#SPINAL CORD STIMULATOR GONE WRONG TRIAL#

During the trial, the responsible company’s representative/ technologist should maintain 24 hours/ day availability for continued optimal programming and for any emergency physician actions that might be necessary, including lead removal.

#SPINAL CORD STIMULATOR GONE WRONG TRIAL#

As mentioned, the trial length is determined by the physician’s experience and practice, usually, with durations that vary between 3-8 days. Some physicians insist that patients wear a cervical collar or lumbar brace to prohibit precarious trunk movements. Thereafter, the patient is asked to minimize activities that might encourage lead migration, such as bending, squatting, or stooping. Often, column leads with 8-electrode sites can provide concordant pain coverage with a single ipsilateral lead placement, and they can be reprogrammed to recapture paresthesia for pain coverage if lead migration occurs during the trial.Īfter the procedure, the manufacturer’s representative performs final programming, and the patient is instructed to minimize general activities on the day of the procedure. These 1-column leads with eight electrode sites are more versatile for trial use, because they allow more precise signal positioning across the dorsal columns and can span up to 2 vertebral body segments. Usually, trial leads are cylindered or wire-like and have 4–8 electrode sites separated by ≥4mm. The trial helps determine the optimal number of leads and electrodes and optimal placement for pain coverage. The SCS team is composed of a trained interventional pain physician, his/her medical team, a fluoroscopy technologist, and a manufacturer’s representative, who is a trained SCS technologist. Preparation for placement of a permanent spinal cord stimulator usually necessitates a trial procedure, which allows both the SCS team and the subject to determine whether or not a permanent implant would provide substantial or adequate pain relief and improvements in QOL.

Spinal cord stimulator gone wrong