Faith Regional Health Services | living WELL | Spring 2018

New technology at Faith Regional can provide pain relief ROBERT PRINCE, MD, pain manage- ment specialist at Faith Regional, was the first surgeon in Nebraska to surgically implant Medtronic’s new Intellis™ implantable neurostimulator. Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) delivers mild electrical impulses along insulated wires to an area near your spine where the pain is coming from. These mild electrical impulses then interfere with the ability of the damaged nerves to send signals to the brain help- ing patients get back to doing the everyday things they love most. The surgery used to implant the neuro- stimulator is minor and can often be done as an outpatient procedure—meaning you won’t have to stay overnight in the hospital. The other benefit is that patients can often undergo this surgery no matter their current health status because its typically performed under local anesthesia with a sedative. “During surgery, wires are placed over the area in the spinal cord where the pain is com- ing from,” says Dr. Prince. “These wires are then connected to the neurostimulator placed under the skin.” The stimulator is MRI-safe and the Adaptive Stim™ technology automatically adjusts stimulation as you change body positions. “Similar to cellphones, this technology has been around for a while now,” adds Dr. Prince. “But just like cellphones, it keeps improving. This is the very newest model of a neurostimulator.” Patients who would benefit from this type of procedure have often been diagnosed with a damaged nerve and medication is unsuccessful. Prior to determining if this surgery is right for you, Dr. Prince will perform a screening to see if this technology will work. Learn more about this procedure and Dr. Prince at frhs.org . Robert Prince, MD Pain Management Specialist Board-certified in pain medicine and anesthesiology FRPS Pain Management 2622 W. Norfolk Ave., Suite 200, Norfolk 402-844-8100 FRHS.ORG 7