Sunderland teen 'pain-free' after pioneering operation
An 18-year-old from Sunderland has become pain-free after receiving a pioneering spinal cord implant to treat complex regional pain syndrome. The device, previously only used on adults, uses electrical pulses to block pain signals and adapt to the patient's movements.
Why it matters
This medical success story highlights advancements in neuro-stimulation technology and its potential to improve quality of life for patients with chronic, debilitating pain conditions.
Image source, Newcastle Hospitals/PA Media Image caption, The results of the procedure for Ralph Seed were immediate, Dr Sachin Rastogi said
A teenager who suffered such agony from a medical condition in his foot that he considered amputation as a cure says a pioneering procedure has left him pain-free "for the first time in five years".
Ralph Seed, 18, from Washington near Sunderland, had complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), which meant the slightest touch was excruciating and he was unable to walk.
But after surgeons at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary fitted a pain-relieving implant to his spinal cord, Ralph said he was at last able to plan a future for himself.
The implanted device, which in the UK had previously only been used on adults, uses stimulation to disrupt erroneous signals travelling to the brain.
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