Sheffield surgeon becomes first to implant life changing pump

Michael McKeever, 43, recently became the first man in the world to be fitted with the latest technology to control muscle spasticity linked to paralysis at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals.

Mr Martin McClelland, Consultant in Spinal Injuries at the Northern General Hospital, performed the operation on Thursday. He was involved in discussions on the early development of the new ‘Medstream’ pump and worked with manufacturing company Codman, to ensure it was safe and effective for patients.

The pump is implanted under the skin of the abdomen and works by delivering a drug along a fine tube that passes through the patient’s back into the fluid that surrounds the spinal cord. Pumps that do this have been around for several decades but there is only one other like this that is computer controlled and allows drug dosage to be varied during the day.

Michael, a dad of two from York, was left paralysed from the chest down following a motorcycle accident in April 2007. Since the accident, his independence was greatly compromised by spasms so severe they could throw him from his wheelchair.

He said: “I look forward to the new phase in my life that this operation has offered. The last two years have been filled with pain and I already feel that it has greatly improved only days after the surgery. I will also have 26 less pills to take per day, and most importantly - I will be fully independent again.”

Mr McClelland has been inserting pumps similar to this for over 20 years. “I am thrilled that Michael’s operation with the new pump has been successful,” said Mr McClelland. “From a surgeon’s perspective - it is good to have a new product as we now have a wider choice of which type of pump to use in this type of surgery.”

Michael added: “I’m so grateful to Mr McClelland and all staff at the Spinal Injury Unit at Sheffield Teaching Hospital for working so quickly and doing everything they can to help me.”

Source: http://www.sth.nhs.uk/news/5-3-pumpimplant.php

Click to view attachment