The In's and Out's of Neurostimulation and your body
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The pic to the left is the battery for the Neurostimulator. It also shows some leads attached to it. There are several different types of leads that can be used. The ones shown in the picture are what was used in my Trial Stimulator. I had those in for about 4 days. My doctor, the surgeon and my St. Judes representative did not believe those leads would work best for me, so they used different ones. In all my years of going to the doctor, this has been the easiest, smoothest, open communication between all the medical staff and myself. My St. Judes Representative worked closely with my Fiance` after my surgery to ensure she had all the support she needed. The Surgery itself was done in Idaho even though I live in Washington. My St. Judes Representative works closely with a lot of doctors and my insurance company. He recommended a Dr in Idaho to do the surgery as he has worked closely with him, and knew he would do the best he could to ensure the leads were anchored correctly to provide the most coverage. The surgery took much longer than planned, but, that's because they really made sure the leads were placed correctly. The recovery took longer than I expected, however, I had never previously had surgery. We only expected the surgery to take about an hour and a half, but it took almost 6 hours. The medical staff treated my partner with the up most respect and continuously kept her updated when they were able to. If you had asked me within 3 months of the surgery if I would do it again, I would have said no. But...I was a difficult case, and they had a very small area to work with. Plus, my leads are inserted until the C2 vertebra, and in the MRI, there is some deterioration to them prior to the surgery. Most recovery times do not take as long as mine did. The battery is about the size of a pace maker, and depending on your condition, body type/size, depends on where it would be implanted.
Neurostimulator Implant for Migranes
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Depending on where the leads are implanted, depends on the coverage you will receive. You can find more information by visiting the St. Judes Spinal Cord Stimulator webpage. In the meantime, here are some conditions this Neurostimulator is currently being used for:
Typically, a good candidate for neurostimulation is someone who has experienced one or more of the following:
Typically, a good candidate for neurostimulation is someone who has experienced one or more of the following:
- Chronic pain in the back, neck, arms, or legs that has lasted at least six months.
- Neuropathic pain (pain marked by burning, tingling, or numbness).
- Little or no relief from surgery or other treatment options, such as pain medications, nerve blocks, or physical therapy.
I know of others who have had a Neurostimulator implant, and their condition was not for chronic pain. I am not a medical professional, so I am not qualified to say which conditions are eligible and which are not. However, if you have a condition and there is no cure, then the worst they can say is No. It never hurts to ask, or to try!!!