“Especially when treating people with multiple pain generators, we want to have current images to make the best therapeutic decisions,” said Dr. “It’s highly imperative that if you have therapy going on, that your device be MRI-compatible to have high-quality images,” said Dr. This limited the quality of the diagnostic images that could be taken of patients using the device. Prior to this new FDA labelling, physicians wishing to use Abbott’s proprietary BurstDR™ technology were restricted in their lead placements with regard to MRI when using the Proclaim XR SCS. In addition, decisions have to be made as to what order we treat these pain generators and how treatment of one condition may impact another.” Patients with back pain often also have neck pain, headaches or arthritis and vets can have PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), so it can be difficult to separate out what is going on. “These people, rather than having a single source of pain that we can focus all our efforts on, are dealing with a far more complex situation. Seventy percent of our patients are active military or veterans and that population, as well as those patients entering their sixth decade, are more likely to have multiple pain generators, making MRI’s a regular part of clinical care. “Being able to get consistent MRI images is very important, especially in our practice. “I’m excited about this MRI compatibility announcement,” said Dr. Getting a Clear Look at a Complex Problem The team partners with companies, like Abbott, to determine what are the best new software designs and waveforms to treat people with intractable, chronic pain. Mehta is an interventional pain specialist who treats back, neck and head pain, while also running a research department that evaluates new therapies. Pankaj Mehta, Medical Director, Chief Medical Officer and Director of Research at Pain Specialists of America. In addition to clearing the path for more frequent MRIs, complex scans over 30 minutes will be faster due to reduced down time between scans. This announcement may sound like some minor tech improvement but it’s actually a pretty big deal.īecause pain patients and physicians know all-too-well the important role that high-quality imaging afforded by MRIs plays in their world, this opens new possibilities for improving diagnostic quality as well as patient comfort. These electrically insulated wires transmit electrical impulses to the nerves targeted by the neuromodulation device. The focus is on enhancing patient care without having to replace implanted devices.Ībbott recently received new FDA-approved labeling which expands MRI compatibility with the leads used on the Proclaim TM XR Spinal Cord Stimulation System. We are building a neuromodulation platform that offers ongoing improvement designed to continually upgrade products for our patients – past, present, and future. As recently highlighted in CEO Robert Ford’s keynote address at the 2022 CES event, Abbott is focused on remaining a leader in medical technology, continually building on a vision that will enhance patient care.Ī vital component of that vision is improving experiences for both patient and physician. I couldn't sleep because my leg felt like it was being crushed in a vise and every step I took felt like a hammer hitting my leg,” you know you are dealing with a cruelly heightened state of existence.Īnd when that same person describes his pain relief after implantation of Abbott's Proclaim™ XR SCS (spinal cord stimulation) as allowing him the opportunity to have the moments raising his two-year-old daughter that he thought he’d, “lost forever,” the stakes are clearly illuminated. Not just for this patient, but for the approximately 20% of all Americans who live with debilitating chronic pain.īut, while life-altering improvements can occur when Abbott’s neuromodulation devices are activated, these dramatic changes are far from the end of the story. When a patient-a Marine no less-describes his day-to-day as, ”Any contact with water, regardless of temperature, felt like daggers. The world of chronic pain is one that tends to lack subtlety.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |