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All Life is an Experiment. The more you make the better it becomes.................... Ralph Waldo Emerson



Monday, June 14, 2010

Successful Trial of Spinal Cord Stimulator at JNMC, AMU


Aligarh June 14: A successful trial of spinal cord stimulator was performed by Dr. Hammad Usmani and Dr. Mozaffar Khan on a patient of failed back surgery syndrome at Pain Clinic of Department of Anaesthesiology, J.N. Medical College Hospital, AMU, Aligarh. The 4 days trial was performed on a patient of persistent radicular pain following disc surgery for sciatica. The patient showed significant improvement in pain after the trial period.

Sciatica is a relatively common form of low back pain and leg pain that is generally caused by the compression of lumbar nerves L4 or L5 or sacral nerves caused by compression of a dorsal nerve root from a spinal disc herniation (a herniated inter-vertebral disc in the spine). Most of the cases of lumbar disc herniation will be resolved with conservative treatment. However, in some patients surgery may be required to treat symptoms of sciatica. However about 10% of such patients had persistent pain even after disc surgery, the condition is known as failed back surgery syndrome.

The implantation of spinal cord stimulators was already performed in big cities like Delhi and Mumbai but in U.P this trial was performed for the first time. Prof. S. Bano, Chairman, Department of Anaesthesiolgy encouraged the team of Pain Clinic for the successful trial of spinal cord stimulator. Neurosurgeon, Prof. V.K. Shrivastava also gave his valuable inputs during the performance of trial.

The spinal cord stimulator is one of the most advanced modality for management of difficult pain situations i.e. persistent pain after disc surgery, diabetic neuropathy, peripheral vascular diseases, and complex regional pain syndromes. Spinal cord stimulation consists of stimulating electrodes, implanted in the epidural space, conducting wires connecting the electrodes to the pulse generator.

Consultant in Pain Clinic Dr Hammad Usmani told that the spinal cord stimulator is the best modality for treatment of such patients who did not respond to other conservative treatment. The only hurdle is the cost of treatment which is around thirty thousand rupees for trial of spinal cord stimulator and the cost of permanent placement of spinal cord stimulator is around 1.5 lacks. But on long term the device was found cost effective as compared to the cost and side effects of drugs and return to the normal life.

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