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Has anyone tried the HF10 Spinal Cord Stimulation Device?

Posted by patrick17 @patrick17, Nov 21, 2018

Has anyone tried a device called HF10 ? It’s a device which stimulates your spinal cord to help relieve back and leg pain. After a trial period of about a week, if the patient is achieving good results the device is implanted in the person. My pain management doctor has recommended it to me for arm and hand nerve pain. I would like to hear from anyone who has used this device and especially from anyone who has used it for arm and hand pain. Thank you.

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patrick17 | @patrick17 | Aug 26, 2020
In reply to @elsa "Dear Patrick: I have lived with chronic leg and foot pain for more than 10 years...." + (show)
@elsa

Dear Patrick: I have lived with chronic leg and foot pain for more than 10 years. It began after a failed back surgery. I finally reached the point where I was ready to try a Spinal Cord Stimulator. I did a great deal of research about the options available re SCS manufacturers and devices. Based on that research, I chose to trial Nevro's HF-10. I was disappointed when the Nevro trial was a failure. Subsequently, my doctor was able to get a rep from Boston Scientific to come to the clinic the morning the Nevro trial ended, and so I was connected to the Boston Scientific device for another 5 days. I had much better results with the Boston Scientific stimulator. To give you the numbers: The Nevro trial resulted in a 30% reduction in pain while the Boston Scientific trial resulted in a 50% reduction in pain. Both of these devices are "MRI Compatible" but in both the MRI has to be set at 1.5 Teslas which is one-half of the usual 3.0 Teslas. The MRI will still be a usable image just at a lower resolution than at 3.0 Teslas.
I have MS so being able to still get an MRI is very important. If getting future MRIs is important to you, do be sure to verify a devce's capability to be safely scanned in an MRI.
Wishing you the best,
--Elsa

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Hi, Elsa...I’m glad the Boston Scientific SCS is working out for you. That was good of your doctor to immediately get you into the trial for it.
I did a lot of research also and I ultimately decided not to try a spinal cord stimulator. I couldn’t find much information on their success with arm and hand pain. I didn’t want to have the surgery if there was only a small chance that it would be successful in reducing my pain.
I hope you continue to have positive results with your spinal cord stimulator.
Patrick

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Moderator
Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Aug 27, 2020
In reply to @artistnomore98 "I too have it in both hands and entire right arm, underarm across breast and neck....." + (show)
@artistnomore98

I too have it in both hands and entire right arm, underarm across breast and neck..
I opt to try the HF10...
After almost 2 hr surgery, after waking was told they could not place it....
Then ended up back 6 hrs later in emergency surgery due to my spinal fluid bleeding...
I can not force myself to attempt again..
This disease has changed me...I DO NOT LIKE WHO I SEE IN THE MIRROR...
I DON'T REMEMBER HOW IT FEELS TO MOT HURT...

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Hi @artistnomore98, and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I can understand your statement about how your condition and pain has changed you and that you don't recognize the person you see in the mirror.

I think you might appreciate this discussion started by fellow artist and pain sufferer @wsh66
- Pain and depression, the one two punch https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/pain-and-depression-the-one-two-punch/

@artistnomore98, I assume from your name that you are an artist. Can you tell me more?

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drmario45 | @drmario45 | Sep 16, 2020
In reply to @bkruppa "My wife has chronic pain and considered a spinal implant device. After doing much research and..." + (show)
@bkruppa

My wife has chronic pain and considered a spinal implant device. After doing much research and talking to some doctors I found the following. There are older and newer model devices out there. The newer claim to work better even though the process of implant is the same so I'm not sure why the newer claims are better. Second is that there (according to a doctor) is a high re-implant rate in the first 5 years (20%) apparently to readjust the spinal implants. Third is there probably are no studies done on other parts of the body other than that of the spinal/back and leg. My wife's pain area was never studied so she would be the first to test these devices for her pain area. From what I've read pain in the arm areas was never mentioned. Finally I tried to get clinical study side affect data on more severe side affects like paralysis which a neighbor down the street from us incurred as a result of an implant procedure. None of the companies would provide such data. So I don't know how to view the probability of this severe side affect from occurring.

So while many have had success with these devices we decided not to go through this procedure due to the many unknowns at hand.

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I've had a simulator in my back for over 8 years and it has made my day to day work and a lot more pain free. It has its ups and downs just like any other things. I can't have MRI's, and the initial healing time after surgery, and the battery life.But as far as getting rid of all the pain I had from my lower back to my feet was nil compared to before I had the simulator implanted. I had already had a fusion from S-1 to L-4, and they wanted to go in and do another fusion from L-4 to L-3 but I choose the simulator. For me it was the best thing I could of had done. I didn't want them to go through the stomach to do the next fusion, that's my reason to have the implant.

