Boston Scientific experience
In August 2013, I suffered a broken neck which was successfully repaired with a fusion at C3-4. Thankfully after a long recovery, I regained complete mobility but had resultant neuropathy extending down both arms to just past the elbows. I have hypersensitivity making loose clothing just touching the skin oftentimes painful. Even a slight breeze causes pain.
Over the years, I have been through many doctors and every imagineable type of remedy to help ease the pain. None have been successful but the one constant for 12 years is the use of gabapentin. I am on the max dosage of 3600 mg/day and although it doesn't eliminate the pain, I know it helps because if I miss a dosage during the day, things get worse.
When living in Florida in 2022, I had a trial Nevro stimmulator installed. Due to past scar tissue, only 1 lead was able to be inserted. Unfotunately, it provided no relief. We moved back to Minnesota in 2023 and in December of 2024, I had a trial of BS Infinion 16 installed with 2 perc leads at the C2 level. This trial provided significant relief so a decision was made to proceed with the permanent. But alas, the doctor who did the trial said due to the scarring it would be virtually impossible to get the permanent leads back to the same position without surgical implantation and he was not qualified to do it.
After interviewing a suggested clinic, I quickly rejected them as I was told the surgeon would have only 10 minutes of his time to spend with me to discuss my case. Out they go! It was at that time, I decided I would try to get into the Mayo Clinic in Rochester as they have an extensive staff of neurosurgeons and lead person for SCS procedures had an impressive resume. I was able to get a 1 hour virtual visit with her, albeit it took several months lead time for it to happen.
After I decided to proceed, scheduling for the procedure was again a process as they book only 90 days out - and they were full. Luckily my wait was improved with a cancellation opening and surgery took place in September last year. The plan was to use a BS Wavewriter Alpha SC-1232 with paddle type leads.
Complications arose during the procedure due to the extensive scarring and the surgeon was only able to get a single SC-8416-70 paddle lead installed at the C2-3 level. The unit was placed into service that day but I was told not to expect much relief until the surgical pain had subsided. The skip laminectomy that was performed resulted in a much longer recovery time from the surgical pain. By January most of the surgical pain had passed so we were expcting to see some relief from one of the many different programs installed on my controller. One by one I tried them all and none really did much of anything. A visit with BS in March to modify the programs has again resulted in no signifcant relief after trying the new programs.
I turned off the unit a week ago and it actually seems better without any stimmulation. Do I give up on BS & just leave it shut off? Ask for a new BS rep? Have it removed?
I am curious to find out if others may have had similar expriences with theirs?