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
chy2166 chrisw115
Posted
Did you get the implant, if so, then how has it worked for you?
riley90188 chy2166
Posted
Never worked for me! NEVRO implanted Oct. 2016 - always gave out SHOCKS in my body, even when battery turned OFF!!! Leads moved at least 2 times with documentation from Imaging Center. The Rep continuously adjusted Programs - "NEVER" successfully. Found a New Team of Doctors to remove implant March, 2018. Was still difficult to pull myself up from this (possibly some PTSD; related to receiving unknown shocks from implant totaling 2 1/2 years - our soldiers that have been on war zones being shot at for 2 1/2 years have PTSD & I can sort of relate. - I was like I was receiving electric shocks, for unknown reasons, especially since Battery was turned OFF !!!) And many things I've read from this post are LOTS worse than what I endured.
A New Year Beginning (2020) a New Decade starting... we all need to fill out our stories and turn in to Food & Drug Administration for appliance compliance.
Replies welcome,
Blessings to All,
CAR in NTX, USA
bradley_08701 chrisw115
Posted
I had nothing but problems with my F10 implant. I started with a severe infection, the battery dropped 3 inches and pulled the wires out, after that was corrected the battery never charged the way it should of. I would charge it for hours and it would last maybe two to three hours long. I would feel like a little shock and burning sensation until I finally realized this was ridiculous and had this thing removed. This was the best decision I ever made...Don't do it!
My neighbor just had the F10 put in and she spent 7 days in the hospital with a horrible infection.
kperkb chrisw115
Posted
Everyones body reacts differently if I had to do it all over again I would've had done more research and got a second and third opinion. I had mine putting on an April and taken out six months later. My leads had fallen and I was getting stimulus in the wrong areas. I have felt so much better since I had it removed!!!!! It did work for me for a short time but I had to have it reprogrammed three different times and it would work as long as I would stay in bed and not do anything I was pretty much pain-free. I couldn't live like that though. What I thought was a odd was my doctor didn't even do an MRI before he put the Nevro spinal cord stimulator in. My rep couldn't have been nicer and more helpful I'm beginning to think it's all about the almighty dollar, all the advertising and kickbacks makes you wonder. Do your research!
stanleyzee kperkb
Posted
That's a bit odd, because the brochures I received from my HF10 REP showed people golfing, fishing, dancing, and even running around their neighborhood after they had their HF 10 Implant, and a bunch of testimonials from people who were in severe chronic pain for years that magically went away after the device were inserted.
I've only actually spoken in person to one person who had an SCS system implanted, and in 5 years, they have had 3 other surgeries to have new equipment installed, or other equipment moved, and is still taking lower doses of opiates even though they told her that she would be opiate free after the implant I asked her wheat her final thoughts would be and she said that the reps, who she never saw after the implant, were just as friendly as a birthday cake , but even though she was told that doctors would be on call 24/7 to be called for any reason with any kinds of problems with her implant, she told me that she had times that no Doctors who were knowledgeable about the implant she had were around, or they told her she would have to travel to another city to get help, and in the end she said that after reflecting on all that had happened, the biggest deal was if the insurance she had would cover all the equipment and procedures, so it is the almighty Dollar that was really driving everything.
In my case, I have to do something eventually, since the only pain relief I can get for my diffuse osteoarthritis is medium doses of opiates taken daily, or I am just barley able to do anything. There is no cure for Diffuse Osteoarthritis, and the money labs spend on finding cures for any of the Osteoarthritis diseases is a pittance compared to what is thrown at cures for cancer.
stanleyzee chrisw115
Posted
Hello: This does not really speak directly to the infections that appear to be occurring to people who have had the HF10 SCS System installed, but there is a familiar ring to what I read. I had a small benign growth in the (you-know where mens area,,,if you get my drift) , and after consulting with my Urologist, he told me that there are two courses of actions I could take. One was to do DAILY Sitz Baths for a few MONTHS 2 to 3 times a day sitting on the on the Commode with Epsom Salts in warm water to gradually get rid of the 'Thing' , which would definitely cause the 'Thing' to gradually heal itself and go away without taking any meds, or any intrusive devices.
