A New Chapter for Acute Pain Conditions - Cancer Pain and Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)
A New Chapter for Acute Pain Conditions - Cancer Pain and Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)
- Seoul National University Hospital's Pain Management succeeding in Asia's first "Synchro Med Programmable Implantable Infusion System"
- Synchro Med Programmable Implantable Infusion System effective in chronic pain treatment, especially cancer pain or CRPS
- Lower side effects and outstanding effects with the capacity of 1/300 of oral administration
The medical team led by Professors Lee Sang- Chul and Kim Yong- Chul at Seoul National University Hospital's Pain Management Center announced on April 14 that they succeeded in the surgery of Synchro Med Programmable Implantable Infusion System for the first time in Asia. The target patients were Mr. Ju (45) suffering from Cancer pain, and Mr. Gang (45) with Complex and Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). Both of them severely suffered from chronic intractable pain , which could not controlled medications including opioids and spinal cord stimulation.
The medical team who presided over the operations said, "We used Synchro Med Programmable Implantable Infusion System for patients with chronic intractable pain conditions where oral medicine and interventional pain managements injections were ineffective, especially those where pain control was effective using opioids drugs among those with cancer pain conditions with over three-month life expectancy or those with CRPS."
Synchro Med Programmable Implantable Infusion System is a medical device where it can be programmed to continuously infuse the subscribed medications, such as morphine or baclofen, into the cerebro spinal fluid intraspinals for long using the transplanted drug implantation system. It consists of a drug-storing pump (diameter of seven centimeters and thickness of one centimeter), and a catheter.
The system was conducted in medically advanced countries like the U.S. and Europe where clinical researches targeting chronic pain patients abound, and was proved safe and effective. In Asia, it was first operated by the medical team led by Professors Lee Sang- Chul and Kim Yong-Chul at Seoul National University Hospital's Pain Management Center.
By Continuous infusion of morphine into the cerebrospinal fluid instead of oral administration in using Synchro Med Programmable Implantable Infusion System, even 1/300 or so of the oral morphine proved extremely effective. At the same time, side effects were minimized. Not only that, as with the existing epidural through the epidural port, having a shower was never possible, but with this one, as the injection system is implanted in the body, there is no trouble in daily life such as having a shower, thereby greatly contributing to higher quality of life.
The medication stored in the pump can be filled in via the injection port by going to the hospital once every three months depending on patient conditions. Therefore, cancer pain patients either with hospice care or difficulties in mobility might find it convenient not having to frequently go to hospital and receive medical subscription.
Synchro Med Programmable Implantable Infusion System used for this operation is used for thousands of patients in advanced countries like the U.S. and Europe. Domestically, import permit was given to Medtronic Korea for the system in April 2008. It is covered by insurance in advanced countries like the U.S. and Europe but not yet in Korea.
Professor Kim Yong-chul at the Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine said, "Compared to pain control using oral administration or epidural administration, a trace of drugs are controllably injected, so concerns of side effects resulting from most drugs that might occur by enormous injection are significantly reduced if initial dose titration is done successfully. Another advantage is that a single operation makes it usable semi-permanently."
He went on to say, "The infusion system is the last- resort of treatment among pain control methods that have been developed until now. We have consistently shared information and conducted training in conjunction with advanced overseas hospitals to thoroughly make patient-specific treatments, the trickiest issue of all. And we successfully ended up with the opreration. Until now, April 23 2008, they has performed the implantation in five patients after the first trial on April 2008 with great success"
Medical staff is explaining about Synchro Med Programmable Implantable Infusion System to a patient.