Issues that required removal of Nevro HF10?
Posted , 52 users are following.
Hi y'all -
I am so grateful to have just found this site and hear y'all discuss your experiences with the spinal stimulators. I have been in pain mgmt tx for 6 years after a catastrophic accident. My anesthesiologist/pain drs pushed for me to get a stimulator implanted in my first year but I read some horror stories and now my dr is saying this Nevro HF10 is much superior to those earlier products and treats the pain in a more complex, fuller way.
I wondered if anyone had needed to have their device removed? My dr said this device (small device he said...) would be implanted in the flank area, above the fanny and that caused much fewer issues than devices installed alongside the spine. I read the horror stories about removing those but now read that some of you are having pain in the flank site too.
My dr does not provide hardly any info and everything else I read seems more like advertising until finding this forum. I'm curious about how this really helps and what it means for your life. I would be so appreciative if anyone would answer some or all of my questions. I know I have a lot so I understand it may be a lot to ask. Here are some of them: Do you have an outside device that is attached to you? This may sound silly, but are there wires coming out of your implant area? Can you shower, swim, normally? Does the device poke out or look noticeable if not dressed or dressed?
I am scheduled to have my second radiofrequency lesioning on my lower back in four weeks and am scheduled to do the 5-day ketamine outpatient treatment in mid-May. I have had at least 10 nerve injections to try to relieve pain and only have ever found minimal relief, all while my CRPS and nerve damage worsens. I take narcotic pain meds and have for 6 years now and would LOVE to get off them or lower my levels. I returned to grad school two years ago and am about to graduate next month and the increased mobility caused the need to increase pain meds and increased my pain. i am so worried about the ketamine tx and know that this is not part of this thread, but my point is that I am desperate to find relief. I don't want to turn to this "new technology" version of Nevro and have more hassles, less money, and the same amount of pain, so your thoughts and insights are much appreciated.
I will continue to read and appreciate everyone's honest and forthright threads and responses. I am learning more here than in several dr's appts!
Thank you and best wishes to all of you in your pursuit of a minimized-pain life!
Chris (in Georgia, USA)
10 likes, 107 replies
kim75356 chrisw115
Edited
it isn't just "bad doctors" that the Nevro Hf10 can fail with, personally i too got electric shocks even with a nevro whose battery had gone dead six months prior....i didnt charge it due to the shocks in my lower back which were much worse when it was charged. also it hurt my back to sleep on my back flat so i slept on my right side only so as not to lie on the big bulky "deck of cards" size of the nevro device.
i had it less than two years but my Pain Dr in northern Ca took it out of me in September of 2018. my low back pain is much better, i can now get MRI's and have gotten two of them since then, and best of all NO SHOCKS!
some things work for some, and everyone is different. nothing is bad inherently or good even the nevro HF10. we all need to keep trying until we find something that works for our own pain.
thanks
kim
Desert_Guy kim75356
Edited
First, Matthew maybe you should read all the replies before calling out people and accusing them of mental health issues just because you dont like hearing about real experiences. That is what this forum is about, good and bad.
Second, a follow up continuation of my last post from several months ago. I had my second permenent Nevro device implanted (3 total) and it just got worse. I am 6 months post implant, and this one did absolutely nothing. I purposely let the battery die, and I couldnt even tell when it did. My doctor has done his best to talk me out of removing it, but its coming out one way or another. I have decided to go with the pain pump, it may not be perfect, but must be better than where I am at now. At least the drugs made a dent in my pain, and the Nevro went from 50% at trial, 20% at permenent, to zero at second permenent. I am really happy that this may have worked for others, but what a colossal waste of time, money, worst of all, my time.
Like others have said, that one person in 10,000 that abuses opoids, is destroying the other 9999 that take them responsibly. At least when I was on a higher dose, I had some sense of a life, now I am a non-functioning humanoid. The docs I have seen, either are too afraid to prescribe what we need, or look at me like I am a drug pusher. I shouldnt be surprised, punish 9999 because of 1.
craig19661 Desert_Guy
Posted
I agree with all that you said. If this number of folks are having a serious problem with this product then there has to be something to it. We have better things to amuse ourselves.
riley90188 chrisw115
Posted
People who accuse others without knowing them -- that exhibits a strong case for mental instability as I have studied in my post-grad psych classes... if you point one finger at someone; you need to check how many that leaves pointing at yourself. (Just check ???) Anyway, a psych evaluation was done --"Prior to insertion of trial and permanent implants"... how can someone compare a banana and a watermelon?Perhaps flaws there too... the trial is no replication of the permanent, how can the Algorithm Geniuses from MIT & Stanford even compare (?)EVERYONE take care of yourself and don't rely on 21st Century Medicine --- that means "ME" as well.We are not all the same and our fingerprints are unique & totally only our own.
Best Wishes to You ALL !!!
CAR in TX, USA
kim75356 chrisw115
Posted
there seems to be so much commentary on boards like this on peoples social behavior online....i appreciated this thread about the nevro but honestly didnt find it until i removed the nevro Hf10 last september which i am glad that i did., per my earlier comment.
but i will say that my NEVRO rep who was really a sales guy in my estimation not a "therapist" inferred to me that nevro surpresses all negative feedback on the device, even to the point of forcing forums like this to delete negative comments. it is true that you cant find them anywhere!
bothj the physicians manual and the owners manual are online Iread and sfudied botb of them and cya language is all through both manuals on nevro’s .part.
