Rapid and Minimally Traumatic Replacement of Stimulator Extension Cables: Technical Note on a Novel Use for Sternal Wire.

BACKGROUND: Troubleshooting of deep brain stimulators (DBSs, Activa SC/PC/RC Medtronic PLC, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA) sometimes results in a decision to replace a tunneled stretch-coil extension cable. We present a simple technique to accomplish this atraumatically without a tunneling tool.

OBJECTIVES: In the treatment of patients with a DBS, complication avoidance and efficiency of operative time are paramount. We sought to find the safest, most effective, and fastest method of performing the conceptually simple yet technically nuanced act of replacing lead extension cables.

METHODS: We connected #6 (8.0 metric) surgical steel 18″ (45-cm) monofilament (Ethicon US, LLC, Somerville, New Jersey, USA), also known as #6 sternal wire, in line with DBS extension cables (Medtronic DBS Extension 37086-60) in novel fashion to overcome intraprocedural hurdles encountered during the past decade in a busy functional neurosurgery service.

RESULTS: Patients tolerate the procedure well and return home shortly after recovery with no complications.

CONCLUSIONS: A less expensive and faster technique for passing pulse generator extension cables may be the use of a sternal wire. Using the described technique, pulse generators may be quickly and safely adjusted from side to side and site to site as the clinical situation dictates.