Cerebrospinal Fluid Leak Following Explantation of Percutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulator Device: A Case Report

While spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is a safe and effective treatment for chronic pain, some patients require explantation of their devices due to complications or inadequate pain control. The rate of SCS implantation has steadily increased over the years; however, the complications of percutaneous lead extraction have not been well-documented in the scientific literature.

We present an 86-year-old patient at our institution who developed an intraoperative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak during SCS explantation. The leak was conservatively managed with tight surgical closure and placement of an abdominal binder. The patient tolerated the procedure well and only developed a minor headache which self-resolved.

Although rare, SCS lead extraction can cause CSF leakage from unintentional intraoperative dural tear. While most CSF leaks can be managed conservatively and do not require surgical repair, pain physicians need to be well-informed on how to manage CSF leaks that occur during SCS explantation.