I really want to know what the kickback to the doctors is though. how do I find that ouo shouldn’t it be public information? it is a publicly traded company actually bought stock in it and alreadu aold at a profit of 50 percenjt gain!
kim
bradley_08701 chrisw115
Posted
when I first had the Nevro implanted the first day the battery pack slipped about 3" pulling the lead wires out of spinal cord or wherever this piece of s**t put it... so three months I had these wires moving around doing something to my spinal chord.
I went to my neurosurgeon and he put paddles in. After that good surgery then the battery quit working. I would sit there and fully charge it...and it would last a couple hours. Well I had my Nevro electric stimulator implant taken out and it was the best day of my life. I'm still in chronic pain but I got some relief after what I thought was my lifesaver. ...Everyone is different, so what didn't work for me might help you. Let me know because you would be the first person in my group.
thanks
bradley_08701
Posted
by the way....right after I had my Nevro F10 I saw the Regional manager for Nevro, and he said "if he was my representative from the beginning he would of never recommended the F10 since my back is not in good shape......now they tell me.
bradley_08701 chrisw115
Posted
My first pain management doctor screwed the whole implant up. First the battery pack slipped half way down my ass pulling the lead wires completely out of the spine. It took over three months of severe pain before i could get into a good doctor that put in the paddle system. It kept the battery pack from slipping but the device shocked and burnt me or thats what it felt like it was doing. The battery quit working after a few months.....i would charge the battery sitting 4 hours and the battery would die after a couple hours. Nevro folks never called me back and they did send a new charger that had the same result as the other one.
After I finally made the decision to have it removed....which was the best thing I ever did.....then I got a call from Nevro asking me how the device was working for me. The device is worthless do not do it,,,,!!!
bradley_08701 chrisw115
Posted
My first pain management doctor screwed the whole implant up. First the battery pack slipped half way down my ass pulling the lead wires completely out of the spine. It took over three months of severe pain before i could get into a good doctor that put in the paddle system. It kept the battery pack from slipping but the device shocked and burnt me or thats what it felt like it was doing. The battery quit working after a few months.....i would charge the battery sitting 4 hours and the battery would die after a couple hours. Nevro folks never called me back and they did send a new charger that had the same result as the other one.
After I finally made the decision to have it removed....which was the best thing I ever did.....then I got a call from Nevro asking me how the device was working for me. The device is worthless do not do it,,,,!!!
bradley_08701 chrisw115
Posted
I have a new pain management doctor after the one before screwed me over. Within a couple of hours of having the Nevro F10 implanted the wires pulled out and just swung around my spine. My new Doctor removed every article of Nevro where before it was all over his office. He listened to me and made his decision to get it out of his office.
riley90188 bradley_08701
Posted
Such a horrific issue / episode you had -- This product definitely needs to have more checks and balances. Sounds like no one is monitoring the "Hen House" so to speak. Someone needs to pull the plug on NEVRO as well as the MD's that are implanting them! Also the Surgi-Centers that allow the MD's to use their facilities (and providing them kick-back $$$) Sorry to hear of once again- pain causing More PAIN !!!
Stay Strong (if that is even possible),
Fellow Pain patient in NTX,
debbie20859 chrisw115
Posted
ease good problems with nevro before you make a decision. my doctor and the nevro sales people gave me very little info. I went ahead and had the implant. the surgery site on my back hurt bad for weeks. it never worked either. yes it shows when you look at your back. it also feels like it is pushing out of my skin.
it has been in me over a year now. we are unable to afford getting it removed.
kperkb debbie20859
Posted
I understand completely. I had mine in six months and reprogrammed three times but the leads had already slipped and migrated before I even knew. When they did take x-rays for a final determination they had slipped and fallen and migrated. I’m having my room removed Monday. You might ask them what the self-pay price is instead of using your insurance. I think you’d be really surprised.
Blessings,
kperkd
debbie20859 chrisw115
Posted
I had my device put in permanently a little over a year ago. it never worked. it was so expensive to have it removed that I still have it in me. the surgery was very painful for weeks. it is not a small device . it is larger than my cell phone. so I can not lean back with out it hurting. then I became very sick and lost 30 pounds. so now the device is touching my skin and pushing against my spine. it hurts a lot. now I have to get it removed and use a credit card to pay.
I sure hope you got yours resolved. it has been a nightmare for me.
Debbie
MMS45 chrisw115
Posted
Sorry to say my issues have not yet been resolved. Being thoroughly disgusted with Nevro and their incompetent, lying reps, I turned my device off three months ago. I have contacted the District Manager, who has ignored me. I just sent him an ultimatum prior to sending a Certified letter to the CEO. Some people are finally getting results with a much, much lower "pulse" stimulation; i.e. stim on for 5 or 10 seconds and off for 15, 20 or more minutes....then repeat. Since I've already endured the implant surgery, I want to try the much lower stimulation before I have the damn thing taken out.
After 16 months of research, I have found that all is the SCS manufacturers are corrupt and, among other evils, they are taking advantage of the manufactured Opioid crisis. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if they are behind the crisis to sell these expensive devices.
I am saddened by all you have been through. There are people who get good results from these Stimulators. It seems to be hit and miss. So, for you, it might be worth a try. I hope you have been in touch with others with similar problems. My pain is neuropathic from Transverse Myelitis, which is similar to MS. So, my pain is due to Central Nervous System impairment. I have recently learned that these Stimulators don't do for Myelitis pain, but this info was not available in June, 2018, when I had the device implanted.
My heart and prayers are with you.
kim75356 MMS45
Posted
if the insurance you had paid to put it in why wouldnt they pay to take it out? i got mine out a while ago and i am SO glad that i did it. you shouldnt have to deal with pain from this! even if you pay with a credit card you should keep the receipt and appeal to your insurance company for sure! im so sorry you are suffering still with this thing!
kim