Introduction:

Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is a well-established technique for the treatment of certain types of refractory chronic pain. There are currently no publications on the outcomes obtained in our setting. The aim of this study was to analyse the efficacy and safety of SCS in the first case series in Uruguay.

Materials and methods:

All patients implanted with a spinal cord stimulator between July 2020 and May 2025 were retrospectively included. To analyse treatment efficacy, pre- and postoperative values for pain intensity (visual analogue scale), disability level (Oswestry Disability Index) and opioid consumption (OMED: oral morphine equivalent dose) were compared. Parametric and non-parametric tests were applied to compare means and determine statistical significance. Adverse events were described for the safety analysis.

Results:

Epidural electrodes were implanted in 25 patients. There were 18 cases of failed back surgery syndrome, 6 of neuropathic pain (NP) and 1 of complex regional pain syndrome. Overall, 82% of patients responded to SCS. Axial low back pain decreased from 6.4 to 2.5 points; radicular/neuropathic pain, from 8.2 to 3.5; disability scores, from 64% to 27%; and OMED, from 193 to 54 mg/day. All these differences were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Nine adverse events occurred, 2 of which were serious and required explantation.

Conclusions:

Spinal cord stimulation was effective in reducing pain intensity, disability level and opioid consumption in the Uruguayan population studied. Prospective studies with a larger number of patients are needed to validate the findings of this preliminary analysis.

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