Debating the role of psychiatric assessments in medical decisions
I recently had an incident involving a long-time patient. This particular encounter proved to be challenging. The patient had chronic pain for years and had already exhausted all conventional treatment options. Ironically, he was otherwise healthy and fit. His recalcitrant condition made him a prime candidate to be treated with a spinal sord stimulator (SCS).
An SCS is an implantable device with two electrode leads connected to a battery-powered pulse generator. …