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scruffy1 | @scruffy1 | Sep 16, 2020

@drmario45 @bkruppa I have an HF10 and you CAN get an MRI. The rep simply does a scan as you sit near her and ensures that the impedance of all electrodes is <10,000. She will then issue the report to your imaging center. Then you go to an imaging center (that knows its stuff!!! - my hospital refused me) and they will instruct you to merely turn off your device before entering the room...and you can then safely get an MRI.

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susieparker | @susieparker | Dec 6, 2020
In reply to @donfeld "Dr. Forest Tennant in CA who has been doing research and treatment to many individuals with...." + (show)
@donfeld

Dr. Forest Tennant in CA who has been doing research and treatment to many individuals with. Arachnoititis says do not do stimulator unless all preventive care has been tried first. He is now 78 but he still help you with his ideas of preventing our disease from progressing.. He has helped me and his method is out of the box which is what you need to do. Get proactive! Don

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I also have Claudia Equina Adhesive Arachnoiditis (AA). I had a stimulator prior to the AA diagnosis and it drove me crazy. Since every doctor I talk to, doesn’t know what it is and admit after they do, nothing can be done. I was glad to hear your response about Dr. Tenant. My pain doctor says the SCS are improved, but I’m getting a little gun shy of all treatments.

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1 reply
bill54321 | @bill54321 | Dec 6, 2020

Sme Lazer treatment in the sacrum have been done in Florida. You have to be your own advacate in highly technical problems. I am a typical unhappy 90 yr old compainer about the late of research in sacrasl and brain movement problems. Screek , screek, parrots.

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Erika | @erikas | Dec 9, 2020
In reply to @susieparker "I also have Claudia Equina Adhesive Arachnoiditis (AA). I had a stimulator prior to the AA..." + (show)
@susieparker

I also have Claudia Equina Adhesive Arachnoiditis (AA). I had a stimulator prior to the AA diagnosis and it drove me crazy. Since every doctor I talk to, doesn’t know what it is and admit after they do, nothing can be done. I was glad to hear your response about Dr. Tenant. My pain doctor says the SCS are improved, but I’m getting a little gun shy of all treatments.

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@susieparker Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect, a place to give and get support. You say you are getting gun shy of all treatments. Would you tell me a littlie more about that?

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donaldjames1 | @donaldjames1 | Dec 11, 2020
In reply to @sallymagint "Hi, over the years I’ve had 3 dorsal column Stimulators (2 made by Medtronic the other..." + (show)
@sallymagint

Hi, over the years I’ve had 3 dorsal column Stimulators (2 made by Medtronic the other by Nevro). I found them to be quite affective however please be very stringent in researching any kind of implanted pain device because many of them are not MRI Compatable. I ended up having emergency surgery to have my all my devices and leads removed so I could receive treatment for severe spinal instability.
I’d been complaining of my back feeling like a concertina that was going to collapse at any time. Of course I didn’t know at the time but that was exactly what was happening. One day I lost bowel/bladder control and it suddenly became a medical emergency. The devices were removed, MRI performed and before I knew it I was having a 6 level spinal fusion.
Even if you are told the device is MEI Compatable ring a few radiology/imaging places and ask then if they do MRI’s with pain devices. Many won’t even though some device company’s approve them. 9 mths prior to my back surgery I had brain surgery across the other side of Australia because no radiology would do a Cranial MRI where I live. Over 4000 to be able to have an MRI.

My pain specialist who put the stimulator in was hesitant to remove it because it was so difficult to put in in the first place. Perhaps if it had been removed earlier I wouldn’t have ended up with such complex circumstances surrounding both brain and spinal surgery. It’s important to remember that if you need one of these devices you probably have chronic pain and your condition may require ongoing imaging to monitor whatever condition it. Please check and double check the information you’re given, I would hate anyone to have to go through what I did

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I had a trial with stimulator. I have so much hardware in my back they could not get I to the proper location. I would need a other surgery to even git it to fit. It did not help my pain on the trial so I and my doctor thought we should not pursue putting in a permanent one.

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1 reply
Erika | @erikas | Dec 14, 2020

@donaldjames1 It sounds like your spinal issues are complicated and you are experiencing a lot of pain. Did your provider offer alternative options to the stimulator?

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bobby55 | @bobby55 | Dec 17, 2020

Had FH 10 installed Oct this year, great job but implant is right on belt line so causes a little trouble. This is just to suggest patient asks about positioning post trial and pre implant

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