Poll: What Spinal Cord Stimulator brand did you go with?

Not sure how much of a response you will get as we don't have a lot of active members with SCS units. Are you contemplating having a unit put in?

If the one neurostimulator did not work for you, I kind of doubt that another would. Frankly, I've never even heard of a doctor even suggesting that a different generator might work well for someone who failed a prior trial (and certainly not implanting one blindly). Yes, the generators differ slightly among brands, but overall they are the same in principle. Perhaps the only exception to this would be if you are comparing a newer paresthesia free generator to a more traditional one where you feel the stimulation. But even then, I would not recommend implanting one without trying it first.

I have a Medtronics neurostimulator (though the leads are not in my back), and have had it for almost 8 yrs. I could not contemplate implanting something that I had not tried first, particularly since adjusting the leads to the right location based on feedback from the trail, etc, is key. Getting an implant is also not a decision to take lightly, since it will probably be with you for life (you may be able to remove the generator relatively easily, but the leads are a much bigger problem, as they become scarred in place over time). Although I have gotten benefit from my implant, there are also times where I regret having it. For one, it is sometimes a problem with my job, as I work in healthcare, and cannot go near the MRI machine (or even the control room), despite sometimes having patients who need to be transferred to or monitored in MRI. I also cannot get MRI's myself (although some of the newer models are MRI safe). I never thought that this would be as much as a problem as it has been. But in the last year alone, I have needed 4 MRI's and have had to had CT scans instead, which besides being less ideal, also typically involve invasive contrast injections (which is particularly a problem with spinal issues, as I have recently found out), plus radiation.

Do I regret my implant? No. But before you decide to implant something blindly, if you still think an SCS might be right for you, I would consider looking for another doctor who IS willing to trial a different brand. Though, as I said, I suspect you will have the same result.

In theory, you should, as long as the leads are placed in the same location and (I would assume) the same type of electrodes are used. Just curious, but if the St. Jude worked with the one mode, why did you not go with that unit? Just because the stimulator has multiple settings or modes does not mean that you have to use them all... There are certainly features that I do not use on mine.

Also, before you have your heart set on another specific brand, you might want to check with your doctor to make sure that that is a company that he/she is actually willing to work with. I know you said that your doctor told you that you could try a different brand, but most docs seem to only work with one or sometimes two medical tech companies, as they have established relationships with their reps/techs, and are familiar with how to implant that specific technology. Medtronic is indeed a very commonly used brand, but that being said, it is not universally used. And I don't know that a doctor would be willing to work with a brand of stimulator/company that they do not normally work with just because you decide that that is the one that you want. I personally did not have a choice over which brand I got... It was Medtronic or nothing, because that was what my doctor used.