Janelle,
I'm still looking into it. I decided I'll have to wait for summer break from school.
I met up with a plastic surgeon a couple of days back to look into "masking" the stimulator implant with a hard silicon implant in my chest pectoral area. There is a significant disparity in muscle mass between normal and injured side. I figured, if I'm gonna get something stuffed in there, might as well try and improve the situation.
My understanding is that there is about a 50/50 chance of having any improvement at all, the improvement may not be significant, and it will never be total pain reduction. I'm fine with that. The surgeon that implants the device is a crucial factor. I would seek only the best. Most have never worked with BPIs.
IMPORTANT, most surgeons use different electrical leads for the trial vs. the permanent implant. In my opinion (from research and common sense) this is ridiculous. The surgeon has to locate the area to stimulate during surgery, and can only do this by asking you what you are feeling as the doctor pokes around through your spine stimulating this area than that area. Why remove the leads after the trial, if that is one of the most crucial elements to successfully masking the pain? Ask your surgeon if they use different stimulator leads between the trial and the permanent implant, this will give you some insight into their consideration.
I'm hesitant to commit due to the possibility of lead placement readjustment, down the road. Because the electrical stimulation leads would be placed in our neck area, that area is subject to more movement than the rest of the spinal cord (the majority of these devices are placed in lower spine areas). I'm an active and rigorous individual, and don't think I'll be slowing down for another 15+ years. I've read of people having to get their leads re-implanted because the leads come loose from the original placement. The question is, is how are the leads anchored in place? I understand some surgeons rely on scar tissue to be adequate. This is something I'm still looking into, and will need to feel secure about before moving forward.
Here is a new implant available. There are many options out there.
http://medgadget.com/archives/2008/04/w ... urope.html
http://www.sjm.com/devices/device.aspx? ... us&type=43
Good Luck,
Christopher
PS - I contacted a researcher conducting clinical trails on motor cortex stimulation on different types of chronic pain. I've included their email response below. Mind you, this is a study regarding brain stimulation.
http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00462566
Hi Christopher:
Dr. Brownstone and I discussed your case, based on the information you sent in your email. He feels that a spinal cord stimulator would probably not be of benefit to you. The results of his motor cortex study won't be published for another year or so but at the moment the results are not impressive either.
Best of luck to you. Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Paula
Paula Chiasson, MSc
Program Coordinator, Division of Neurosurgery
Queen Elizabeth Health Sciences Centre
Centre for Clinical Research
5790 University Ave., Room B26
Halifax, Nova Scotia
B3H 1V7
Phone: (902) 473 7809
Fax: (902) 473 7808
Web:
paula.chiasson@cdha.nshealth.ca
