Jerry Lewis has a pain device that was inserted beneath his skin and
is batterie operated where can I find information about it?

Youngs-ga, 

?Jerry Lewis is one of about 110,000 Americans receiving pain relief
with the electrical stimulation devices made by Medtronic, a
Minneapolis-based company.?

?Lewis' fully implanted device, which is about the size of a heart
pacemaker, delivers low-voltage stimulation to his spinal cord. The
comedian says he suffered chronic pain, the result of numerous
pratfalls, for nearly 40 years until receiving the nerve stimulation
device in April.?

?The $12,000 device, usually placed under the skin of the abdomen,
contains a special battery to create electrical impulses. Patients may
briefly stay in the hospital after surgery to implant the device and
the connecting wires that carry the electrical impulses to the spinal
cord.?

Ride for Life, Inc 
http://www.rideforlife.com/archives/000203.html



Jerry Lewis teaches others to laugh through the pain 
By Aline McKenzie 

?(..) thanks to an implanted pacemaker that stimulates nerves in his
spine, the 76-year-old king of the pratfall has been pain free for 11
months.?

"I was blessed with 100 percent relief," he says. "So now on my
campaign as spokesman for Medtronic, I'm hoping to make people aware
that there are alternatives and options." He approached the company
after his own positive experience and is now a paid spokesman.?

?Medtronic Inc., based in Minneapolis, manufactures various medical
devices, including heart pacemakers, neural stimulators and
implantable pumps that deliver drugs directly to the spine.?

Pain and Wellness
http://www.painandwellness.com/in_the_news_article_3.html



Jerry Lewis had surgery in Houston, where doctors installed the
Neurostimulation System. ?Located in his lower abdomen, the device
emits pulses through wires connected to his spinal cord. Using a
handheld control, Lewis can adjust the amount of pulses transmitted
and block his chronic back pain.?

?Lewis told the newspaper he felt "reborn" after surgery to relieve
the back pain, which he's endured after a career full of pratfalls.?

Eonline
http://www.eonline.com/News/Items/0,1,9990,00.html



===========
Information
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A Medtronic Press Release:

?For example, last year, Jerry Lewis came to Medtronic after having
his life transformed by one of our devices, after 37 years of
suffering tremendous pain.?
http://www.medtronic.com/newsroom/mgmtspeech_10072003.html



Medtronic Neurostimulation System 

An over view of neurostimulation system components and implantation.

- How Neurostimulation Controls Pain
- Benefits of Neurostimulation
- Historical Background

http://www.medtronic.com/neuro/paintherapies/pain_treatment_ladder/neurostimulation/neuro_neurostimulation.html



Find a provider of Medtronic Pain Therapies

This section lists many of the physicians who provide Medtronic Pain Therapies.
http://www.medtronic.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Medtronic/Website/StageArticle&ConditionName=Painful+Neuropathy&Stage=Diagnosis&Article=bpain_art_locator


   
Search criteria:
Jerry Lewis implanted back pain device


I hope you find this information helpful!

Best regards,
Bobbie7

---

Clarification of Answer by bobbie7-ga on 15 Feb 2004 21:50 PST

Additional information that may interest you:

How it works 

From the Medtronic website: "Neurostimulation is the stimulation of
the spinal cord by tiny electrical impulses. An implanted lead (a
flexible insulated wire), which is powered by an implanted battery or
receiver, is placed near your spinal cord. This lead and an implanted
neurostimulator send electrical impulses that block the pain messages
to your brain. Some patients describe the feeling of neurostimulation
as 'tingling.' You can also think of neurostimulation as the rubbing
of your 'funny bone' after you've bumped it. Rubbing masks the feeling
of pain just as the tingling produced by the neurostimulation system
masks the feeling of pain."

Medtronic: Neurostimulation
http://www.medtronic.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Medtronic/Website/StageArticle&ConditionName=Chronic+Back+and%2For+Leg+Pain&Stage=Treatment&Article=bpain_art_mdt_neurostim

============================

Read about Comedian Jerry Lewis' Fight With Pain in an article at the
Medtronic website:
http://www.medtronic.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Medtronic/Website/Patient&ConditionName=Chronic+Back+and%2For+Leg+Pain&Article=bpain_ps_jerry