Intrathecal Pump Placement

Intrathecal Pump Placement
Many patients with neck pain or back pain, with or without arm or leg pain, are treated with narcotic(opiod) medication. These patients can develop a tolerance, requiring constant increases in the strength of the opiod. In spite of these changes some patients still fail to get adequate pain relief. Others may begin to have significant and intolerable side effects to large doses required to control their pain. Side effects include nausea/vomiting, confusion, sedation, respiratory depression, constipation, urinary retention and itching. These patients may benefit from an implanted pain pump.

This technology has been available since the 1970's. The procedure involves placing a catheter into the cerebrosperal fluid (intrathecal). This supplies central nervous system with pain medication to decrease the patients pain. This involves a trial (test) to determine if the patients pain can be controlled by this approach. Also the trial allows the interventional pain managemant doctor to determine which medication regimen to place through the catheter. The trial is typically done in a hospital setting from 1-3 days. This allows the patient to be monitored closer for side effects of intrathecal opiod placement. The trial involves placing a catheter which extends from the spinal fluid to a pump outside the body.

If the trial is successful then a catheter is placed inside the spinal fluid and tunneled under the skin to a pump which is under the skin. The pump is programmed to deliver a certain amount of medication continously. It can also be programmed to give bolus doses of medication for breakthrough pain. The pump is refilled (approximately every 2-4 months) by placing a needle through the skin over the reservoir and injecting a certain volume of medication.

Several meds have been used successful including, Morphine, Hydromorphone,(Dilaudid), Fentanyl, Methadone, or Meperidine (Demerol). Other medications to control pain have been added to the opiate solution. These include Baclofen, Tizanidine, Clonidine, Bupivicaine, Ropivicaine, Ketamine, Ziconotide, Octrectide, Gabapentin, or Midazolam.

Back and Neck Pain Relief Procedures Florida: Pinellas Park, Largo, St. Pete, Seminole, Clearwater, Dunedin, St. Pete Beach, Palm Harbor, Tarpon Springs, Safety Harbor, Macdill, Tampa, Bradenton, Palmetto, Parish and Sarasota.