Implants and Pain Control:
Health Story

Aired on Lifetime Television
Sunday, February 19 and April 16
Show 307

Maria Radtke had her facial bones crushed in an accident. In constant pain and taking 10 pills a day, "I didn't feel like living," she says. But there is an amazing new form of relief available. "Motor cortex stimulation is like a pacemaker for pain," says Dr. Richard Osenbach, a neurosurgeon at Duke Medical Canter. Pain is caused by the inability of certain brain chemicals to suppress pain. Electrical stimulation can inhibit pain. Two surgeries are necessary for this procedure. First, an electrode is placed on the brain. One to two weeks later, after it is tested, a second surgery installs a permanent battery in the shoulder or abdomen. An external remote controls turning the stimulator on and off. Although the surgery is not without risks, "It's changed my life," says Maria.