Hi all Hope your day is going okay
today i was referred for a spinal cord stimulation .
my question is has anyone had these implanted in Newcastle and who did it.
were you happy with the surgeon and how successful has it been
any assistance appreciated
dave
G'day Country Dave,
I had a Nevro spinal cord stimulator implanted on January 19th after a successful trial last November.
Most people are offered a trial before going for a permanent stimulator and there are also various brands available, however most specialists/surgeons have a preferred brand. Nevro does appear to be a popular choice in Australia! The trail is relatively straight forward to go through and you are in constant communication with a rep with various programs to work through unless you are lucky enough to hit the jackpot straight away with a successful program!
Unfortunately I had to go in for revision surgery 2 and a half weeks ago as my main lead had slipped so I wasn't getting any relief. I also developed a very nasty and persistent infection by the spinal wound at week 6 which took 4 weeks of super strength antibiotics to beat.
I am based in WA! If you want any further information please feel free to ask.
Thanks Florrie.
I was told i would need a trial and the few people i have spoken to seem to be happy with the implant but i did have my concerns in regards to issues associated with this type of surgery infections etc.
Did you have yours done at a publuc or private hosp and did your health ins cover cost of implant. I have private but i need to check the implant cover ir not.
Thank you for replying it is appreciated
I had mine done in a private hospital and my health fund covered the trail and permanent 100%, the trail was $12 000 whilst the permanent was $38 000, not sure how much the revision surgery cost until I get my statement.
I honestly feel the trial is invaluable before deciding upon a permanent stim. My trial went for 11 days, the first 5 were an overload until I got relief, but in all fairness I was extremely unwell going into the trial. You have restrictions of no shower, no bending, twisting or lifting your arms above your head during the trial.
Do you know what brand of SCS you will be trialling?
i have spoken to several people and have been advised to wait for a while before i try the stimulation.
my own doctor who i have a lot of faith in has also advised me to hold of because of some issues or risks associated with them and also the limitations if it doesnt work or fails in the future.
he did state a great last choice option though.
if you have any issues i would be grateful to know so i can make the right decision for me
until then more surgery for ruptured discs
thanks Dave
