Intrathecal Drug Delivery Systems

Intrathecal drug delivery systems also known as a spinal pump are devices that we can implant that actually deliver medications specifically to the spinal cord itself into the spinal fluid itself. Studies have shown that the small concentrations of medication employed directly to the spinal cord fluid itself have a much higher and effective ability to control pain. Again, these are placed in an operating room under controlled settings, under sedation or anesthesia. These pumps are refilled and monitored percutaneously through the skin with Bluetooth type devices and we also can refill the pump at every 6 month intervals. These pumps stay with the patient; they are filled in the office and are monitored continuously throughout the duration of the implantation. Computers control the flow of the medications, it can be changed throughout the day to different rates, and we can actually change the medications should one not be effective, or even add a secondary medication to the pump to have a combination of medications to improve pain control.