Anesthesiologists in the report compared the device to a pacemaker. The implant is placed at the base of the patient’s spine in a two-hour operation, and the device then stimulates the spine, producing a tingling feeling that decreases pain, according to the report.
The implant is rechargeable through the skin, and patients are able to control the amount of stimulation through a hand-held remote. The implant is beneficial because it reduce the amount of medication chronic pain patients are required to take, according to the report.
The spinal implant is approved by Medicare.
Read KETV’s report on the new spinal cord stimulator implant.
