My spinal cord stimulator has reached its' end of life after 9 years, and my doctor is making arrangements with my insurance company to replace the battery. If anyone has been through this replacement, could you please tell me what the recovery was like, and how many days you were off from work, if any? Thanks in advance for your help!
Healing time after spinal cord stimulator battery replacement?
Question posted by MeggieGirl on 1 Oct 2018
Last updated on 12 April 2022 by Momma21
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3 Answers
Momma21
12 April 2022
I had my neurostimulator replacement battery surgery done on Monday April 4th and I'm still sore but my incision is also itching so the incision site is healing. I would give yourself a month to 6 weeks to heal completely and definitely ask to have the incision glued.
rareearth
15 Nov 2018
Your recovery time from this procedure should be no more than one week to four weeks. I offer up the longer time frame because many things can happen after surgery and we all react differently. I know patients who have had this procedure done and been back at work within two or three days, while some have taken longer. Now that’s referring to work - the two to three days or a week. Pain and swelling at incision sites can certainly last longer and you need to discuss those things with your physician/surgeon as well. All this however, will depend on your physical condition and your body’s reaction to the minor surgery.
Note that given the improvement in battery technology this should be the last time you will have to have the battery replaced - dependent upon the brand of device you have implanted. Discuss that issue with your physician and/or the device manufacturer - who should have both a representative for your region/area assigned to you directly/personally and they will have a national phone number for you to reach out to them. They should be able to answer many questions you may have and it’s important you stay in touch with them. That regional/local representative assigned to you for your device can also be a go between should you need help post surgery or before hand who should be able to get in touch with the medical professional doing the battery replacement.
I wish you well. Take your vitamins post surgery even if you don’t normally take anything it will likely be helpful, eat a balanced diet with as many greens as are reasonable for you, while eating lean meats and while rest and care of the surgical site will be crucial - don’t be too sedentary, as that can make these types of procedures problematic afterwards and cause things like extra scar tissue, swelling, and fluid buildup that can easily be avoided.
Best Wishes, I’m sure all will
Go Well!!!
MeggieGirl
15 Nov 2018
Hi Rareearth,
Thank you SO MUCH for responding, and providing so much helpful information. My surgery is on Tuesday of next week, so you answered with perfect timing! :)
My surgery date is really lucky - the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. So I only have to take one day off from work and have the rest of the week off as does everyone else at work. I called ahead and asked about the time frame to return to work, and just as you said, I was told two to three days, but that's only because I sit at a computer all day. They said they would keep me out of work longer if I had a manual labor job.
I didn't really consider how long it would take for the wound itself to heal. I hear that this surgeon likes to use staples not sutures, and that sounds barbaric and like it would leave a scar while right now I have none. I will be certain to ask about expected pain at incision site time frame.
I'm excited to hear that this may be the last time I may have to go through the battery replacement! I certainly am excited of the new technology that I will now have, such as parasthesia/no parasthesia, and the different modalities of parasthesia. In the old style, it was just parasthesia with the same 'ol buzz, all the time. This one will apparently be able to tell when I'm lying down and automatically adjust its power! I can't tell you how many time I was zapped by the old style!!!
I didn't think about taking vitamins, so I'll go ahead and buy some. I planned to stock the kitchen with food, but what I stock it with is just as important as anything, it sounds like. I thought I was supposed to be on bed rest, so it's good to know that I should try to be less sedentary as possible.
Thank you for the well-wishes and all of your great advice and feedback! Meg :)
rareearth
18 Nov 2018
MeggieGirl, In response to your statement that the surgeon prefers staples over sutures, staples are 5x more likely to cause post surgical infection. Beyond that, there is no logical reason to use staples if you’re capable of good wound care post surgery. If I were you - and I do know this surgery intimately, I’d request sutures. It may not be possible due to the battery location - and the surgeons fear that the wound will reopen because of the location.
However, I’d push very hard for sutures, and if the incision is in a location that moves a great deal and could be torn back open - to promise the surgeon you’ll take great care with the area. Again, certainly try to push politely, but VERY strongly for sutures. They are far less likely to cause unnecessary scarring and cutaneous nerve damage (nerve damage in the skin layers around the cut) as well.
Good to hear you’re going to take vitamins and eat well post surgery. Those things will make this process easier on you - and will do so really without any major or difficult lifestyle changes. It will help you feel better as well :). My Very Best To You.
Jane72
2 Oct 2018
The healing time is difficult to determine because each individuals body recovers in different ways , some faster than others .
I have a nevro HF 10 stimulator implant and I was told the battery replacement healing time is the same as when it was put in , because it needs to be taken out n a new one replaced , and new programming needs to be done to suit ur pain needs . I was in hospital for 2 days . ( should of stayed longer as I could hardly walk ) It was very hard to walk up my staircase to my bedroom for at least a fortnight , I unfortunately got a nasty heamotoma and terrible bruising n swelling for about a month . So I would be enquiring with your surgeon and going off what it was like when u first had it done . Get a lot of rest as this helps the healing process ,even a walking Cain can help take the pressure off ur back n neck if it is hard to stand ,
good luck and hoping it all goes well for u .
Jane :)
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