Neurosurgery
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Since the senior author's (J. E. A.) first report in 1972 of the use of deep brain stimulation (DBS) to control chronic pain, electrodes for DBS have been implanted in 141 patients. ⋯ After the mean follow-up period of 80 months, 42 patients (31%) continued to obtain significant pain relief with DBS. Some pain states, particularly anesthesia dolorosa and paraplegia pain, did not seem to respond to DBS. Major complications of therapy included wound infection (12%) and intracranial hemorrhage (3.5%); there was one death in the series (0.7%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)