Newsletter

It is with great pleasure that we present a NSANZ Lifetime Achievement award for services to neuromodulation and pain management to my friend and colleague Peter George Courtney, who by his own admission became an accidental pain medicine physician.

Peter embodies the qualities of a worthy recipient. He is compassionate, works hard, thinks deeply, is a good teacher, is generous with his knowledge and has been a lifelong learner.

To read more about Peter’s life and the presentation made at the NSANZ ASM 2024, please click the button below

Painaustralia have put together a collection of short videos aiming to educate patients and answer their most frequently asked questions regarding Spinal Cord Stimulation.

The videos can be viewed on the Painaustralia website – https://www.painaustralia.org.au/spinal-cord-stimulation

Professor Michael Cousins, AO

Passed away peacefully 27 April, 2024

Professor Cousins was a giant in chronic pain medicine and neuromodulation in Australia.

Please click below to read a speech written by Dr Russo to honour Michael with a Lifetime Achievement Award, as part of the International Neuromodulation Society ASM in Sydney.

Other obituaries:
Obituaries Australia
ANZCA
Pain Foundation
Kolling Institute

The ABC 4 Corners program entitled “The Pain Factory” that was aired Monday night contained a series of allegations around one aspect of neuromodulation, namely spinal cord stimulation – and featured Dr Rachel David calling for this therapy to be removed from the suite of options available for patients suffering intractable neuropathic pain, primarily on the basis of privately held data of the health funds she represents and advocates for.

Criticisms were made of the Therapeutic Goods Administration that were neither substantiated nor rationally based.

The Neuromodulation Society of Australia and New Zealand would like to see a rational and sensible discussion of the evidence base for the role of spinal cord stimulation in refractory neuropathic pain which has the highest level of evidence of efficacy and is performed in a very small minority of suitable patients for whom other options have either been exhausted or are unsuitable. It is performed by highly trained medical specialists and is a therapy that intrinsically requires ongoing care and maintenance much like a pacemaker or an insulin pump requires ongoing care and maintenance. Without doubt, as surgery is involved, complications can and do occur and every complication is one more than is ever desired and we empathise with the patients presented and their particular lived experiences.

The Neuromodulation Society of Australia and New Zealand (“NSANZ”) seeks the retraction of a recent article published in the Journal of Patient Safety, ‘An analysis of the Adverse Events Reported to the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration’, due to its numerous fundamental inaccuracies and false, misleading and deceptive statements.

To read full letter, please click button below

NSANZ is leading the development of an Australasian neuromodulation device registry, which will bridge the gap between clinical trials and real-world outcomes. This extensive database will improve the lives of chronic pain patients in numerous ways. For example, it will enable the conduct of long-term comparative research into different devices and programming, and will aid in the development of clinical guidelines

By Marc A. Russo, President, International Neuromodulation Society, MBBS DA (UK) FANZCA FFPMANZCA

I am writing to you today because both myself and the International Neuromodulation Society (INS) Executive Officers have been flooded with calls from members who, like us, are concerned about the methodological flaws in a recent study on SCS published in the prestigious journal JAMA (Journal of American Medical Association) and the likelihood for a range of patients, doctors and healthcare delivery systems to reach erroneous conclusions on the evidence base for spinal cord stimulation (SCS) based on this one study.1
The flaws are so manifold and the statements of the authors so disparaging of the whole field that I feel it is important that all members of the INS have the facts available to them to help dispel this misinformation. In particular I would urge each and everyone of you to use your social media and networking channels to educate those around you as to the true nature of how this study was conducted as I’ve enumerated in the points below. Together in a concerted effort we can ensure that this vital information is delivered where it is needed before payers use this flawed study as justification to cease covering SCS.
A formal letter to the Editor of JAMA will be forthcoming from signatories of multiple medical societies including the INS but INDIVIDUAL activity will have more effect in the court of public opinion. Patient access to neuromodulation, including pain relief, must be a first and last priority of both practitioners and the societies that represent them.

The Neuromodulation Society of Australia and New Zealand (NSANZ). NSANZ is a not-for-profit medical society aimed at;

– Raising awareness of neuromodulation,

– Promoting knowledge and understanding of neuromodulation

– Promoting the safe and professional practice of neuromodulation

– Promoting, assisting and encouraging research into the field of neuromodulation

Implantable devices are used for defined medical conditions include pain, functional neurological pelvic disorders like incontinence and movement disorders like Parkinson’s disease. These therapies have been defined and studied and when used appropriately for the correct indication can be lifesaving.

Important points to be made for this submission

1) It is disappointing that this consultation paper seeks to present the current arrangements regarding prostheses benefit setting in such a negative way, particularly given the role that the prosthesis listing has to ensure access for patients and clinicians choice when it comes to access medical technology in the private sector.

2) We understand the need to reduce cost pressures on the private health insurers, but this must not be at the expense of patients not receiving a defined therapy that is indicated and that they require. We will provide an argument as such below.

3) We request a representative of our society be included in the discussions moving forward on this consultative process with the aim of providing this cost-effective therapy for those that need it most and to avoid unnecessary patient suffering and an ongoing burden to the community.