The 2nd option was to have an outpatient surgical procedure which would entail a local anesthetic, along with about a half inch incision, and remove the ' Thing ' from the area, followed by some ice packs, sitting quietly at home until the swelling went down and perhaps some antibiotic prescription from the pharmacy to control any possible infections.
Well, immediately the thought of sitting on a Commode 3 times a day for a few months just was not appealing, and I immediately opted for the outpatient surgery.
Then my good Doctor told me a tiny secret, which most Hospitals will not let the ' Cat out of the Bag ' so to say. My Physician had the good sense to tell me that there are quite a number of new strains of viral and bacterial infections that do not have ANY cure(s) available, and there are a host of labs all over the world trying to develop drugs and formulas to kill off these new strains, and even my tiny half-inch incision, no matter how well the area was sterilized, and how well the operating facility was cleaned and sterilized to the nth degree, even outpatients were going home and some, withing a short amount of time, had to return to the emergency rooms where help to clear the infection was not available because some cultures of the infection(s) were nasty, but, there was nothing anywhere on earth to stop the infection from spreading.
After hearing about these new and improved infections I choose the 'Sitz'[ Bath route which looked like the way to go , and my ' Thing ' disappeared.
So the moral to my short story is that I am very thankful for a Physician who has the patients best interests in mind before making far more money going the surgical route.
If anyone has read any articles anywhere about this problem that is occurring in the worst to the best Hospitals in the nation, please let us know, because until my Urologist told me this eye opening information, I was blind to what is really going on out there.
bradley_08701 chrisw115
Posted
I say it's about time we all get an attorney and sue these companies that are making millions of dollars and making us in more chronic pain, sicker. How do we get someone from the U.S. Pain Management on board and see what is happening.
riley90188 bradley_08701
Posted
Best Idea Ever for the Beginning of a NEW DECADE = Year: 2020.
How can we all band together !!!
CAR in N TX, USA
Mel5566 riley90188
Posted
hi folks, don't want to burst your bubbles b4 new years, but I contacted 3 or 4 attorneys after my issues. I was told by 2 that I had not suffered enough and didn't have enough damages yet! I guess I have to wait til I can't walk or the statute of limitat.ions run out. That was from attorneys located in NYC and Texas. The ones in PA where I lived at the time wouldn't talk to me. I hope now that I'm in another state with a different doctor it's different
stanleyzee Mel5566
Posted
Mel5566: Hello...This is why you have to go to the Media..the National Media, and kind of stretch out your condition to be much much worse than it actually is, and do you really know how much damage the Doctors and Manufacturer really did to you long term? I mean inside...where you cannot see. With my Diffuse Osteoarthritis ( from the outside,,,,naked as the day I came out of the shoot I look fine ), but my insides are not worth a plumb nickel. When I put on my leg braces that are attached to the heals of the only shoes I can wear with the braces ( they are a custom matched pair), support stockings on both feet and legs, and diabetic socks, then put on the new test it out $15,000+Laser Lumbar belt with battery pack, then over the laser belt goes a monster size full Lumbar support belt with extra side supports, and extra back support, and then I attach TENS unit to my Neck with all the leads taped to my neck and sides of my forehead, and then an over sized soft Cervical Collar tightly around my neck to keep the leads in place, or they will fall off, I look like I already died. Now when I go out, I do not wear the support gloves for my hands, and the firm curved support appliance with three sets of LONG Velcro straps on my right arm that goes almost from my shoulder to my wrist,( only for sleeping, and the CPAP Machine every night ) and then I attach the TENS unit to my outer Lumbar belt with the wires going up to my neck and head, I are one sight to behold! That's how I would go on live Media...cough a little, sip on water to stay hydrated, have my Smart phone which is attached to my wrist via a loop and the Phone is magnetically attached to the Phone Clutch, and I use those styluses to dial and use on the phone since I cannot feel my hands or fingers on and off, and on and off is totally random due to severe nerve damage, and I have about 5 styluses since I am dropping them and losing them all the time, you should see how many people pick those styluses up off the floor without me even blinking to hand them back to me when I drop one, and I can play the drop it again right after you give it too me game, since it has really happened so many times I lost count, and I wanted to cry I felt so helpless.
