After Surgery – Neurostimulators

After your implant procedure, it is important to follow your doctor’s instructions for post-surgery care and keep all follow-up appointments as scheduled.

Immediately After Surgery

Following your surgery, you will likely feel some discomfort at the incision sites for several days. This incisional pain feels like a bruise. If you notice any swelling, pain, or redness near your incision, notify your doctor. Once your incision has healed, the neurostimulator site requires no special care.

Immediately after surgery, your doctor may:

• Recommend ice to reduce swelling and pain for 24 hours
• Prescribe medication to relieve the pain caused by surgery
• Prescribe antibiotics to prevent infection

2 to 8 Weeks After Surgery

You may also experience pain at the neurostimulator implant site 2 to 8 weeks after the surgery. This pain is caused by the tissue healing process. This happens with any type of implant surgery. It is your body’s natural response to the implant.

During this time, your doctor may recommend that you restrict your activity. You may need to avoid lifting, bending, and twisting movements. This allows time for scar tissue to form, which helps anchor the lead. Use normal caution with these types of movements after the initial 6 to 8 weeks.

Commitment to Success

Overcoming back and leg pain requires a commitment from you. You will need to learn to operate the neurostimulation patient programmer and participate in other pain treatments, such as physical therapy, to help ensure success.

After the Incision Has Healed

Once your incision has healed, the neurostimulator site requires no special care. However, you should talk to your doctor if you perform any excessive or repetitive activities that may damage your neurostimulator or lead(s).

Ongoing Care

Talk with your doctor about which activities you can do and when you should be a little more careful. Call your doctor right away if you:

• Experience additional or unusual pain
• Notice changes in the effect your therapy is having on your pain

Follow-up with your doctor to ensure that the spinal cord stimulation is working correctly and relieving your pain. There are many stimulation settings available, so what you walk out of the procedure with is not the only option.

If you have a rechargeable device, you will need to recharge your neurostimulator regularly.

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