Enhanced limb salvage for peripheral vascular disease with the use of spinal cord stimulation

For patients with peripheral vascular disease that have exhausted all means for surgical repair, spinal cord stimulation is an alternative treatment that could offer them significant pain relief or possibly delay the need for limb amputation. Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) has proven to offer many of these patients a return to a more normal lifestyle by relieving pain to such a degree that their mobility is improved. In addition, increases in blood flow to the affected extremity have helped to improve overall foot salvage. Since SCS is minimally invasive and has few reported complications, it is a viable alternative for patients with multiple health risks, and with proper patient selection and early referral, it can reduce health care costs in many cases.