Implantable Devices

Among the more technologically advanced treatment methods in pain management, implantable devices are most often used for patients suffering from severe, sometimes intractable, pain that hasn’t responded to more conventional therapies or treatments.

The Pain Center offers the latest in cutting-edge implantable technologies to effectively and safely manage and treat a wide variety of persistent, complex pain conditions, such as chronic back pain, cancer pain, neuropathic pain, and spasticity. Our expert, multidisciplinary team specializes in several types of fully reversible, innovative implantable-device treatments, including:

• Spinal Cord Stimulation: A board-certified specialist inserts a small programmable device into the patient’s spinal canal that emits mild electrical pulses to the spinal cord, altering the pain signals being sent to the brain.
• Intrathecal Drug Delivery Systems: Sometimes referred to as a “pain pump,” this treatment comprises a device embedded into a patient’s body to deliver small, timed doses of medication (lidocaine, phenol, morphine) directly to the targeted area.  
• Dorsal Root Ganglion Stimulation: A more advanced version of spinal cord stimulation whereby a device is implanted into the dorsal root ganglion, a small cluster of nerves in the spinal cord directly involved in sending pain messages to the brain. Columbia University Medical Center was one of the first institutions to adopt this treatment.

Patients receive compassionate, high-quality care throughout the implantation process, from consultation to follow-up, in a comfortable, caring environment. All of the procedures can be performed on an outpatient basis at our state-of-the-art clinic in midtown Manhattan, conveniently located near several subway lines and parking facilities.