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Cancer Pain
The treatment option that will work best for you depends on your type of pain, the severity of your pain, and your response to pain treatment.
A drug pump might be right for you if:
A trial helps assess whether the Medtronic SynchroMed® drug delivery system might be right for you. This is your opportunity to experience what drug delivery feels like and to find out if your pain responds to the therapy. If you achieve satisfactory pain relief or experience reduced side effects during the test, you may be a candidate for targeted drug delivery. With a trial, you‘ll have a reasonable idea of what your results might be before you have the device implanted and commit to long-term therapy.
The trial will take place in the hospital. After the trial, you and your doctor will discuss your experience and decide if an implantable targeted drug delivery system is right for you.
There are two screening test methods. Your doctor will recommend the method that makes the most sense for your situation and discuss the risks of the screening procedure with you.
Injection Method
This procedure consists of a single injection or multiple injections of a small amount of medication into the intrathecal space.
Generally, these are the steps your doctor may take during the injection method:
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.
Generally, these are the steps your doctor may take during the continuous infusion method:
Complications can occur with the trial, including bleeding, infection, and drug side effects. The catheter also may need to be replaced. You should not undergo a trial 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 trial medication.
At the end of your screening test period, your doctor will:
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.