Device brings immediate pain relief for teenager in UK first

A patient has become the first teenager in the UK to have a pain-relieving implant fitted to his spinal cord to ease an agonising condition.

For five years Ralph Seed, 18, has suffered from complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) in his foot which meant the slightest touch was excruciating, leaving him unable to walk or put pressure on it.

The pain was so bad that Mr Seed, from Washington, Tyne and Wear, last year contemplated having his foot amputated, having tried multiple treatments including powerful painkillers, physiotherapy and psychological support.

Now he has become the first teenager in the UK to have been fitted with a pioneering implant device at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, part of Newcastle Hospitals, to relieve his condition.

It uses spinal cord stimulation to disrupt the signals travelling to the brain in real time.

A tiny battery under the skin provides a small electrical pulse to the spinal cord to block the pain signals.

Experts explained it is a “closed loop”, meaning it reacts to the patient’s movement, using the body’s own signals to adapt and adjust the stimulation to meet their needs.

CRPS happens when nerves incorrectly send severe pain signals from the affected parts of the body.

The implants can be used for CRPS when other treatments have failed.

Ralph Seed contemplated having his foot amputated due to the severe pain (Newcastle Hospitals/PA)PA Media - Newcastle Hospitals

And from the moment the device was switched on after surgery, Mr Seed’s pain disappeared.

He said: “For the first time in five years, I’m pain free.

“My mum was emotional and so was I. It’s not really hit me, I still can’t get my head around it.

“I’m hoping the implant is going to help me get my life back again.

“I kept going, but I couldn’t plan before as I had to think about how I would cope with pain.

“Now I am planning my future working with cars and going on a road trip with my family.”

His mother Tara Walton said: “It’s really so special to see him smiling again.

“Ralph has been through so much but throughout he’s had a great attitude, he’s continued to go to school, pushing himself further.

“He’s been so determined to keep going, showing such resilience passing his GCSEs and going to college.”

The surgery was carried out at the Royal Victoria Infirmary (Newcastle Hospitals/PA)PA Media - Newcastle Hospitals

Dr Sachin Rastogi, an anaesthetist who specialises in pain, joined neurosurgeon Akbar Hussain to fit the implant.

Dr Rastogi said the results of the procedure were “immediate and unprecedented”.

He said: “Seeing the impact of being pain-free for Ralph is simply one of the most moving things I have experienced in my career.

“This type of closed-loop spinal cord stimulation hasn’t been done in the UK before in an adolescent patient with this type of pain.

“The response has been so dramatic and that is likely to do with his nervous system being young and highly adaptable.”

The implant had previously only been used on adults in the UK.

Mr Seed will continue rehabilitation to strengthen his foot, as well as receiving psychological support, and the effect on his sleep and walking will be monitored.

He said: “We want other families who may be going through chronic pain to know about this condition and that there is treatment for it.

“I’m so thankful to everyone for what they have done for me.”