Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is an established treatment for chronic neuropathic pain, particularly in patients who have failed conservative therapy or prior spine surgery. This case highlights significant pain reduction and functional recovery in a patient with severe lumbar radiculopathy and weakness following prior lumbar surgery. A 39-year-old female with multilevel disc bulges causing spinal stenosis, and chronic lumbar radiculopathy presented with severe low back and left leg pain. She had undergone lumbar decompression surgery in 2023 but continued to experience debilitating neuropathic pain despite medication management and multiple epidural steroid injections. Spine surgery reevaluation determined that no further surgery was indicated. At initial pain clinic evaluation, the patient was wheelchair bound and exhibited significant left lower extremity weakness. She underwent a spinal cord stimulator (SCS) trial using the Biotronik system with Multiphase Stimulation resulting in >65% pain relief and the ability to ambulate with a cane. Based on the successful trial, a permanent SCS implant was performed. Post-implantation, she maintained >70% pain improvement, progressed to independent ambulation for short distances, and reported substantial improvements in function and quality of life. This case demonstrates that SCS can offer meaningful pain reduction and functional restoration, even in patients with severe baseline disability and failed prior surgery utilizing Prospera Spinal Cord Stimulation System with Multiphase Stimulation.
Hasoon et al. (Tue,) studied this question.