Spinal cord stimulation for relief of ischemic pain in end-stage arterial occlusive disease.

A total of 41 patients with end-stage arterial occlusive disease not treatable by surgery were enrolled in a study after implantation of a spinal cord stimulator. To date, a total of 25 patients have been followed up to 6 months after surgery. Patients were classified as grade I to grade III based on the scale developed by the Ad Hoc Committee on Reporting Standards, Society for Vascular Surgery/Society for Cardiovascular Surgery (1986). Sixty-seven percent of patients with rest pain who did not have ulcers (grade II) were successfully treated with a spinal cord stimulator. The success rate among patients who had rest pain and foot lesions was only 38%. Failure is defined as foot amputation or heroic bypass surgery. This study was conducted at six centers in North America.