Has anyone had a abbot spinal cord stimulator put in?

I have the Burst also. In the second month of operation and on my third program I had the absolute worst right leg pain in my life. So tech reprogrammed the unit. I have have nine, I think, programs and various power levels and the only thing that happened was the stimulator made my legs weak and they kept getting weaker to the point where I could not walk up any stairs. Tech installed more new programs. Nothing. I turned the unit off. And it has been off for months. I have regained leg strength and can go up stairs fairly easy now. Last week at my dermatologist he noticed the lump in my back and asked how well it is working. I said not at all. He said about 80% of his patients say the same thing. For a device that cost my insurance $250K, It sure hasn’t helped me one bit. I am living with tramadol, which my pain management provider would not give me, and Aleve. I also helped myself by losing 55 pounds.

I appreciate your comments on the Burst and how you are managing your pain. When I had the Burst, and of course like you, it was as a lump was protruding out, I had comments from people from the tennis courts, as I am slim at 120 lbs and 5'7". The Burst was placing sciatica pain on the left side. I turned it off like you, until the Eterna a much smaller unit was placed in a few months later. The results are not what I believe should be, yet I am giving it 3 years, which will be 2026. Yes, an expensive unit and process, of which I am shaking my head. Are interviewing three neurosurgeons, and committing to one of them, the other two called and asked why I didn't choose them (!) It is a money-making thing, with the specialists eyeing the prize and the windfall. I do congratulate you on losing 55 pounds, Wow, that is neat! keep up he weight loss and use the gym to develop your core and strength, I believe that is important.

I had the Abbott Eterna implanted in February 2024 for pain from a spinal cord injury. At first, it didn't help as much as I had hoped but I think the trick is to have the settings and programs reset until it does help. If you can't get help from your Abbott rep, call your pain doctor and ask that they set up an appointment. I've had this done a couple times, and it really helps. If your settings are still low, you likely have quite a bit of room for Improvements.

I've had the Abbott burst SNS placed about 2 years ago. I always wondered if it was still doing it's job. I recently needed a cervical spine mri and needed to turn it off. For the 45 minutes it was turned off & laying on my back (cushion under knees) and I came out in excruciating pain!! Turned it back on and it didn't immediately take care of the pain but within a few hours & a dose of pain medicine I was back to normal. I'm now in process to have one inserted in my neck for pain there and no way to repair it without completely immobilizing my upper back & neck. Hope it does the trick!!

I had a vascular malformation in my thoracic spinal cord. I’ve also had multiple lumbar surgeries and cervical surgeries on discs. All of this required hardware.
I suffered chronic debilitating pain for years and was constantly encouraged by my doctors to try a medical stimulator by Abbott. Being hopeless and frustrated and distraught from dealing with chronic pain I finally succumbed and underwent the surgery.
Nope. I hate to say I’ve had no relief. It doesn’t help.
If I need any help or assistance or question, I have to reach out to my representative, which is next to impossible to reach. Then he acts very annoyed and basically just blows me off. I made it very clear that I have to have MRIs because I have a vascular malformation that could take my life if it ruptures. It requires follow up MRIs occasionally. Each time I try to have an MRI, the controller will not turn the stimulator off exactly the way it is supposed to do so therefore I am left with no MRI. I have just come back from an appointment for an MRI for a new pain probably from another back injury or just more Issues from some previous surgeries. I am in agony and I have missed a weeks worth of work. It is Christmas time. I know the MRI was not going to fix me, but at least it was one step closer to getting an answer and possibly some relief.
Again, we were unable to turn the device off using the controller so they would not proceed with the MRI

When I tried to call my representative, whose name and number are on my card, I reached some lady who has no idea what I’m talking about
Now this card is from Abbott.!!!!! It has my reps name on it and it has his phone number on it. It also includes the model number and other identifying numbers for the generator.
I’ve tried to call Abbott and they’re closed on the weekends.
I’ve tried to call my doctors and they’re closed on the weekend and I can’t get a hold of anybody

What if our in a life-threatening emergency and needed an MRI in order to proceed with something that would save my life?
I guess I would just be out of luck and out of life
I am so frustrated at this point that I am going to insist they remove this thing Monday.

It is a waste of money. It is a waste of time. It is a waste of horrific looking scars on your back. And I assure you, it leaves terrible looking scars where they implant the leads.
Out of 13 surgeries, I’ve had, all of my scars look pretty nice and clean.
The lumbar scar where they placed the leads into my back, looked like a chainsaw chain. The device itself has moved about 2 inches and is now at the top of my buttock where it started out in my flank area.
After a year and a half I was told that my leads had moved. That’s not good.

To be honest with you, I cannot tell you one thing positive about this device.
Except that my surgeon was very nice. But Abbott can’t take any credit for that because he’s a local surgeon who does lots of different kinds of surgeries.

I am so disappointed, frustrated, and downright angry that I cannot contact any representative, and I am having a serious issue and I need it addressed right now. But, there is no one to contact.!!

My advice is, don’t do it

I know 10 people who have done this, and they all say the same thing I say.
Please do not go by the reviews, most of those are generated by AI or bots.

Because I have a spinal cord arterial venous malformation, this could literally take my life.

If it were rupture, I would have to have an MRI in order to determine that that’s what was happening
I can’t have an MRI because I can’t turn the device off. My controller will not turn it off. And I cannot get a hold of anybody or any representatives.!!!
This is frightening.
And as I said before, it has never helped. I’ve never had any relief whatsoever from it. None.
I’ve had the device in for almost 3 years.
The technicians at the MRI center just told me they have never had a patient that had anything positive to say about this stimulator.
There you go

It does nothing for my pain.
The generator has fallen about 2 inches almost down into my buttock from my flank
I get no follow up from my doctor because they referred me to Abbott

Cannot even reach the Abbott representative anymore
Have no phone number for him because apparently that phone number belongs to some person now

I’m having an emergency at this moment, and I cannot turn the device off, and I cannot get a hold of a representative or a doctor, and I cannot get a hold of Abbott.
I am in an emergency situation here and it is the weekend.

My advice is do not do this.

I have never heard anybody say that it has helped them.
Everyone I know says they want it removed and I want mine removed ASAP, especially after the ordeal. I’ve been through this weekend and unable to have a life-saving procedure and cannot get a hold of anybody to help me.

@adteague - call Abbott Neurostimulation Customer Support at 1-800-727-7846

I was one of the first patients in the US to have the Abbott Eterna implanted. In general, I am satisfied with the results and the patient support from the network of device reps covering my area. Programming for BurstDR stimulation is difficult, and it can be challenging to determine the best strength setting where you are neither under stimulated nor over stimulated. I use my system in tonic mode now and have had much better results even though I need to recharge more frequently (once every three to four weeks).

These systems aren't a magic cure, and they don't work for everyone. The clinical endpoint for a successful outcome is generally considered to be a 50% reduction in pain, which is achieved by anywhere from 50% to 80% of patients depending on which study results to review. But you may still need pain meds. And you should still maintain some type of exercise program for your back and/or neck. It's important to find the right doctor and have the best device for you implanted after a successful treatment.

@adteague if you are having device connectivity issues with your controller you may need to update your patient controller app to version 2.0

May I ask how you were able to keep your nerves in check while in the MRI machine for 45 minutes? I had an MRI for the spine in 2023 and due to the Abbott SCS, the tube is more narrow, more deliberate, became uncomfortable and hot. I stopped the test after 25 minutes. I will not repeat an MRI while the SCS is present, as the experience was not a good one. I have had plenty in the past, but will not schedule one unless I am under an anesthetic.