally died January 2013. The PM dr that was taking care of me at the time the battery died hated Medtronics pumps for some reason so she told me & the surgeon to put in a Codman pump which is the old style pump & it is not computer operated like Medtronics pumps are. She retired last year so I have been with a new pump dr for a year & he hates this Codman pump because it is outdated in his opinion. As it turned out the last several months I have had way too much medication left in my pump when its time for a refill. Since this is not a computerized pump we have no way to check to see of the pump is failing or if there is a mass on the tip. I am in the process of getting my surgery scheduled.

WhiteBeard, who is also a mod here in this forum just had a pump implanted this past year for back pain. He has had such success with his pump that he says he wished it ha been implanted several years ago.

I did the oral pain medication route for quite a few years & because of tolerance issues & problems with so many of the pain meds we ran out of medications for me to take. I have a wacky system that when it comes to medications in general I am limited.

With a pump you actually end up on less medication because the meds used in these pumps is in a concentrated form.

Anyway, yes I have been known to take in animals too, lol. I think its great what you do for them as well.

Take care.
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