Prepare your consultation well
Rebellious cancerous pain makes up the main reason for intrathecal pumps. Patients are usually recommended to us by the oncology center.
One must respect certain specific criteria to benefit from an intrathecal pump:
- A lack of improvement on the pain scale despite an optimal medical treatment and/or its responsibility for notable secondary effects;
- A high dose of morphine-like analgesics (> 200 milligrams/per day);
- The possibility of an implantation surgery;
- An understanding of the therapy and complying to the follow-up.
In order to clear these different eligibility criteria, you will have to go through a pre-operative check-up. It includes:
- A consult with the surgeon;
- A consult with a pain nurse;
- (Research Institute for Development – IRD);
- An anesthesia consultation;
- A consult with a psychologist.
An internal pump will be offered to you, if your life expectancy is estimated to be over 3 months. If it is under 3 months, we will instead opt for the installation of a hooked-up catheter to an implantation spot – a typical port-a-cath –, with an additional external pump PCEA (Patient Controlled Epidural Analgesia). The implantation of an external pump might then be considered if you get better after getting that treatment.
