I have had a Meditronic Pain Pump since 2002 and have had 6 surgeries, in the past 6 months I had 3 surgeies, the first of the 3 surgeries was to take away scar tissue that had grown over the Pain Pump, 5 weeks after the surgery a Large Seroma the size was bigger than a softball had formed over the pain pump, the Doctors tried to drain it but it filled right back up with in minutes, so the Pain Pump was removed. I asked the Doctor to leave the Pain Pump out but he said that I couldn't stand the Pain in my spine with out the Pain Pump so on the second surgery a new pain pump was put in me with a stutcherless pump connector into the same area that was infected with this large Seroma, well aparently the old Pain Pump and the new Pain Pump and pump connector was under recall.
Then 5 weeks after the second surgery a hole opened in the incision and you could see the Pain Pump, also there was a yellow fluid leaking from the hole in my stomach. After much pursuit to have the infection looked at I was sent to an infectious Disease Doctor and the doctor said that the Pain Pump had to be removed Stat or bigger problems will occur, and I would have to take anti biotics all my life, so the Doctor wrote me a letter to give to my Doctor, then four days later the Pain Pump was removed, but the Catheter was left inside me and still attached to my spine. I hope I don't have futher problems and I also hope that the infections stay away.
The Doctor gave me my Pain Pump back that was removed from me and I could see that there was a white granule substance that had grown on the tip of the Pain Pump where the Catherter connected to the Pain Pump. I hope that this will not be a problem also.
If anyone has had problems like this please contact your Senator or State Rep. because I read on the internet that someone tried to sue Medtronic for Defective Medical Devices and lost the case because the 9 Supreme Court Judges voted 8-1 against sueing a Medical Device Comapny for making Defective Equiptment that can damaged the Public. This lawsuit was sent to the House of Rep. and the State Senate for futher review, this information was found in google while looking for attoney's against Medtronic, I also found an article about 2 Canadian Law Firms are sueing Medtronic for 550 million dollars, and this suit is just over the Defibillator.
i had a pain pump put in december of 2009. it does not stay in place. it moves almost all the way over with the top rotating forward and now the back is beginning to move the same way. is this normal? i have to reach and catch it before it flips all the way. my dr said "wear a binder" but it doesn't control it all the time and i can't reach in the shower or anything.
Hello;
I had the exact problem a few years ago, my Pain Pump kept flipping forward when I would sit down, and it would try and turn completly around, my Doctor said that I needed to have a Pain Pump Revision, and after the surgery the Pain Pump stayed in place.
It sounds to me like your Pain Pump is not sutchered in very well, if you look at a Pain Pump it has 4 spots around the Pain Pump edge that holds sutchers to keep the pump in place, also your Pain Pump should be in a mesh pocket, so you might have problems with the Pocket also. I would call Medtronic and tell them that your Pain Pump is Flipping, but I would first tell your Doctor that this is not normal.
I know that the surgery I had to stop the Pain Pump from flipping worked, and like I said the Doctor did a Pain Pump Revision, I hope this helps you, also you have to be your own Doctor sometimes if you know that something isn't right, remember the saying " A Squeaky wheel always gets oiled " so don't be scared to let your Doctor know that your Pain Pump is more of a problem than it is helping, remember it's your body not the Doctors.
I remember when my Pain Pump was flipping, I was always holding the Pain Pump in place with my hand when I ever had to do anything, that was not right !