Is a Drug Pump Right for You?

The treatment option that will work best for you depends on your type of pain, how severe it is, and how you respond to pain treatment.

A drug pump might be right for you if:

Other treatment options haven’t provided relief from severe chronic pain or have produced uncomfortable side effects
Further surgeries are not recommended
You don’t have a serious, untreated dependence on pain medication
You don’t have medical issues that would make surgery difficult
You have had a successful drug delivery screening test

Screening Test

The screening test is your opportunity to give drug delivery therapy a try before committing to having a system implanted. The screening test is sometimes called the trial period or a temporary evaluation period. There are two types of screening tests. Your doctor will select the screening test that he or she prefers.

At the screening test:

Your doctor will monitor your response to the medication during the screening.
The effect will be similar to what you would experience with an implantable drug pump.

The screening test will take place in either the hospital or a surgery center. After the screening test, you and your doctor will discuss your experience and decide if an implantable drug delivery therapy system is right for you.

There are two screening test methods. Your doctor will decide which screening test method is performed.

Injection Method – This procedure consists of a single injection or multiple injections of a small amount of medication into the intrathecal space
Continuous Infusion Method – This type of screening test takes place over a few days and closely resembles the therapy delivered by the implanted drug pump

Complications can occur with the screening test, including bleeding, infection, and drug side effects. The catheter also may need to be replaced. You should not undergo a screening test if you have an active infection at the time of the test, have a body size too small to accommodate an implanted pump, or if you are allergic to the screening medication.

After the Procedure

After the procedure, you will be taken to a recovery room. You may experience some discomfort in the area of your back where the incision(s) was made. This is temporary and will resolve in the hours and days following the procedure.

If your screening test involved the injection method, you will:

Discuss your response to the screening test with your doctor before going home. Your doctor will want to know:

If your screening test involved the continuous infusion method, your doctor will discuss the following before you are sent home with your temporary system:

How to use the external pump
How to care for the area around the catheter while you’re at home
What activities and movements to avoid during the screening test period

After the Screening Test

At the end of your screening test period, your doctor will:

Remove the temporary catheter, if one was used
Discuss your experience during the screening test
Ask if you were satisfied with your experience
Help you determine if you should proceed with the implant procedure

Next: Surgery: What to Expect

Information on this site should not be used as a substitute for talking with your doctor. Always talk with your doctor about diagnosis and treatment information.

Last updated: 18 Feb 2013