A clinician from University Hospitals Tees is believed to be the first in the world to perform 100 specialist surgeries that have helped drastically reduce chronic pain for patients – celebrating a milestone in spinal cord stimulation.
Dr Ashish Gulve, clinical lead and consultant in pain medicine, has marked the achievement of fitting 100 devices that have helped patients like Sarah Stavers to ‘feel like a human being’ again.
Inceptiv™ is a tiny surgically implanted device that has two wires inserted in the spine, close to the nerves responsible for carrying pain signals.
It sends low levels of electricity directly into the spinal cord to disrupt pain signals before they reach the brain.
Once fitted, the device is able to deliver multiple waveforms and can detect signals from the spinal cord and automatically adjust the strength of the impulses accordingly.
When it senses the patient’s movement, such as when they cough, sneeze, strain or bend over, it automatically adjusts itself to avoid painful shocks and improve pain relief.
“I don’t worry anymore about my pain making my life worse”
In 2010, Sarah Stavers, now 36, was riding her horse when she was suddenly thrown off – plunging into the air momentarily before landing 20 feet away from her horse.
Ever since the accident, the customer service professional has been living in pain. For 13 years she was not able to eat – even after undergoing multiple rounds of treatment.
In 2020, she had two spinal decompression surgeries to manage her worsening condition but the pain returned after some time.
She said:
“I was not able to sleep, eat or see anybody. I did not go anywhere or to be honest, I just could not go anywhere even if I wanted to.
“I was surviving on pain relief and it was not a healthy way to be.”
In 2023, she was referred to The James Cook University Hospital’s pain clinic in the hope of managing her chronic pain.
Dr Gulve reviewed Sarah’s MRI scans in October 2023, where she was ruled out for any further surgically treatable pathology, which would have involved surgical removal of the discs or spinal fusion.
However, this was the same period when Inceptiv™ was being offered for the first time to patients like Sarah who had no other treatment options left.
Dr Gulve said: “After reviewing her case and coming to a conclusion that there was no alternative, we thought Sarah was the right candidate for spinal cord stimulation.”
When the medical team offered her a chance at leading a pain-free life again, Sarah jumped on the opportunity and decided to be one of the first patients in the UK to take advantage of the revolutionary device.
With full hope of coming back to live a life where she doesn’t have to worry about her back pain, Sarah was fitted with an Inceptiv™ device at James Cook, and was discharged the same day.
Once her wound was healed a few weeks later, the device was turned on and it has been a ‘game-changer’ for Sarah ever since.
She said: “I never had any pain once the device was switched on, nothing stops me now from what I want to do, which was the complete opposite prior to this.
“I can sleep, which is new, because I was not able to do that for a long time. Moreover, I don’t worry anymore about having to plan my life around what’s going to make my pain worse.
“Life with a spinal cord stimulator is really easy; it is the best thing I’ve ever done.”
Dr Gulve, who has been performing the surgeries at The James Cook University Hospital and Friarage Hospital, added: “Inceptiv™ Closed-Loop Spinal Cord Stimulation has significantly improved pain control, quality of life and functional outcomes in the 100 patients I have treated.
“What is truly remarkable is how minimal the therapy burden has been both for patients and the hospital. This technology not only delivers superior outcomes but also streamlines care, making it a game-changer in the field of neuromodulation.
“It also gives me immense pleasure that our team has been able to make a difference in the lives of our patients like Sarah – helping them to feel like a human being again.”
From analogue to digital
With University Hospitals Tees marking another milestone with the spinal cord stimulation surgeries, the hospital group is continuing its work in improving patient experience through modern technology.
This also forms part of the NHS’s Fit for Future plans as University Hospitals Tees strives to play a key role in the ‘analogue to digital’ shift.