Spinal Cord Stimulator Failure Case Study

A patient had a spinal cord stimulator implanted to treat the pain caused by a lumbar injury. The stimulator either increased the pain or did not treat the pain at all. There had been several attempts to correct the implant, including replacement of the stimulator and the leads.

Expert Findings

After review of the documentation, it was discovered that the stimulator system could have enhanced the pain situation:

• Improper installation of the lead wire caused an increase in impedance that prevented the proper treatment amplitude.
• The stimulator's settings did not allow for delay in delivery of energy in cases of impedance changes
• The external hand held programmer did not allow for proper delivery of energy.

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