Long-Term Clinical Outcome and Safety of BurstDR© Spinal Cord Stimulation in a Patient with a Permanent Cardiac Pacemaker–Defibrillator: A Case Report

Neuromodulation of the spinal cord (SCS) in patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices has been recognized as a relative contraindication. We described a 71-year-old man who underwent single eight-contact electrode SCS implantation due to persistent spinal pain syndrome type II with a pre-existing permanent cardiac implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). Importantly, the SCS was implanted close to the ICD system. Following a successful trial, a permanent system with an Abbott Proclaim implantable pulse generator was implanted and programmed predominantly in BurstDR mode. At five months, the patient showed a ~40% reduction in pain. The IPG data demonstrated a cumulative 3358-hour usage of the mixed stimulation SCS system, of which BurstDR accounted for roughly 75% and tonic stimulation for 25%. No cardiac rhythm disturbance, defibrillator activation, or ICD malfunction has been observed. In this report, we demonstrated the five-month BurstDR SCS in a patient with a co-implanted ICD at close inter-device proximity.