Shielded battery syndrome: a new hardware complication of deep brain stimulation

Deep brain stimulation hardware is constantly advancing. The last few years have seen the introduction of rechargeable cell technology into the implanted pulse generator design, allowing for longer battery life and fewer replacement operations. The Medtronic® system requires an additional pocket adaptor when revising a non-rechargeable battery such as their Kinetra® to their rechargeable Activa® RC. This additional hardware item can, if it migrates superficially, become an impediment to the recharging of the battery and negate the intended technological advance.

To report the emergence of the 'shielded battery syndrome', which has not been previously described.

We reviewed our deep brain stimulation database to identify cases of recharging difficulties reported by patients with Activa RC implanted pulse generators.

Two cases of shielded battery syndrome were identified. The first required surgery to reposition the adaptor to the deep aspect of the subcutaneous pocket. In the second case, it was possible to perform external manual manipulation to restore the adaptor to its original position deep to the battery.

We describe strategies to minimise the occurrence of the shielded battery syndrome and advise vigilance in all patients who experience difficulty with recharging after replacement surgery of this type for the implanted pulse generator.