Pregnancy With a Spinal Cord Stimulator: What 31 Cases Suggest

Women who rely on a spinal cord stimulator for chronic pain often face a hard question when they think about starting a family: is it safe to carry a pregnancy with the device in place? A new systematic review pooled the published reports and found few device problems, along with generally reassuring outcomes for mothers and babies.

The review is small, though. It covered 31 patients drawn from 19 studies, with no comparison group, so it offers early reassurance rather than proof. Here is what it found, and where the gaps remain.

Why pregnancy questions are coming up more often

A spinal cord stimulator is a small implanted device that sends mild electrical signals to the spinal cord through thin wires called leads. The aim is to change how pain signals are felt.

The review's authors describe it as a recognized option for nerve-related (neuropathic) pain that has not eased with other treatments. They also note that more women of childbearing age are now using it. Even so, the researchers say solid information about its safety in pregnancy has been scarce, and outcome data had never been gathered in one place.

For someone planning a pregnancy, that gap could make decisions about the device feel uncertain. This review was an attempt to bring the scattered reports together.

How the researchers gathered and pooled the cases

The team followed PRISMA, a widely used set of reporting standards for systematic reviews, and combined results in a descriptive pooled analysis. They searched five research databases: PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane and Embase. For yes-or-no outcomes they pooled proportions using exact binomial confidence intervals, and they summarized measurements such as age as weighted averages with standard deviations.

Nineteen studies met their criteria. Together these described 31 patients with an average age of 33.0 ± 4.8 years.

Complex regional pain syndrome, a long-lasting pain condition that often follows an injury, was the leading reason for having the stimulator, seen in 18 of 31 women (58.1%). Failed back surgery syndrome, meaning ongoing pain after spine surgery, came second at 6 of 31 (19.4%). In every case, the device had been put in before the woman became pregnant.

The stimulator held up in most pregnancies

Problems with the stimulator itself were uncommon in the pooled cases. Lead migration, when a wire shifts out of position, and lead fracture, when a wire breaks, were both rare. None of the reports described an infection or a device having to be removed.

In most pregnancies the stimulator kept providing effective pain control, and the settings needed adjusting only now and then. The abstract does not give exact counts for these events, so it is hard to say precisely how rare the problems were.

Epidurals, delivery and newborn health

Many people wonder whether an epidural or spinal anesthetic is possible with leads near the spine. In these cases, neuraxial anesthesia, the group of techniques that includes epidurals and spinal blocks, could generally be given, and vaginal birth was generally possible. When women did have a cesarean, the reports did not link that decision to where the device sat.

Outcomes for babies were described as reassuring. Most were born at full term, birthweights were normal, Apgar scores (a quick check of a newborn's condition right after birth) were favorable, and no newborn deaths were reported.

Across the cases, the researchers did not find any consistent pattern of problems in mothers or babies that they could tie to the stimulator. Their overall conclusion is that, based on what has been published, spinal cord stimulation appears well tolerated in pregnancy, with low device-related risk and good results for mothers and infants.

What this review can and cannot tell us

Size is the biggest constraint. Thirty-one women, pooled from 19 separate reports, is a very small group for judging safety.

Because the analysis was descriptive, with no comparison group, it cannot show whether outcomes were better, worse or about the same as in pregnancies without a stimulator. The authors themselves describe the evidence on this question as limited.

• All devices were placed before pregnancy, so the findings do not address implanting a stimulator during pregnancy.
• The abstract does not describe what kinds of studies were included, and published reports may lean toward pregnancies that went well.
• Exact rates of lead problems and reprogramming were not given in the abstract.
• Funding for the review was not reported in the abstract.
• It is not yet known whether keeping the device switched on throughout pregnancy is the best approach.

What this may mean if you have a stimulator and are considering pregnancy

These findings could offer some early comfort to women who already have a stimulator and are thinking about pregnancy. Still, a review this small cannot answer every question about one person's pregnancy, and each person's pain condition, device and health history are different.

Planning ahead may help. Decisions about the device before, during and after pregnancy are best made with the clinician who manages the stimulator, working alongside an obstetric team and, closer to delivery, an anesthesiologist.

Pain specialists, such as those at SEVA Healthcare in Tulsa, Dallas and New Mexico, evaluate conditions like complex regional pain syndrome and failed back surgery syndrome and can talk through how a stimulator fits into a person's overall care. If you notice a change in pain control or have concerns about the device at any stage of pregnancy, it makes sense to raise them promptly with your care team.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get pregnant if I have a spinal cord stimulator?

This review looked only at women whose devices were implanted before pregnancy, and it reported few device problems and reassuring outcomes in those 31 cases. Because the evidence is so limited, decisions about your own situation should be made with the clinician who manages your stimulator and your obstetric team.

Will I still be able to have an epidural?

In the pooled cases, neuraxial anesthesia, which includes epidurals and spinal blocks, could generally be given. Whether it is right for you is a question for your anesthesia and obstetric care team.

Does having a stimulator mean I will need a cesarean?

Vaginal birth was generally possible in these reports, and cesarean deliveries were not attributed to where the device was located.

Did the stimulator keep working during pregnancy?

In most pregnancies, stimulation stayed effective and reprogramming was needed only occasionally. The abstract does not report exact numbers.

How strong is this evidence?

It is quite limited. The review pooled 31 patients from 19 studies and had no comparison group, so it cannot show how these pregnancies compare with pregnancies without a device.

Sources

• Maternal and fetal outcomes of spinal cord stimulation in pregnancy: systematic review with descriptive meta-analysis. — Journal of clinical neuroscience : official journal of the Neurosurgical Society of Australasia, 2026-09-01
• Study DOI: 10.1016/j.jocn.2026.112122

This article is sponsored content by SEVA Healthcare and is for general information only — it is not medical or legal advice. Treatment options depend on an individual evaluation, and results vary from person to person. In an emergency, call 911. Spotted an error? See our corrections policy.