Spinal Cord Stimulation for Chronic Neuropathic Pain: Comparative Study of Surgical and Percutaneous Leads

Strategic Insights -

A recent study conducted at University Hospital Virgen de las Nieves in Granada, Spain, has investigated the effectiveness of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) in treating chronic neuropathic pain. The study analyzed data from 188 patients who received SCS systems, comparing the outcomes of surgical and percutaneous leads. The research found that both types of leads can provide effective pain control, but percutaneous leads are associated with a higher risk of lead migration.

Key Takeaways:

  • Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is a well-established treatment for chronic neuropathic pain, offering a safe procedure with low complication rates.
  • Both surgical and percutaneous SCS leads can be effective in treating chronic neuropathic pain, with similar complication rates.
  • A total of 188 SCS systems were implanted, with a follow-up period of 79.71 ± 60.39 months (mean ± SD).
  • The study found no statistically significant differences in any variables except for lead migration (p = 0.05).
  • In patients who initially received a percutaneous system and later received a surgical system, there was a statistically significant difference in pain relief percentage (p = 0.03) and a trend toward statistical significance in the PGI-C score (p = 0.08).
  • The study concluded that further research is needed to determine if one type of lead is superior to the other.
  • The research was supported by Boston Scientific.

Statistics:

  • 56.38% of the patients were males, and 43.62% were females.
  • The age range of the patients was 15 to 76 years old.
  • 36.17% of the patients received surgical leads, and 63.83% received percutaneous leads.
  • The operating time for surgical leads was 9.2 hours ± 2.3 hours (mean ± SD).
  • The follow-up period for percutaneous leads was 77.1 months ± 59.6 months (mean ± SD).

Sources:

  • Journal of Clinical Medicine, "Comparison Between Surgical and Percutaneous Paddles in Spinal Cord Stimulation for Chronic Neuropathic Pain" (2025;14(19):7013)
  • Medical Devices & Surgical Technology Week, "Report Summarizes Pain Study Findings from University Hospital Virgen de las Nieves (Comparison Between Surgical and Percutaneous Paddles in Spinal Cord Stimulation for Chronic Neuropathic Pain)" (2025, November 2)
  • University Hospital Virgen de las Nieves, Granada, Spain
  • Journal of Clinical Medicine, Mdpi, St Alban-Anlage 66, Ch-4052 Basel, Switzerland