Intrathecal Drug Implant

pump and catheter

Implantable Drug Delivery Systems use a small pump that is surgically placed under the skin of the abdomen to deliver medication directly into the intrathecal space (the area surrounding the spinal cord).The medication is delivered through a small , soft tube called a catheter that is also surgically placed. This pain therapy delivers pain medication directly to the receptors in the spinal cord and therefore requires significantly lower doses of medication in comparison to oral medications. The exact dosage, rate and timing is prescribed by your pain physician and then entered into the pump using a programmer. The programmer communicates with the pump by radio signals, which enables your pain physician or nurse to check the status of the pump’s operation at any time.