FAQ SPINAL CORD STIMULATION (SCS)

The SCS trial is designed to mimic what you’ll experience with the implanted device. Once your Medtronic neurostimulator is implanted, your doctor will adjust your Medtronic neurostimulator to optimize your pain relief.

Many people experience significant pain reduction in regions such as their extremities, legs, and/or back with SCS.¹ However, because the therapy doesn’t treat the source of pain, the degree of pain reduction will vary from person to person.

Your doctor will program the settings based on your needs and preferences, but you can adjust stimulation levels using your handheld programmer, which works like a remote control.

Yes, you can travel or move within the United States. Because your treatment-related information is stored on your device, it’s with you wherever you go. This means you can be treated at any clinic that uses the Intellis™ or Vanta™ platform. 

For international travel questions, contact your physician or Medtronic Patient Services. In general: 

The wall charger for the Intellis™ patient programmer is a universal charger and can be used overseas. It supports input voltages from 100–240V at frequencies of 50–60 Hz. All you need to charge your patient programmer is a plug adaptor.

The Vanta™ system does not have a rechargeable battery. The AC adaptor for the Vanta™ patient programmer and communicator must support input voltages from 100–240V at frequencies of 50–60 Hz.

Approximately 82% of patients implanted with an SCS will need an MRI within five years to diagnose an unrelated condition. Medtronic SureScan™ MRI technology allows you to have access to MRI scans anywhere on the body.^†

To learn more about getting an MRI, visit our MRI page.

The Intellis™  device with Medtronic Overdrive™ battery technology maintains nearly full capacity (less than 5% fade) at nine years. If your neurostimulator ever malfunctions or the battery depletes, replacing the neurostimulator is recommended at this point.

The Vanta™ neurostimulator does not have a rechargeable battery. When Vanta™ is nearing the end of its service life, the device will signal an alert that says, "Replacement Recommended (ERI)." This means your device is still working, but it is time to contact your clinician about next steps.

Learn more about replacing your neurostimulator.

All SCS patients must complete a psychological evaluation to meet insurance company requirements. Insurance companies need to verify that patients go into the procedure with realistic expectations and the understanding that the procedure may not get rid of 100% of their pain.

You’ll find complete details for recharging your device on our recharging page.

Use care when approaching theft detector and security devices (such as those found in airports, libraries, and some department stores). When approaching these devices, do the following:

1. Show the security personnel your patient identification card for the neurostimulator and ask for a manual search. Security personnel may use a handheld security wand, but ask them not to hold the security wand near the neurostimulator any longer than is needed.
2. If you must pass through the theft detector or security screening device, turn stimulation off, approach the center of the device and walk through normally:
   • If two security gates are present, walk through the middle, keeping as far away as possible from each gate. 
   • If one gate is present, walk as far away as possible from it. 
   • Some theft detectors might not be visible.
   
3. Proceed through the security device. Do not linger near or lean on the security device.
4. After you pass through the security device, turn stimulation on again.

Medtronic field staff are available to provide support for you and your device.  Ideally, an appointment with a Medtronic rep is scheduled through a physician’s office. 

• Please call your managing doctor’s office and request to make an appointment.
• Medtronic reps are not medically trained but may provide technical support for your device.
• The protocol in place between a physician office and a Medtronic rep may vary.
• Medtronic patient services does not have access to invite a rep to your doctor’s office.
• Doctors can call 1-800-MEDTRONIC (1-800-633-8766) to contact a field rep on your behalf.
• Request to have a Medtronic rep call you back by completing the online form found at the bottom of our resources page.

For instructions on how to update your contact information, visit our resources page.

Visit our resources page for additional information.

For lost or stolen equipment call Medtronic at 800-510-6735 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT.  If you no longer need your external equipment, here are some options:

• Offer to donate the equipment to the managing doctor’s office.
• Dispose of this product according to local regulations.
  • Visit this page for instructions on proper disposal of the product(s).
  • Do not dispose of the product(s) in the unsorted municipal waste stream.

Visit our recharging page for useful information and tips.

Charging the Intellis^TM SCS implant from empty to full can take approximately 1 hour with excellent recharge quality on recharge speed mode 4.

Charging sessions for the Restore^TM implant can take from a few minutes to more than 12 hours, depending on the charging efficiency, how often you charge and your therapy needs.  

Implant charge frequency will depend on your settings. For example, the higher the therapy settings are, the more frequently you may need to charge your implant. Check the implant battery status and charge the implant when you notice it is low. Additionally, it's important to keep in mind that:

• Battery capacity will continue to drain, even if stimulation is off.
• If the neurostimulator battery becomes completely discharged, therapy will be lost.  

Your power supply cord should display a green light on the top when plugged into the outlet. If it is not displaying the green light check the following:

• The connection to the power cord might be loose. Reposition the power supply cord into the electrical outlet.
• The outlet might be controlled by a switch or not working. Consider trying another outlet.
• The power supply cord might be incompatible with the electrical outlet. Obtain an adapter for the type of electrical outlet you are using.

If the green light is displaying on the power supply cord, try resetting the controller by removing and reinserting the battery pack.

If you have a Restore^TM implant, when the implant battery nears depletion, the implant will go into a discharge state and therapy will not be available. If more time passes without charging, the implant may go into overdischarge. This means the battery has been sitting depleted too long and you will not be able to charge on your own. You will need to call your doctor.

If you have an Intellis^TM implant, follow the recharging screen prompts to recharge your discharged implant.

The Warning Screen Guide  will help troubleshoot warning screens that might appear on your therapy programmer. 

If you have additional questions after reviewing the guide, contact the Patient Services team at 800-510-6735 Monday–Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT.