1.What is spinal cord electrical stimulation therapy?
Spinal cord electrical stimulation is a method of treating disease by implanting electrodes into the spinal canal and stimulating the spinal cord nerves with pulsed current. Through the pacemaker system implanted in the body, weak electrical pulses are issued to the spinal cord, blocking the transmission of pain signals to the brain through the spinal cord, thus effectively relieving intractable neuropathic pain, restoring the patient’s physical function and effectively improving the quality of life.
2.What are the indications for spinal cord electrical stimulation therapy?
The main clinical indications include.
(1) chronic intractable back and leg pain: post-operative back and leg pain after lumbar disc herniation; post-operative pain after nerve sheath tumor.
(2) pain after nerve injury (post-surgical neuralgia): pain after brachial plexus injury; pain in the residual limb or phantom limb after amputation.
(3) Complex focal pain syndromes.
(4) peripheral ischemic pain: diabetic limb pain; Raynaud’s disease; Berg’s disease.
(5) Postherpetic neuralgia.
3.What is the general surgical procedure?
The procedure is as follows: aseptic operation under imaging guidance; epidural implantation of electrodes in prone position under local anesthesia; the key to successful SCS testing is to accurately implant the stimulation motor into the spinal cord segment corresponding to the pain; placement of electrodes according to the patient’s complaints of painful areas and abnormal sensory areas; temporary testing after fixing the electrodes to the extracorporeal stimulator; screening test period not exceeding 10 days; implantation of the whole system.
4. Precautions after implantation surgery
Stay in bed for 24 hours. Prevent sudden movement. Prevent over-suspension. Do not lift or pull heavy objects. Continuously use antimicrobial agents for 48 hours and apply pain medication to control pain if necessary.
5.What are the possible adverse reactions?
Discomfort or shock sensation, muscle numbness, hematoma, cerebrospinal fluid leakage, infection, device malfunction or displacement, pain at the implantation site, pain relief failure, allergic reaction to the implantation material, surgical risk and other complications related to device fabrication may occur.
6.What should I pay attention to after implantation?
(1) Other systems may be affected: such as pacemakers, defibrillators, MRI, ultrasound devices, electrocoagulants, radiotherapy, etc.
(2) You cannot drive or use dangerous equipment with neurostimulation.
(3) Can not receive transheat therapy (short wave, microwave, therapeutic ultrasound).
(4) At airports, metal detector alarms may be triggered, and airline personnel may require you to turn off the stimulator during takeoff and landing.
(5) Magnets may affect the stimulator control device.
(6) Security doors, etc. may affect the instrument.