Do that on National TV, and I betcha all the bucks I have ( which are not many at all, so if you sue me and win, you will be more poor ) that you will get calls from Attorneys and Firms who will help you out and anybody (free) of all charges, since they want to make a name, and they want you to tell everyone in the USA who exactly or what firm helped you get a few million bucks in court, or maybe a class action (but they take forever...I would go it alone), and I bet you settle out of court with a pile of bucks, and even if you are in pain still, the money is just like having your favorite food when you want it too just feel better, because having pain like I do 24/7/365 for 18 years really really S__KS . Now this is out of the BOX, and people do it, when there is no one to turn to, and you know what, I would not steal a penny from anybody ( I did take one cent from a Candy store that was sitting on the counter, and used it to get candy, since way back then ( I are 67 and I was 7) you could get a semi-decent amount of candy for a penny, and I went back a week later to the store, told the owner what I did, gave him 10 cents to over cover the cost of my steal, and he took the dime, forgave me, let me in the store any time I wanted and it still bothers me to this day, but when ANYONE who does not care and harms you in any way, I now declare FULL Wojuna (Polish for WAR (( voy-na )) because if I do not get the best try from them the 1st time, then fix, and fix, and fix, and try and try, and try...I want them out of OUR Universe. PERIOD.
Mel5566 stanleyzee
Posted
Hi Stanleyzee! Even if you are 67 and suffering from a debilitating disease and even tho' we are both in pain, you make me laugh and brighten my day. I think I'll just marry you and take care of you til I can't move! Lol! I'm going to definitely contact the media after the holidays are over and the bs on television dies down. You give me the courage and strength to do that so I will give it a shot. As my grandpa said when you ask, the worse people can say is no. God bless you. I'm praying for your pain to ease every day. Have Happy New Year and a better and improved one
stanleyzee Mel5566
Posted
Hiya Mel....Back at you all the way, and you are right...the worst thing that can happen is you get 5 bucks and change, and a lifetime of stories that no one will believe.
It's better than nutin'....and Mel...as Yoda would say...Gay I not am...and I was married 2x and a third is not in me horror scope. But if you do decide to go 'out of the box', and are swimming in singles, I'll be right there to mess you up counting the spoils.
bradley_08701 chrisw115
Posted
I say it's about time we all get an attorney and sue these companies that are making millions of dollars and making us in more chronic pain, sicker. How do we get someone from the U.S. Pain Management on board and see what is happening.
Sweetee chrisw115
Posted
I've had my Nevro Spine Stimulator since September, 2017. On the whole, its been very helpful as I used to have a migraine 24/7. All opioids either made me sick or didn't work after a few months. I Thank GOD its been a great help and definitely recommend. I still see a pain dr due to having some horrible migraines but not 24/7. My dr prescribed an opioid and has done outpatient surgery burning a nerve in my neck. It seems all my migraines come from my neck and of course, stress. Hope I've been of some help to you.
pamela99027 chrisw115
Posted
I had my stimulator removed Feb. 23rd 2021 due to the device implanted into my hip area started shifting into my spine.I never got warning when it shifted it shifted.Didnt matter whether I was just walking,or getting in or out of my vehicle,it shifted and left me like "frozen up" until it shifted back.First time it happened I was in process of putting my pj pants on and when I went yo step into my pants it shifted causing me yo lose my balance,falling and hit my head on corner of dresser knocking myself completely out.My dog woke me up licking my face minutes later.I suffered severe back pain constantly,and lived in fear if I didnt get the implant removed,that if it shifted one next time I'd end up paralized.Its been almost 2 weeks since my surgery and I've been the sickest and in the most pain I've never experienced from other surgeries I've had through the yrs.Im 61 yrs old now,and I dont know where I go or how to get relief from my pain.I was diagnosed having a degenerative spine with osteoporosis about 12 yrs ago.At first the stimulator was the answer,but when the shifting started I couldn't live in fear of paralysis knowing at any given moment it would shift.