Pain Control Pump
Things to Consider...
How does the Medtronic Pain-Control Pump
relieve pain?
Are you a candidate for this therapy?
The Screening Trial - determine if you
find pain relief before the implant
More about the Medtronic Pain-Control Pump
New Personal Therapy Manager
(PTM)
How does the Medtronic Pain-Control
Pump relieve pain?
Intrathecal drug delivery is designed to reduce pain by delivering
pain medication to the intrathecal space surrounding the spinal
cord. Because this therapy delivers pain medication directly
to the receptors in the spinal cord, smaller doses of medication
are required to gain relief.
The system consists of a pump and catheter, both of which are
surgically placed under the skin. The pump is implanted in the
abdominal area, just above or below the belt line. A thin, flexible
tube, called a catheter, connects to the pump and is tunneled
under the skin to the site where medication is to be delivered.
The pump releases the medication at a set rate, and the medication
flows from the pump, through the catheter to the site of delivery
in the intrathecal space.
Are you a candidate for Medtronic
Pain Therapies?
People with certain kinds of chronic pain may be candidates
for intrathecal drug delivery therapy. The following criteria
are used to determine whether or not intrathecal drug delivery
is appropriate for chronic pain sufferers:
- More conservative therapies have failed to adequately help
the pain.
- An observable pathology exists that is associated with the
pain.
- Further traditional surgical intervention is not indicated.
- No serious untreated drug habituation for your pain condition
exists.
- Psychological evaluation and clearance for implantation
have been received.
- No medical issues exist that would present problems with
doing the surgery.
- The screening trial is successful.
- Find
a pain specialist in your area
Have Questions about the Pain-Control
Pump? Start Here
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The Pain-Pump Screening Trial
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Watch
how the pump works
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After your doctor confirms that you are a candidate for
a Medtronic intrathecal drug delivery system, he or she
may decide to perform a screening test (also known as
a "trial"). Participation in the trial allows your doctor
to evaluate how well the therapy may work for you.
- The objective of the trial is to determine your response
to medication delivered into the intrathecal space.
During this trial, your doctor may choose one of two
procedures.
- Single injection: This procedure consists of a single
injection of a small amount of medication into your
spinal column. The injection is delivered with a needle
and syringe and is similar to an epidural injection.
- Continuous infusion: With this procedure, a continuous
infusion of medication is delivered to the spine through
a temporary, implanted catheter. One end of the catheter
is placed in your spinal column and the other end attaches
to an external pump. This trial takes place over several
days and closely resembles the therapy delivered by
the fully implantable Medtronic intrathecal drug delivery
system.
- The trial is usually conducted under local anesthesia.
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More Pain Control Pump Information
The pump is implanted during a surgical procedure that
may require a brief hospital stay.
- Before the surgery, you and your doctor will decide
where to position the pump for your comfort.
- Your surgeon will form a pocket under your skin that
is large enough to hold the pump. This incision is
usually in the lower abdominal area.
- A second incision is made over the area where one
end of the catheter will be placed.
- Once the pump and catheter are in place, the incisions
are closed and the surgery is complete.
! Because the pump and catheter are surgically placed,
surgical complications, such as infections, are possible.
Other potential surgical complications include bleeding,
pain and discomfort around the implant site, and blood
(known as "hematoma") or fluid (known as "seroma") in
the pocket where the pump is implanted.
Surgery and Drug-Related Events
In addition to surgical complications, there is the potential that you
may experience drug side effects, which may include:
- Symptoms of drug overdose.
- Symptoms of drug underdose.
Talk with your doctor about the potential side effects
and complications associated with your medication and
surgical procedure.
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New Personal Therapy Manager
(PTM)
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PTM
and SynchroMed® II
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If you experience any of the following, you may wish
to consider asking your doctor about the Personal Therapy
Manager (PTM):
- You are involved in certain activities that cause
an increase in your pain
- You experience an increase in pain at unpredictable
times
- Your intermittent pain is inadequately relieved with
oral medications
- You are interested in becoming actively involved in
your therapy
The PTM is a handheld device that works with your SynchroMed® II
Infusion System. When you experience an increase in your
pain, the PTM allows you to request an additional dose
of medication from your SynchroMed pump. This additional
dose is often referred to as a "bolus" dose of medication.
If you and your doctor agree that the PTM would be a
valuable tool for you, your doctor will program your pump
to allow you to give yourself a certain number of bolus
doses per day. The pump and PTM have safety measures designed
to help guard against overdose. Your doctor will program
your pump to ensure you stay within your prescription
limits.
The PTM allows you to become actively involved in your
therapy and lets you control when additional doses of
medication are delivered to help deal with unpredictable
increases in your pain levels.
Talk with your doctor about whether the PTM is right
for you.
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“The
PTM gives me freedom — freedom to go out of
the house, freedom to interact with my family, freedom
to have a better quality of life because my pain
is controlled. Furthermore, I no longer have to
take a handful of pain pills every day.” *
- Linda Benárd
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“The PTM gives me control
over my life and my pain. If I want to do something
that I know is going to cause a spike in my pain,
I give myself a dose of medicine before I go out.
It keeps my pain under control and allows me to
enjoy my activities.” *
-Guy Carlson
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* Individual results may vary
Your doctor will work with you to help you select the
system that is most appropriate for your needs.
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IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION