• David Caraway, Valery Walker, Laura Becker, and Jennifer Hinnenthal.
• Pain Relief Center, St. Mary's Regional Medical Center, Huntington, WV, USA.
• Neuromodulation. 2015 Aug 1; 18 (6): 508-15; discussion 515-6.

IntroductionAn implantable drug delivery system (IDDS) provides an alternate route of opioid administration for patients with chronic pain. We collected data on systemic opioid use before and after IDDS implantation; patients who successfully discontinued systemic opioids; and physician support of discontinuation.MethodsThis was a single-center, retrospective chart review of 99 consecutive patients who used IDDSs for at least six months. Data collection included pre/postimplant systemic opioid use and pain scores, and patient demographic and clinical characteristics.ResultsThe study population averaged 67 years of age, was 68% women, and 77% were Medicare beneficiaries. Ninety-five percent of patients had low back pain, and 86% had limb pain. The majority (81%) had pain for >5 years. Failed treatments included epidural injections (74%), lumbar spine surgery (46%), spinal cord stimulation (14%), and facet joint injections (11%), with 84% also reporting significant systemic opioid side-effects. All patients taking long-acting opioids discontinued these within one month of implant. Total systemic opioid elimination was accomplished by 68% of patients at one month postimplant, 84% at one year, and 92% at five years. At one month postimplant, 60% of patients reported decreased pain (mean change: -4.07), and at one year, 64% did (mean change: -3.42).ConclusionsIDDS can provide significant and lasting pain relief and an alternate route of delivery compared with systemic opioids with their associated side-effects. We demonstrated that systemic opioid elimination could be accomplished after IDDS implantation in the majority of cases through appropriate patient selection, monitoring, and participation.© 2015 International Neuromodulation Society.

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