shunt infestions

I have a VP and lumbar shunt and am contemplating surgery to implant a spinal stimulator to treat chronic sciatica. How often does the implanted stimulator lead to shunt infection and how serious is an infected shunt?

[Yvette BG]

I don't know about implanted stimulators; hopefully, someone who is knowledgeable can answer that part of your question.

Shunt infection, however, is not something to fool around with. It can be life threatening if the infection spreads to the system. If not caught and treated soon enough, shunt infection often leads to shunt failure and requires another surgery to put a replacement shunt in.

Definitely find out what the risks of infection are before having a spinal stimulator implanted. I would also ask the surgeon if you can talk with 2 or 3 patients who've had the procedure done. The doctor probably won't provide their names and contact numbers due to privacy laws, but you could ask if he/she/his nurse would contact them for you and ask that they contact you so you could ask a couple questions about what their experience with the spinal stimulator's been like. (You may have to sign a permission release/release of medical information statement for this to happen.) I would ask the person(s) how it all went and would they do it again; plus, is there anything about the implant process they know now that they wish they would've known sooner.

Best of luck and please keep us posted,
Yvette